In Switzerland we use 230v AC power, the wires are thiner than in the US (110v) cause the higher the voltage the smaller the current you need for the same power rating, and it's the current that gives you the thickness of the wire.
@@rodesdara Wow... Living risky there! Here in Finland it's 2,5mm2 for 16A breakers and 1,5mm2 for 10A (usually used only for lighting). 1.5mm2 will handle 16A only if it's installed on the surface and not run trough any walls.
- and the 230V AC is 1 phase + Neutral, not like in the US 2 phases for that voltage. 2 phases in Europe give 400V AC. 2,5 mm2 is app 13G wire and 1,5 mm2 is app 15G wire.
@@maikeydii actually if wire is inside a brick etc wall, than it can carry more current. Same as berried cable. As I understand its basically means that cable is cooled down by surrounding mass.
Good on you!!!! As a Canadian I appreciate your "open mindness". You are not "US Centric". You understand North American building is not the only way to build structures. As a professional who concentrates on building science you are well positioned to see the best way to construct irregardless of where the technique originated from. GOOD ON YOU!!
John...for a moderate climate, outside of a hurricane or earth quake zone, the wood frame is a great way to build. And if you had an open mind and realize personal after tax income is finite. And that real houses cost real dollars, then construction methods that yield cost savings are superior. A builder must be US centric building in the US - LMFAO. A tilting door geez, why not just put chocolate sauce on pizza.
Each building method "works" for a certain region. A heavily insulated concrete house might be a nightmare to keep cool and dry in Texas. A stick-built house would be a nightmare to heat in most of Europe. Europe insulates heavily because its a) much colder, and b) energy is usually damn expensive (also see Russia turning off the gas pipelines). The US tends to be warmer/more humid, and needs houses that can breathe and stay dry. Wood is also easier to cool down. I've lived on both sides of the pond. Each side does what works best for them.
Sir, I hate to use the word awesome but coming from someone that has 47 years in construction in some form or another and retiring as a Chief Building Official; I must say, your channel is awesome.
Shawn, you don’t get to be a chief by exhibiting failure characteristics. The inspectors I’ve known were top notch. Conversely, I’ve known some piss-poor builders. Character, not trade, determines quality of output. But you know that already.
When he was talking about low voltage everywhere, I was thinking about KNX maybe? The Bus cables for our Heating are also similar in size, gauge and insulation to 230, but just running 20v data. I guess he might have been expecting that 230v should be thicker instead of thinner to deliver the same power.
@@72strand Usually over here in Europe all wiring for lights and outlets inside residential buildings is 230V. For lighting wire gauge is usually 1.5mm2 (16 AWG) and for outlets it's 2.5mm2 (14 AWG). Here in Finland 1.5mm2 wiring will usually be supplied trough a 10A breaker and is thus able to provide 2300W of power, 2.5mm2 wiring will have 16A breaker and wil be able to provide ~3,7kW of power.
G+1121494 Yeah, I think it’s not intuitive to people that wire thickness is determined by the amps only (whereas the volts determine the insulation needed), and that thus, for a given total power, a higher voltage system doesn’t need as thick wire. (And for practical reasons, the insulation for 120V and 230V is the same; it needs to handle the same mechanical stresses, abrasion, etc, and so in either case it’s far, far thicker than the voltage alone would require).
The column is actual structural and suporting the roof. The board around it is for fire protection. It's called "Gipsfaserplatte" basically "gypsum fibre board" and is made from gypsum and recycled paper fibres. Its's fire proof, damn hard, heavy and far more durable then standard drywall. It's impossible to cut it with a utility knife, they use circular and jigsaws for the job.
As a person from the swiss building industry I think this video explains very accurate how houses are built in Switzerland. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a professional way 👍👏🙌
I'd love you to come over and look at houses in the UK. All block and brick, cavity insulation, no air tightness, drafty windows with no tapes, just expanding foam, render outside, plater skim inside and little if any framing (although it is getting more common nowadays), sheathing or sidings. I think you'd be amazed.
We do like our block and brick and cavity walls. Not _all_ British buildings are terrible, just most of them :-) There are people building and retrofitting passivehouses and the old code4 or 5 or AECB silver, but it's not at all common. And you still can;t buy airtighness tape in the builders merchant, despite a test being mandatory for building regs now. It's still a 'specialist product', which is crazy.
Glad you took the visit. I was in Paris several years ago in a boutique hotel next to a police station and the window systems were similar to what you saw in Switzerland (triple glazing, vault-like closures). I never heard a siren or any street noise. The doors were incredibly stiff structurally and they all use lamination between panes. As you see with the door hardware - no knobs to support easy use by young, older, or infirm. If building from the ground up, many of these techniques will support net zero energy usage. My smaller retirement home will incorporate many of these techniques. Thanks for sharing.
i realize yall had to pay a lot to go there but i am glad yall did. their building practices are remarkably different and very interesting. thank yall for taking us along......g
The hollow bricks are used all over the Europe on the mainland but have never really been used in the UK as we don't use concrete structures for individual home due to lack of significant earthquakes here. Also they work well with heat in southern France and Spain as well as with noise issues.
This is oddly timely and relevant - studying abroad in Germany for Architecture but my project is in Zürich. My Swiss professor has been making fun of my American construction systems and standards for weeks now. Very helpful!
Usually things related to waterproofing and fire safety, starting with "Ich finde das sehr komisch" (I find that very funny). "Why do you have so many components to your cladding? I thought California was going through a drought. It can be simplified. Consider concrete." In fact, I hear "consider concrete" for most other students talking with him (that is, if they haven't already started with concrete). "Why put stairwells at the end of these corridors?" Me: 'Do I not have to put in fire stairs if the corridors are dead-end and exceed a certain distance?' "Yes. You can save those areas for the most beautiful parts of the experience." He's receptive of the fact that I am a foreign student, and I think he knows that I don't mind him telling me more about a different construction and design mindset. It's a reason I came here, after all.
@Michael Johnson Jr ICF is a gimmick, basic concrete beams are much smarter and cheaper. Romans didnt used todays concret but a much more softer and flexible mix.
@@oreocarlton3343 I can only offer guesses as an inexperienced student as to why wood framing is so common in residential. - Large and nearby wood supply in Canada and within US means low cost. - Residential construction industry tradition inertia. "We've always been doing this way for generations , so why change it?" - Wood framing erection time. It's quite amazing how fast a house can go up with a well-coordinated team. - Shorter-term mindset compared with Western European construction. Architect Jennifer Bonner came to my school last year to talk about how even trying to get a CLT house built in Georgia state was a pain in the butt, because there was only (at the time) one guy who had worked with solid CLT residential construction in the United States, and she had him fly from Oregon into Georgia specifically for this one project. I'm not saying the residential concrete trade is that limited, or even that this anecdote is that relevant, but I'm willing to bet things are probably slow on the uptake due in-part to not enough people around to teach others how best to do things, and a lack of enthusiasm towards learning anything new.
It's cool you guys did this. I've worked in a high end kitchen cabinetry factory in Switzerland so I've seen a lot Swiss homes being built and renod. And the fact is they are miles ahead of North America in terms of quality and style. The doors and windows are a good example, (the window you raved about is not a big window in that country btw)...
One thing to ad, with the blinds and the thiner insolation on the outside, there is insolation on the inside of that box to ad to the “R value”. The roll down blinds are aluminum and filled with foam.
Hey Matt, the Material around your roof Column (8:00) is called Promat. Its a special drywall material to be very verrrrry fire resistant. You have to use it for inspection in all constructive columns or beams to keep up the structure integrity in case of fires as long as possible. You could heat up one side of the promat with a blueflamed torch for a half hour and could touch the other side with bare fingers easily. Amazing stuff... yet expensive. You get it in all kind of thicknesses and even prefabbed as plaster for difficult Stuff like tubings or cables openings through walls.
This brand is called Promat and the product is promatect (I guess promatect-100 or 200). The material however is a calcium silicat board there are other companies with similar solutions. It have a good fire protection but not much more than a traditional calcium sulfat board (drywall) per mm when working with normal conditions. However for higher ratings you can get a slimmer design compared to drywall mostly due to higher structural capacity resulting in a single layer instead of three or four in two steps for drywall. Also easier to work with in many cases since it's not as fragile as drywall.
Wow this brought me back to my childhood growing up in Germany. Construction there is identical. My grandmother in the late 90s lived in an apartment in Cologne and her patio door did the same thing - leaned in from the top for ventilation. Also the farmer who brought you the coffee also brought you mercy chocolates made in Germany ... the company my dad worked for as a child. I hope you get to show us more buildings and building techniques while in Europe. Some things they do really well over there. Thanks Matt and Jordan.
Europe is the epicenter of amazing stuff/construction/vehicles/machinery and more. Its endless. So happy you are there. Such a great video. As usual from you!
Each time I go to Europe I am in awe of how amazing their construction is. The old buildings and the new buildings are impressive, for very different reasons, obviously.
Thank you for doing this. That was really cool having that different perspective. Of course, seeing the different perspective also jaded me on US residential building a little bit. The highlights to me, were 02:29 Who doesn't like a cool/warm house with an affordable energy bill. That looks like it delivers. 08:51 That plywood is beautiful, mainly because I figure theirs none of that swag you get in some houses when walking on the floor. I would imagine that it holds up whether it wants to or not. 12:50 That was one cool door. 18:40 & 19:11 That's the kinda woman I like, well built, beautiful on the outside and inside.. I mean barns.. The woodwork on that barn, was really awesome. I mean, it's the kind of thing you'd pass down to your kids, and their kids.. It was a functional, practical, building, elevated to art in a way. 21:27 It was just kinda cool to see the passion & get a little perspective on the history of building in the US. 22:38 I like a well built roof with proper drainage.
The 3 ply is a variant of CLT, its produced locally by many of the manufacturers in Austria, Switzerland, Germany by companies like Pfeifer. In Sweden the brand is Primpanel.
@@kevin3434343434 A new CLT manufacturing facility is currently under construction in Colville WA. With the need to thin smaller trees for forest health, and the tremendous structural and aesthetic advantages it is a real win-win opportunity.
I work at the leading CLT and Gluelam producer/construction company in Sweden, Martinsons. Timber building is really growing a lot these days, and CLT is becoming a huge thing. We mostly us it for structure though, but you can leave the outer layer with a sanded quality for finish, if the buyer wants that.
at 18:30 the product is called an "ISO-Korb" (insulation basket if you translate it word for word) it is insulating styrofoam that has rebar sticking out on both sides (inside and outside) and you install it and fasten it to the rebar in the slab and therefore make it one continuous slab with a thermal brake
@17:35: the separation is a structural thermal brake, manufactured by Schöck (the product is Isokorb, based on the load and stresses they have several variations). The insulation is just filling the gap inbetween these load bearing items, as these products are coming in the length of 1,00m (I'm not sure now, around that).
I'm surprised you guys are so surprised with the windows and doors. All those are pretty standard in Europe... And the thing is, they cost less or as much as a low end door from Lowe's... The system is exactly the same. Lever down locks the doors/windows... Lever horizontal is open... Lever pointing up, it makes the window/door tilt on the lower axis. We call it oscillo-basculant windows...something like this costs about 450-750$ depending where you have it made. Its funny to see you guys thinking this is super new high end... I've had these in our house 20 years ago at least
Salvador Nobre Veiga yes I saw those at my cousins in PFORZHEIM DE , but you know what REALLY SUCKED? They DONT HAVE SCREENS so the damned INSECTS FLY IN !
I agree with you except for the price, everything in Europe is expensive and the marketing system cannot compete with the efficiency of lowes or home despot, that said it is generally worth the price. by not allow shitty crap they broaden the market for quality products allowing the consumer to get good stuff not cheap but cheaper than it otherwise would be.
@@flybyairplane3528 IF they don't have screens for mosquitos then it was an old installation or intentionally left out. Insect screens have been installed for quite some time, but some people are cheapskates, penny wise, pound foolish - since insect screens are well worth it.
what an incredibly stunning architectural system, I love it. Great video Matt, and this kind of information is what America needs to look hard at for their systems.
It stunned me to hear that someone grew up watching "This Old House". I don't hear that much at all. Growing up with my grandfather for many years I was exposed to just about everything PBS network had and then shows like "This Old House" and "Bob Ross" were staples of daily television. Now, I am 44 so yes, television was a bit different. My grandfather was an engineer and worked all the way up until his later years (still alive and doing well in his 80's) and still today gets calls for consultation. It was shows like that that really made me love architechture and structual engineering (None of which I did but have an intrest of hobby). I hope you hvae a wonderful and successful show of your own here on YT and continue the love and passion for showing off so many cool things in the space of your job. Cheers!
If I remember correctly the This Old House Build Was The Wickwire barn building in Concord Ma. That show inspired many people including myself Norm was my favorite
I really enjoyed your video. I have been living your experience. I returned from 90 days in Berlin Oct. 23. I'm 66, was raised by post-war ''Flippers'' ! Before my younger sis turned 16, she had lived in 17 homes, only 2 were stop-gap rental homes, while the next plan was hatched by my 'survivor' parents. Both were U.S. N. vets of WWII who's parents had become neighbors while 7 of the kids two families children were doing their 'service'. My mom and her brother married my dad and his sister ! Presto ! Double cousins ! (the pea pod, gone human). By the time I was 13 I was being farmed out by my parents during the summer months, to the sub-contractors they would hire. My first 'hire' as a laborer was on a 1 mile sewer and water improvement my dad and his partner were buying. I 'assisted' often with a spade ! Clay pipe is fragile, and N.W. Colorado is rocky (mountain!) country. By September, I could fit the pipe, and build the manholes... By the time I was 25 I had 4 employees of my own, involved in 'new-build' residential and light commercial construction. I studied boat construction as an apprentice, which introduced me to the polymer industry. I moved to Kauai Hawaii in 87 to enlarge my ocean mariner skill set. My time in Berlin I spent many hours on the street. The living culture is in the shop windows. Did you find Baugh Haus? (huge building center in Berlin) I was tempted to perform a photo study of street level entry ways as I checked out the neighborhoods. So many were per-war, and the carpentry and hardware was endlessly entertaining. I was living with a local family, eating what was put before me. Trying to 'relate'. It was wonderful. I stopped and visited some construction sites along my travels, I met an architect at his site It reminded me of Wisconsin. The 'mixed field and forests'. I now have friends in Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands... The canals and rivers, and the water traffic and old construction.... The aged un reinforced masonry.....as the incidence of earth quake increases....I've wondered about 'poly-urea' ( the spray for truck bed-liners) and applying coats of it over the exterior and interior of those old masonry structures, maybe a 'post-spray' penetration of the wall, to chemically bond the two skins together....
Glad I stuck around until the end. When I was in Germany last year I noticed several jobsites, including just for regular homes, had those self-erecting tower cranes. I didn't get to see any in action but it looked like it could be a cool way to build a house.
wiring: we use 220-250V that means the wires only need to be half or less than half as thick as US 110-120V. Meaning 2.5MM^2 is enough for a 16 amp fuse (32 in america). Lights is usually on 1.5mm^2 for an entire room. Low voltage would usually just be two wires in DC and not AC where you have ground too.
Yes!! When I see CI (continuous insulation) on walls in the US I've asked why there isn't a tongue and groove or rabbet joint at the gaps. Glad to see it there and hoping I will see it here.
Matt, the cables that are used are different, but it’s all 230V wiring. Fun fact, the exterior rubber shield of the wiring is perfectly round so that once it’s pulled through a rubber gasket it’s actually airtight (unlike cables here in Canada, which I presume you use in Texas as well).
Terracotta block. The foundation of my home is made out of them. It used to be real popular at one time. Those tilt and turn windows/doors can be had in the US. They are very popular in Manhattan. Marvin makes them now.
This is too cool! I just watched another UA-camr talking about their Swiss apartment and I was about to start researching building techniques from that part of the world when I saw this video in my feed! I wish we had this level of quality, efficiency, and attention to detail here in the US. You know what they say tho...wish in one hand and crap in the other...
In Germany we always had the window drop downs on the inside. They could be closed tight like a fortress or allow pinpoints of light in - as much as one wanted. Manually operated.
Love your channel and this video was especially interesting to me as my ancestors/relatives are from Switzerland. I lived in Germany for 9 years as well and gained an appreciation for their building standards.
When we visited Germany, my friends thought I was a little nuts because I wanted to go to Baumart (Their Lowes /Home Depot) and I even walked over to a house being built to speak to the workers about their concrete blocks. I’m kinda getting a kick out Matt converting everything to inches. Embrace metric!! Lol. 100mm is 4”.
I use both, and live in Alabama. Yes, I'm weird, but its nice to work with various plywoods, lumber, and other materials from other countries, and know the conversions in my head. Makes things much easier to do math using both systems.
Funny to hear you talking about low voltage wiring. It's the normal powerline coming to your house, the 230/400 V 3-phase-system. Promat boards are fire protection boards. They cover the steel beam to protect it from fire and collapsing early.
When I was in the Army in Georgia, the barrack we lived in were approximately 120 x 40, made with similar fired tile. These buildings were originally POW barrack.
Deeply grateful to these guys. The one missing component is that any visit to a building should include the utility room to see what the estimated HVAC needs are for said design.
The blinds are actually shutters (used to be manually controlled when i was growing up), when they are down and fully closed they block any light into a room
Jordan fantastic articulation about the charm of old but common structures and how they are often underappreciated in exchange for one less dollar of costs. I encounter the same conundrum anytime I'm approached with a potential large scale remodel/addition. Keep it or tear it down and start fresh? Whatever is cheaper usually wins, even though that answer doesn't always feel good.
HI Matt. I think the stuff which was on the OSB on the inside is FERMACELL. It's an alternative to our so called RIGIPS Plaster boards. They relatively heavy but are really good for bathrooms etc. as they are way more resistant and more stable to work with. When we redid our bathroom here in Switzerland we did use Fermacell for the shower and the areas where water possible could reacht it with a bad seal over the years. The plumbing is called Sanipex. My father is a plumper and uses mostly this. It's fast and reliable.
I'm on board with that. The windows were impressive but seemed crazy-expensive. The fiberboard insulation is probably a lot stronger structurally, but more mold-vulnerable than EPS/polyiso. But temporary stairways & scaffolding? Hell yeah. Their contractors might even be able to afford insurance, with that kind of attitude. A lot of it seemed like "This is how you get to build a house if air conditioning is not an expectation".
Perhaps in the US they are. In Europe a normal new window _is 3 planes of glass, that is normal. And the extra cost is not that big at all. Windows is the thing US needs to change the most/first to get better houses.
John Strand Yep!!! A family i know here in Zurich owns a few buildings, and they spent around $70K to upgrade the old double-glazed windows (which were already far better than what most American homes get upgraded to when upgrading!), to triple glazed, with the whole infrared reflective coatings, low-thermal-conduction gas fill, etc. On a building that’s 150 years old and probably not THAT well insulated otherwise...
I'm building residential house for customer ATM in Finland. That house have similar size windows 5 piece and rest are somewhat smaller, totally there is 17 windows he just ordered them and total cost of windows was 11 500 euro. So roughly 700 euro/piece.
That column is probably for the chimney. Its a firesafe calcium silicate board. Anything you clad it with will be basically fireproof. Great for building fireplaces off also.
Aww I was really exciting to see the venting they used for the residential skillion roof you said you were going to show. Crazy the differences in building styles and philosophy. Thank you for the video!
Would love to see you travel to other places across the world to see things like this. Always amazing to see how people come up with different solutions to making a home.
US windows looks so silly and how they install them, with caulking, sealing tapes etc. Those windows just installed on opening sealed around perimeter with polyurethane and then trims both side and outside metal sill directly attached to window frame under drip edge.
Understandable that the inquisitive Germans would also have the concrete contingency. Most of N. America assumes you stick frame houses and confine their ingenuity to that methodology, but the original concept is a concrete bunker wrapped on the outside. Simpler and more effective when done properly on the right site. In northern climes, they use barriers on both sides of the insulation and the barriers may be of class I, II, or III, if referring to Canadian code. I is water and air tight. II is only water tight. III only sheds water, won't hold it and breathes in both directions. Tyvek for example is a class II barrier because it breathes. 6 mil polyethelene is class I. Building paper is class III. These barriers are placed depending on temperature differences and humidity levels, which vary everywhere. Understanding them is the best way to know where to use them. You can't go wrong with air and water tight on both sides in most places, but then you must have a functioning heat and air recovery system and humidity controls. Alabama, 2002 I'm looking at new construction in suburbia and seeing black mold on the north side exteriors of most homes, on gable ends or places with little sunshine. In summer, the warm side of the insulation is exterior, and they don't address that with a class II vapor barrier on the exterior. Warm moist air is meeting cooler, leaking airconditioned air and condensing on the siding, and growing mold. Brand new houses.
around the drain on the inside, the Promat, that's an amazing fire-barrier. it does have an r-value but the main purpose is flame retardant. so that would not likely be a drain but a chimney.
Hi Matt, you are mistaken about the low voltage idea. In fact, the cable that you reached up to is perfectly typical household 240 volt cable. One of the things that initially surprised me when I moved to Germany a number of years ago is that residential circuits at 240 volts use conductors actually smaller than 18 AWG. In the US we would call it "bell wire". How is this possible? At 240 volts you need one-half the amperage. Our North American larger diameter conductors are necessary to for greater ampacity. In contrast, here in Europe, the diameter of the conductors is one half the size because the conductors need one-half the ampacity. As an example, the conductors in the three-wire cable I just bought to install some new ceiling light fixtures in our German kitchen are labeled at 18 amps. We would use a cable typically called "Romex" in the US. Here, the entire sheathed cable for the same purpose is only slightly larger in diameter than a pencil. That's the sheathed cable used on every circuit that powers our entire thoroughly modern apartment. The only exception is the oven, which uses conductors smaller than 16 AWG -- rated at 30 amps. It takes a bit of time to get used to this idea that twice the voltage means twice the wattage. Our circuit breakers (except for the oven) are rated at 16 amps. At 240 volts that's 3840 watts per circuit. That's twice the wattage of a typical 14 AWG 15 amp circuit. For anyone interested in the details, the typical conductor size here is 0.75 mm2 -- (that is, three-quarters of one square millimeter). There are, or course, circuits for heavier draw circuits. such as 1.25 square millimeters. These conductors, slightly smaller than 16 AWG are rated at 30 amps (7200 watts!). You can buy this stuff at home centers everywhere, whereas larger diameter conductors like we have in North America would be very difficult to find. BTW, for those who may be incredulous that wire gauge at 240 volts is smaller, not larger, check out some UA-cam videos of wiring in England, which will, of course, be in English. While the details of their wiring is different (they fuse every plug in England) you will see they use the exact same type of cable as we do here in Germany, with it's tiny brown, blue and yellow/green insulated conductors. It's amazing now much easier wiring jobs are when the conductor size is about the same as bell wire.
I guess that we Americans are somewhat bass-ackward, in some ways and some technology. I wouldn't mind wiring things with tiny wires instead of the huge, stiff wires sometimes employed. I'm sure there's more to the story, though, than small wire size and amps, etc.
It was one of my frustrations when moving to the US... I think the first time I tried to change an outlet it took me almost 1 hour to being able to put the wiring and bending them into the box. I needed plyers to be able to do that. In Europe I can use my bare ands to bend the wire for around the nuts and putting them inside a box is just fine since they are not stiff at all.
TJ Wilson FYI, it’s 230V in Germany. Continental Europe used 220V historically and harmonized to 230V decades ago (so that appliances would start be designed to be happy with the 220V of mainland Europe and the 240V of the UK).
TJ Wilson Also, the UK is really interesting in that they use thin wire to create *32A* circuits by making them “ring circuits”. But this high current is why every single AC plug must have its own fuse (3, 5, 10, or 13A) and switch. It’s a clever system that’s not really used anywhere outside of the UK (and possibly some of its former colonies like HK.)
Thanks for sharing your trip! So fun to see you baffled by some of the building products in the first project ;) My sister lives in Germany and next time I visit, I want to set up a tour with some local builders. What a great way to get inspiration and keep learning about the craft of building.
Not a builder here but not unfamiliar with building practices in the US after seeing my cookie-cutter house go from slab to finished in a little over a month in Texas back in 2000. Have been educating myself about everything around the house so I could DIY whenever possible. Having a German wife, we travel to Germany every year and I always check out their “Home Depot” there. What I’ve noticed is that most of the electrical and plumbing fixtures are designed to be swapped out relatively easily for the homeowner or renter. Apartments often don’t include a finished kitchen and the renter has to install that themselves. Sounds crazy but it’s commonplace. Same with lighting. The junction boxes are accessible on the ceilings and lighting connections are standardized so the renter can hang whatever lights they buy from the local Baumarkt or IKEA. It’s super interesting. My brother-in-law is a project manager for Hochtief and he’s building his own home mostly prefab. It’s fascinating to follow compared to my experience with my house. You should do more trips to the EU and check out homes that have a central wood-burning oven for heating.
I think these water flexltubes will carry back the water to the source if they leak, they can as well be changed out by pulling in new pipes. Could be wrong, but they looks like the same types we use in Norway.
I thought Jordan did a great job in his segments! Very nice seeing this new style of build show. Throwing it to the field reporters every now and again makes watching the news more entertaining, keep it up!
Great channel you've got going on here, Matt. And such an interesting and fresh perspective on how folks build in other parts of the world! While on vacation in northeastern Spain back in '08, I noticed their decidedly non-wood building culture. All over the countryside I passed by residential homes built with reinforced concrete-slab and pillar style- just like I see all over Manhattan for high rises. All exterior and partition walls were masonry- those SAME clay masonry units you've been showing in Switzerland. And for material handling on the job site, a little tower crane! They were everywhere! Here, Lulls and Bobcats are the norm. Just fascinating and inspiring to see these differences!
Hi, I'm a student in Belgium and I study " Wood Technology ". We basically learn everything that has to do with wood, from wood chemistery to furniture and also Timber. We're learning how to build houses out of wood and one of the most important rules we learn when buidling a house is to make sure the inside is as vapor tight as possible and the inside as vapor open as possible. We do this because inside we cook, take a shower, sweat ... taka creats moisture, that moisture need to get out and if you make the outside of the walls vapor tight the moisture won't be able to get out and it will stack up inside your walls and that's not good with woodden walls. Also wood has some moisture inside too that need to evaporate outside in the summer and take some in the winter.
The folding door for ventilation, should have four positions: closed, opened, micro ventilation (opened for 1-3mm), ventilation (the one we saw in the video). Doors like these exist for at least 15 years (here in lithuania, eu), so probably longer in western europe, like germany. Doors like these are usually used for balconies. The wiring is normal 230v wires with their outside insulation cut of (usually white). Europe are now moving towards LED lighting (i think from 2020 no halogen bulbs will be produced and sold). New LED bulbs can be put in place of the old bulbs without changing anything, usually. The concrete balcony connection is basically a norm throughout EU. There are tons of manufactures that produce elements for such connections, like PEIKKO, ANSTAR, some local.
I have always found it fascinating in Switzerland mortgages typically can be 50/75/100 year terms. This translates to (or perhaps from?) a longer term mindset on the quality and energy efficiency of building. In the US we tend to build many many homes to last the length of the mortgage (30 years typically) and it really is obvious given the quality of materials and construction. Especially doors and windows which really are amazing like the door featured in this video.
Tim Youngblood What?!? Mortgages here in Switzerland are typically 5-10 years, and 15 being the maximum. The lack of the 30 year mortgage (and the requirement of a 20% down payment) is one of the reasons home ownership is so low here.
Most likely the inside walls are also strapped horizontally with 2x2 or 2x3 after the vapor barrier has been wrapped and sealed together with the ceiling. Those cavities are also insulated before the inside OSB gets installed. Electrical conduits gets pulled in similar fashion to the ceiling. This way you never have to break the vapor barrier with electrical outlets or screws from OSB/drywall. You also of course lessen the thermal bride through your wall studs
That small crane at the barn,,,, it can erect itself,, no other major equipment is needed to assemble and put it up,,, annnndd it breaks down into sections that load on a flat bed or a pickup truck. Small tower cranes owned by builders are normal in Switzerland. Especially because,,,,, The house, the barn,,, you were looking at all the new stuff,,, a one hundred year old structure in Switzerland is a new structure. Go look at homes in Zermatt, Le Chabel,, in the valleys,, I have seen 400 year old log cabin type residences,, the kitchens, baths,, continually updated,, continually occupied, (Usually by the same family for centuries.),, In Zermatt, I saw roofs of huge pieces of native flat stone,, 2 to 6 inches thick,, 2 to 5 feet in round, square, rectangular natural shapes,, laid dry,, unfastened on purlins that cross the sloped rafters,,, and zero gable ends. Zero,, the birds can fly straight through. The ultimate in attic natural ventilation,,, and the wood so perfectly protected from the rain and completely ventilated,, the rafters and purlins last for centuries. A re-roof is a matter of tha small vertical crane errected,, to carefully remove the flat strones. Replace thew aged or dry rot 200 year old purlins or rafters,, and then put the same stones back. The ultimate of recycling roofing material,,, stone shingles that may have first been used when the Romans were marching through. And are still in use today. You must have those small cranes to hoist the lam beams and the (stone) shingles. Anbother building difference in snow country,,, in the mountains,, ALL structures must be able to survive an average avalanche. A wall of a new hotel I saw being built in Verbier, Switzerland was, from inside to out,, a four inch brick or solid cement black wall,, a 4" layer of insulating foam, a 12" hollow core cement block,,, filled with cement in the lower levels of the building and filled with foam in the upper walls,, a 2" foam skin on the block,,,and then a 6" stone veneer on the outside. A 2 foot thick, three layers of stone or block,, two or three layers of insulation. And even at that,,, if a large avalanche were to strike the building,, it would not survive. The extreme structures are for durability, first,, thermal efficiency, and then avalanche survivability,,, even if the structure is destroyed,(very rare),, if it protects pockets where people can shelter until they are dug out,,, it succeeded. Note.... My study of the Swiss building tech,,, was observation while I skied my butt off.
Only noticed one thing i didn't like. The groove cut in the extincting wall for the power outlets was so random. So you couldn't just drill into the wall without having a risk of shorting the power. In Denmark you have to make all cable runs either horizontal, vertical or parallel to a slanted surface(Like a roof). So that you quickly can identify areas of the wall that are safe to drill in.
American living in Switzerland here. Nice overview, but no idea why you think that’s all “low voltage” wiring - it’s the standard 230V wiring. They don’t normally use romex-style cable, but rather just run individual wires in conduit. The building I live in was built around 1980 and renovated (down to bare concrete) 5 years ago. It’s also made of terra cotta blocks, even for interior walls. And yeah, it has the tilting windows, too - they’ve been the norm here for the better part of a century!
@@flybyairplane3528 you can put fly screens on them. It a matter of preference. I have them on my windows. There are 2 types that i know. Removable. And built in slide down ( very well concieled but part of the window).
reminds me of growing up in Germany. my parents bought a old farm house built in 1903. the outside walls where 12 by 18 solid granite bricks/rocks. chiseling thru it was hell. lol
Water pipes are put inside larger pipes as this will protect structual damage from damaged main pipes/water leaks You will see that water is sipping out at the end of the larger pipe. You get no damage in the wall, floor, roof and it's easy to change damagead pipes without the need to demolish anything. Just fix the new pipe to the end of the old one and pull it all trough.
poff1973 Here in Switzerland they also do the same thing with the water and electric (and I assume gas) infrastructure, too!!! The town where my mom lives recently replaced its water and sewer mains, and they made a big deal about how they’re spending a ton of money up front to install such double walled pipes, but that the added cost of the outer pipes will make future repairs and upgrades faster and cheaper.
Lived in Germany on and off for 6 1/2 years. They have great houses there. The doors and windows are similar to the one shown in the Swiss build shows. The last few German houses I was in the hinge side had a lever and depending on the lever position the door would tilt inward or drop down into a track in the floor and you could not open the door and it latched in several places. In current times any new house is ultra efficient and usually has 2-3 fuel sources for hot water and heat via radiant heat. The also use solar for both electricity and solar as another heat source which stores the hot water in a super insulated tank. The house also had a boiler to heat hot water and it could run off of I believe oil, wood pellets and maybe another fuel, (Electricity generated by the solar panels maybe)?The last time I was in that house the boiler had not been used for over 2 years. It got
Great video, I love how open minded you approach this! I'm a German that has spend a lot of time in the States and the different ways to build have always interested me. I think actually, that the obvious question "which is better" isn't actually all that easy to answer.
Between the concrete slabs (balcony / inside), could be something like the products from Schöck. Check them out, their products are available here in North America as well.
In Switzerland we use 230v AC power, the wires are thiner than in the US (110v) cause the higher the voltage the smaller the current you need for the same power rating, and it's the current that gives you the thickness of the wire.
True! Normally for power outlet we use 16A beaker and 1,5mm2 wire for regular home appliances. And that easily caries like 2kw kettle and so.
@@rodesdara Wow... Living risky there! Here in Finland it's 2,5mm2 for 16A breakers and 1,5mm2 for 10A (usually used only for lighting). 1.5mm2 will handle 16A only if it's installed on the surface and not run trough any walls.
@@maikeydii South African code normally allows 15A on 1.5mm² and 20A on 2.5mm².
- and the 230V AC is 1 phase + Neutral, not like in the US 2 phases for that voltage. 2 phases in Europe give 400V AC. 2,5 mm2 is app 13G wire and 1,5 mm2 is app 15G wire.
@@maikeydii actually if wire is inside a brick etc wall, than it can carry more current. Same as berried cable. As I understand its basically means that cable is cooled down by surrounding mass.
Good on you!!!! As a Canadian I appreciate your "open mindness". You are not "US Centric". You understand North American building is not the only way to build structures. As a professional who concentrates on building science you are well positioned to see the best way to construct irregardless of where the technique originated from. GOOD ON YOU!!
John...for a moderate climate, outside of a hurricane or earth quake zone, the wood frame is a great way to build. And if you had an open mind and realize personal after tax income is finite. And that real houses cost real dollars, then construction methods that yield cost savings are superior. A builder must be US centric building in the US - LMFAO. A tilting door geez, why not just put chocolate sauce on pizza.
I guess not everybody is open minded ;)
Eddie...I am very open minded. Please don't put chocolate sauce on my Pizza.
Each building method "works" for a certain region. A heavily insulated concrete house might be a nightmare to keep cool and dry in Texas. A stick-built house would be a nightmare to heat in most of Europe.
Europe insulates heavily because its a) much colder, and b) energy is usually damn expensive (also see Russia turning off the gas pipelines). The US tends to be warmer/more humid, and needs houses that can breathe and stay dry. Wood is also easier to cool down.
I've lived on both sides of the pond. Each side does what works best for them.
Sonny Crockett As open minded as a Hummer H3 driver.
Thanks for the shout out, Matt and Jordan. Cool stuff!
I guess I am kinda off topic but do anyone know a good website to stream new movies online ?
@Lance Karsyn Flixportal :)
@Kareem Callum Thanks, signed up and it seems to work :) I really appreciate it!
@Lance Karsyn no problem :D
Sir, I hate to use the word awesome but coming from someone that has 47 years in construction in some form or another and retiring as a Chief Building Official; I must say, your channel is awesome.
Shawn, you don’t get to be a chief by exhibiting failure characteristics. The inspectors I’ve known were top notch. Conversely, I’ve known some piss-poor builders. Character, not trade, determines quality of output. But you know that already.
@Shawn Juvenile comment.
Low voltage? I don’t thinks so. It looks like standard 230V AC wiring (phase, neutral, ground).
When he was talking about low voltage everywhere, I was thinking about KNX maybe?
The Bus cables for our Heating are also similar in size, gauge and insulation to 230, but just running 20v data.
I guess he might have been expecting that 230v should be thicker instead of thinner to deliver the same power.
It was prob low voltage for the lights only.
@@72strand Usually over here in Europe all wiring for lights and outlets inside residential buildings is 230V. For lighting wire gauge is usually 1.5mm2 (16 AWG) and for outlets it's 2.5mm2 (14 AWG). Here in Finland 1.5mm2 wiring will usually be supplied trough a 10A breaker and is thus able to provide 2300W of power, 2.5mm2 wiring will have 16A breaker and wil be able to provide ~3,7kW of power.
@mikey_d Yes, im in Europe 2. There are LED spots for ceiling lights that run on a low voltage circuit. Perhaps, or not. We don't know.
G+1121494 Yeah, I think it’s not intuitive to people that wire thickness is determined by the amps only (whereas the volts determine the insulation needed), and that thus, for a given total power, a higher voltage system doesn’t need as thick wire.
(And for practical reasons, the insulation for 120V and 230V is the same; it needs to handle the same mechanical stresses, abrasion, etc, and so in either case it’s far, far thicker than the voltage alone would require).
The column is actual structural and suporting the roof. The board around it is for fire protection. It's called "Gipsfaserplatte" basically "gypsum fibre board" and is made from gypsum and recycled paper fibres. Its's fire proof, damn hard, heavy and far more durable then standard drywall. It's impossible to cut it with a utility knife, they use circular and jigsaws for the job.
As a person from the swiss building industry I think this video explains very accurate how houses are built in Switzerland. Thank you for sharing your knowledge in such a professional way 👍👏🙌
I'd love you to come over and look at houses in the UK. All block and brick, cavity insulation, no air tightness, drafty windows with no tapes, just expanding foam, render outside, plater skim inside and little if any framing (although it is getting more common nowadays), sheathing or sidings. I think you'd be amazed.
We do like our block and brick and cavity walls. Not _all_ British buildings are terrible, just most of them :-) There are people building and retrofitting passivehouses and the old code4 or 5 or AECB silver, but it's not at all common. And you still can;t buy airtighness tape in the builders merchant, despite a test being mandatory for building regs now. It's still a 'specialist product', which is crazy.
Yeah, but brits are just 'muricans that talk funny and have crap food. Other than that, they are the 'muricans of Europe.
I really admire the quality of engineering and construction in Switzerland and Germany. Great story!
Glad you took the visit. I was in Paris several years ago in a boutique hotel next to a police station and the window systems were similar to what you saw in Switzerland (triple glazing, vault-like closures). I never heard a siren or any street noise. The doors were incredibly stiff structurally and they all use lamination between panes. As you see with the door hardware - no knobs to support easy use by young, older, or infirm.
If building from the ground up, many of these techniques will support net zero energy usage. My smaller retirement home will incorporate many of these techniques. Thanks for sharing.
i realize yall had to pay a lot to go there but i am glad yall did. their building practices are remarkably different and very interesting. thank yall for taking us along......g
That ending, with the farmer showing his hospitality by bringing you coffee and chocolate was wholesome. Great video!
The hollow bricks are used all over the Europe on the mainland but have never really been used in the UK as we don't use concrete structures for individual home due to lack of significant earthquakes here. Also they work well with heat in southern France and Spain as well as with noise issues.
Good grief, more foreign travel please. This stuff is priceless!
lol
This is oddly timely and relevant - studying abroad in Germany for Architecture but my project is in Zürich.
My Swiss professor has been making fun of my American construction systems and standards for weeks now.
Very helpful!
Most american construction is just bizzare
Usually things related to waterproofing and fire safety, starting with "Ich finde das sehr komisch" (I find that very funny).
"Why do you have so many components to your cladding? I thought California was going through a drought. It can be simplified. Consider concrete."
In fact, I hear "consider concrete" for most other students talking with him (that is, if they haven't already started with concrete).
"Why put stairwells at the end of these corridors?"
Me: 'Do I not have to put in fire stairs if the corridors are dead-end and exceed a certain distance?'
"Yes. You can save those areas for the most beautiful parts of the experience."
He's receptive of the fact that I am a foreign student, and I think he knows that I don't mind him telling me more about a different construction and design mindset.
It's a reason I came here, after all.
@@AWACSRAYMOND why do Americans avoid reinforced concrete for residential builds so much?
@Michael Johnson Jr ICF is a gimmick, basic concrete beams are much smarter and cheaper. Romans didnt used todays concret but a much more softer and flexible mix.
@@oreocarlton3343 I can only offer guesses as an inexperienced student as to why wood framing is so common in residential.
- Large and nearby wood supply in Canada and within US means low cost.
- Residential construction industry tradition inertia. "We've always been doing this way for generations , so why change it?"
- Wood framing erection time. It's quite amazing how fast a house can go up with a well-coordinated team.
- Shorter-term mindset compared with Western European construction.
Architect Jennifer Bonner came to my school last year to talk about how even trying to get a CLT house built in Georgia state was a pain in the butt, because there was only (at the time) one guy who had worked with solid CLT residential construction in the United States, and she had him fly from Oregon into Georgia specifically for this one project. I'm not saying the residential concrete trade is that limited, or even that this anecdote is that relevant, but I'm willing to bet things are probably slow on the uptake due in-part to not enough people around to teach others how best to do things, and a lack of enthusiasm towards learning anything new.
It's cool you guys did this. I've worked in a high end kitchen cabinetry factory in Switzerland so I've seen a lot Swiss homes being built and renod. And the fact is they are miles ahead of North America in terms of quality and style. The doors and windows are a good example, (the window you raved about is not a big window in that country btw)...
One thing to ad, with the blinds and the thiner insolation on the outside, there is insolation on the inside of that box to ad to the “R value”. The roll down blinds are aluminum and filled with foam.
Hey Matt, the Material around your roof Column (8:00) is called Promat. Its a special drywall material to be very verrrrry fire resistant.
You have to use it for inspection in all constructive columns or beams to keep up the structure integrity in case of fires as long as possible.
You could heat up one side of the promat with a blueflamed torch for a half hour and could touch the other side with bare fingers easily.
Amazing stuff... yet expensive. You get it in all kind of thicknesses and even prefabbed as plaster for difficult Stuff like tubings or cables openings
through walls.
This brand is called Promat and the product is promatect (I guess promatect-100 or 200). The material however is a calcium silicat board there are other companies with similar solutions. It have a good fire protection but not much more than a traditional calcium sulfat board (drywall) per mm when working with normal conditions. However for higher ratings you can get a slimmer design compared to drywall mostly due to higher structural capacity resulting in a single layer instead of three or four in two steps for drywall. Also easier to work with in many cases since it's not as fragile as drywall.
Wow this brought me back to my childhood growing up in Germany. Construction there is identical. My grandmother in the late 90s lived in an apartment in Cologne and her patio door did the same thing - leaned in from the top for ventilation. Also the farmer who brought you the coffee also brought you mercy chocolates made in Germany ... the company my dad worked for as a child. I hope you get to show us more buildings and building techniques while in Europe. Some things they do really well over there. Thanks Matt and Jordan.
Europe is the epicenter of amazing stuff/construction/vehicles/machinery and more. Its endless. So happy you are there. Such a great video. As usual from you!
Each time I go to Europe I am in awe of how amazing their construction is. The old buildings and the new buildings are impressive, for very different reasons, obviously.
Welcome to Europe ;) Interesting to see your take on stuff familiar to us!
The thermal bridging element is a Schöck Isokorb or simiar.
Thank you for doing this. That was really cool having that different perspective. Of course, seeing the different perspective
also jaded me on US residential building a little bit.
The highlights to me, were
02:29 Who doesn't like a cool/warm house with an affordable energy bill. That looks like it delivers.
08:51 That plywood is beautiful, mainly because I figure theirs none of that swag you get in some houses when walking on the floor.
I would imagine that it holds up whether it wants to or not.
12:50 That was one cool door.
18:40 & 19:11 That's the kinda woman I like, well built, beautiful on the outside and inside.. I mean barns..
The woodwork on that barn, was really awesome. I mean, it's the kind of thing you'd pass down to your kids,
and their kids.. It was a functional, practical, building, elevated to art in a way.
21:27 It was just kinda cool to see the passion & get a little perspective on the history of building in the US.
22:38 I like a well built roof with proper drainage.
The 3 ply is a variant of CLT, its produced locally by many of the manufacturers in Austria, Switzerland, Germany by companies like Pfeifer. In Sweden the brand is Primpanel.
CLT is incredibly beautiful. I really hope it catches on in the US.
@@kevin3434343434 A new CLT manufacturing facility is currently under construction in Colville WA. With the need to thin smaller trees for forest health, and the tremendous structural and aesthetic advantages it is a real win-win opportunity.
@@eaglescoveestates7175 awesome! hopefully they can use some of the beatle kill trees too
I work at the leading CLT and Gluelam producer/construction company in Sweden, Martinsons. Timber building is really growing a lot these days, and CLT is becoming a huge thing. We mostly us it for structure though, but you can leave the outer layer with a sanded quality for finish, if the buyer wants that.
at 18:30 the product is called an "ISO-Korb" (insulation basket if you translate it word for word) it is insulating styrofoam that has rebar sticking out on both sides (inside and outside) and you install it and fasten it to the rebar in the slab and therefore make it one continuous slab with a thermal brake
The barn was gorgeous with those giant beams and overhangs ! Love big overhangs.
@17:35: the separation is a structural thermal brake, manufactured by Schöck (the product is Isokorb, based on the load and stresses they have several variations). The insulation is just filling the gap inbetween these load bearing items, as these products are coming in the length of 1,00m (I'm not sure now, around that).
Great video, love seeing what they are doing from a building science perspective over seas. Thanks Matt and Jordan!
I'm surprised you guys are so surprised with the windows and doors. All those are pretty standard in Europe... And the thing is, they cost less or as much as a low end door from Lowe's... The system is exactly the same. Lever down locks the doors/windows... Lever horizontal is open... Lever pointing up, it makes the window/door tilt on the lower axis. We call it oscillo-basculant windows...something like this costs about 450-750$ depending where you have it made.
Its funny to see you guys thinking this is super new high end... I've had these in our house 20 years ago at least
and they're made to order, so you can have any size/colour you want .... well within reason atleast
Yeah lol, especially since these have been around at least since the 60s ...
Salvador Nobre Veiga yes I saw those at my cousins in PFORZHEIM DE , but you know what REALLY SUCKED? They DONT HAVE SCREENS so the damned INSECTS FLY IN !
I agree with you except for the price, everything in Europe is expensive and the marketing system cannot compete with the efficiency of lowes or home despot, that said it is generally worth the price. by not allow shitty crap they broaden the market for quality products allowing the consumer to get good stuff not cheap but cheaper than it otherwise would be.
@@flybyairplane3528 IF they don't have screens for mosquitos then it was an old installation or intentionally left out. Insect screens have been installed for quite some time, but some people are cheapskates, penny wise, pound foolish - since insect screens are well worth it.
TOH must be proud to inspire teen Matt to be the builder that he is. I believe today that is their focus, to get people into construction.
what an incredibly stunning architectural system, I love it. Great video Matt, and this kind of information is what America needs to look hard at for their systems.
It stunned me to hear that someone grew up watching "This Old House". I don't hear that much at all. Growing up with my grandfather for many years I was exposed to just about everything PBS network had and then shows like "This Old House" and "Bob Ross" were staples of daily television. Now, I am 44 so yes, television was a bit different. My grandfather was an engineer and worked all the way up until his later years (still alive and doing well in his 80's) and still today gets calls for consultation. It was shows like that that really made me love architechture and structual engineering (None of which I did but have an intrest of hobby). I hope you hvae a wonderful and successful show of your own here on YT and continue the love and passion for showing off so many cool things in the space of your job. Cheers!
If I remember correctly the This Old House Build Was The Wickwire barn building in Concord Ma. That show inspired many people including myself Norm was my favorite
I really enjoyed your video. I have been living your experience.
I returned from 90 days in Berlin Oct. 23. I'm 66, was raised by post-war ''Flippers'' ! Before my younger sis turned 16, she had lived in 17 homes, only 2 were stop-gap rental homes, while the next plan was hatched by my 'survivor' parents. Both were U.S. N. vets of WWII who's parents had become neighbors while 7 of the kids two families children were doing their 'service'. My mom and her brother married my dad and his sister ! Presto ! Double cousins ! (the pea pod, gone human).
By the time I was 13 I was being farmed out by my parents during the summer months, to the sub-contractors they would hire. My first 'hire' as a laborer was on a 1 mile sewer and water improvement my dad and his partner were buying. I 'assisted' often with a spade ! Clay pipe is fragile, and N.W. Colorado is rocky (mountain!) country. By September, I could fit the pipe, and build the manholes...
By the time I was 25 I had 4 employees of my own, involved in 'new-build' residential and light commercial construction.
I studied boat construction as an apprentice, which introduced me to the polymer industry. I moved to Kauai Hawaii in 87 to enlarge my ocean mariner skill set.
My time in Berlin I spent many hours on the street. The living culture is in the shop windows. Did you find Baugh Haus? (huge building center in Berlin)
I was tempted to perform a photo study of street level entry ways as I checked out the neighborhoods. So many were per-war, and the carpentry and hardware was endlessly entertaining. I was living with a local family, eating what was put before me. Trying to 'relate'. It was wonderful. I stopped and visited some construction sites along my travels, I met an architect at his site It reminded me of Wisconsin. The 'mixed field and forests'.
I now have friends in Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands...
The canals and rivers, and the water traffic and old construction....
The aged un reinforced masonry.....as the incidence of earth quake increases....I've wondered about 'poly-urea' ( the spray for truck bed-liners) and applying coats of it over the exterior and interior of those old masonry structures, maybe a 'post-spray' penetration of the wall, to chemically bond the two skins together....
Glad I stuck around until the end. When I was in Germany last year I noticed several jobsites, including just for regular homes, had those self-erecting tower cranes. I didn't get to see any in action but it looked like it could be a cool way to build a house.
wiring:
we use 220-250V that means the wires only need to be half or less than half as thick as US 110-120V.
Meaning 2.5MM^2 is enough for a 16 amp fuse (32 in america).
Lights is usually on 1.5mm^2 for an entire room.
Low voltage would usually just be two wires in DC and not AC where you have ground too.
Yes!! When I see CI (continuous insulation) on walls in the US I've asked why there isn't a tongue and groove or rabbet joint at the gaps. Glad to see it there and hoping I will see it here.
Matt, the cables that are used are different, but it’s all 230V wiring. Fun fact, the exterior rubber shield of the wiring is perfectly round so that once it’s pulled through a rubber gasket it’s actually airtight (unlike cables here in Canada, which I presume you use in Texas as well).
Terracotta block. The foundation of my home is made out of them. It used to be real popular at one time.
Those tilt and turn windows/doors can be had in the US. They are very popular in Manhattan. Marvin makes them now.
For the price of an eye and leg
This is too cool! I just watched another UA-camr talking about their Swiss apartment and I was about to start researching building techniques from that part of the world when I saw this video in my feed! I wish we had this level of quality, efficiency, and attention to detail here in the US.
You know what they say tho...wish in one hand and crap in the other...
MAT RISINGER & JORDAN DOES HOMESTEADING!!!
You and Jordan ROCK!!!
This is why your channel is awesome! Great content!
As a home owner living in northern germany it is very exciting to watch these episodes and to watch what Matt thinks about european buildings.
In Germany we always had the window drop downs on the inside. They could be closed tight like a fortress or allow pinpoints of light in - as much as one wanted. Manually operated.
Love your channel and this video was especially interesting to me as my ancestors/relatives are from Switzerland. I lived in Germany for 9 years as well and gained an appreciation for their building standards.
When we visited Germany, my friends thought I was a little nuts because I wanted to go to Baumart (Their Lowes /Home Depot) and I even walked over to a house being built to speak to the workers about their concrete blocks. I’m kinda getting a kick out Matt converting everything to inches. Embrace metric!! Lol. 100mm is 4”.
No Metric ! Never ! lol
@@augustreil Agree! Metric is for the... no, wait, even the birds do not want it!
Aerated red bricks ftw
I use both, and live in Alabama.
Yes, I'm weird, but its nice to work with various plywoods, lumber, and other materials from other countries, and know the conversions in my head. Makes things much easier to do math using both systems.
There's two kinds of countries - Those that use the metric system, and those that have been to the moon.
Funny to hear you talking about low voltage wiring. It's the normal powerline coming to your house, the 230/400 V 3-phase-system. Promat boards are fire protection boards. They cover the steel beam to protect it from fire and collapsing early.
Mate, I'm in love with swiss buildings and craftsmanship now.
One of your coolest videos yet!
When I was in the Army in Georgia, the barrack we lived in were approximately 120 x 40, made with similar fired tile. These buildings were originally POW barrack.
Deeply grateful to these guys. The one missing component is that any visit to a building should include the utility room to see what the estimated HVAC needs are for said design.
The blinds are actually shutters (used to be manually controlled when i was growing up), when they are down and fully closed they block any light into a room
I remember that fantastic barn remodel on This Old House. 🚜
Thanks for taking the time Matt.
WOW, way to make me feel old. "I grew up watching This Old House". I was an adult when I started watching :)
Jordan fantastic articulation about the charm of old but common structures and how they are often underappreciated in exchange for one less dollar of costs. I encounter the same conundrum anytime I'm approached with a potential large scale remodel/addition. Keep it or tear it down and start fresh? Whatever is cheaper usually wins, even though that answer doesn't always feel good.
HI Matt. I think the stuff which was on the OSB on the inside is FERMACELL. It's an alternative to our so called RIGIPS Plaster boards. They relatively heavy but are really good for bathrooms etc. as they are way more resistant and more stable to work with. When we redid our bathroom here in Switzerland we did use Fermacell for the shower and the areas where water possible could reacht it with a bad seal over the years.
The plumbing is called Sanipex. My father is a plumper and uses mostly this. It's fast and reliable.
That scaffolding on the residential house was really cool.
I'm on board with that. The windows were impressive but seemed crazy-expensive. The fiberboard insulation is probably a lot stronger structurally, but more mold-vulnerable than EPS/polyiso. But temporary stairways & scaffolding? Hell yeah. Their contractors might even be able to afford insurance, with that kind of attitude.
A lot of it seemed like "This is how you get to build a house if air conditioning is not an expectation".
Perhaps in the US they are. In Europe a normal new window _is 3 planes of glass, that is normal. And the extra cost is not that big at all. Windows is the thing US needs to change the most/first to get better houses.
John Strand Yep!!!
A family i know here in Zurich owns a few buildings, and they spent around $70K to upgrade the old double-glazed windows (which were already far better than what most American homes get upgraded to when upgrading!), to triple glazed, with the whole infrared reflective coatings, low-thermal-conduction gas fill, etc. On a building that’s 150 years old and probably not THAT well insulated otherwise...
I'm building residential house for customer ATM in Finland. That house have similar size windows 5 piece and rest are somewhat smaller, totally there is 17 windows he just ordered them and total cost of windows was 11 500 euro. So roughly 700 euro/piece.
Scaffold is standard on all construction sites in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, ...
That column is probably for the chimney. Its a firesafe calcium silicate board. Anything you clad it with will be basically fireproof. Great for building fireplaces off also.
Aww I was really exciting to see the venting they used for the residential skillion roof you said you were going to show. Crazy the differences in building styles and philosophy. Thank you for the video!
Would love to see you travel to other places across the world to see things like this. Always amazing to see how people come up with different solutions to making a home.
Love that gigantic window.
The sleekness and the quality of it !
US windows looks so silly and how they install them, with caulking, sealing tapes etc. Those windows just installed on opening sealed around perimeter with polyurethane and then trims both side and outside metal sill directly attached to window frame under drip edge.
Yes!!! What was the name of the company that makes them?
@@ThomasBass any window manufacture shop will make them. In my country alone there's like 30-40+ that make these windows
@@ThomasBass I could not understand him. Sounds like he said GAWA but I could not find them 11:38 I am wondering myself.
I think that stapler is from Omer in Italy. I think the largest staple they make is about 6 1/4".
Matt, you should travel a little north into Germany and see how their concrete houses are made.
Wes Johnston Concrete houses are done in the US as well, it’s just not very common in Texas where he builds.
Do they build with autoclaved airaited concrete there?
@@ericspda ,
Does the concrete float?
Wes, if you're referring to those insulated concrete panels, I agree.
That system is just awesome.
Understandable that the inquisitive Germans would also have the concrete contingency. Most of N. America assumes you stick frame houses and confine their ingenuity to that methodology, but the original concept is a concrete bunker wrapped on the outside. Simpler and more effective when done properly on the right site. In northern climes, they use barriers on both sides of the insulation and the barriers may be of class I, II, or III, if referring to Canadian code. I is water and air tight. II is only water tight. III only sheds water, won't hold it and breathes in both directions. Tyvek for example is a class II barrier because it breathes. 6 mil polyethelene is class I. Building paper is class III. These barriers are placed depending on temperature differences and humidity levels, which vary everywhere. Understanding them is the best way to know where to use them. You can't go wrong with air and water tight on both sides in most places, but then you must have a functioning heat and air recovery system and humidity controls.
Alabama, 2002 I'm looking at new construction in suburbia and seeing black mold on the north side exteriors of most homes, on gable ends or places with little sunshine. In summer, the warm side of the insulation is exterior, and they don't address that with a class II vapor barrier on the exterior. Warm moist air is meeting cooler, leaking airconditioned air and condensing on the siding, and growing mold. Brand new houses.
All the exterior doors in the UK have multiple locking points, usually 5 on the handle side and 3-5 points on the hinge side.
Well done. I love seeing what and how they build in other countries it’s amazing
around the drain on the inside, the Promat, that's an amazing fire-barrier. it does have an r-value but the main purpose is flame retardant. so that would not likely be a drain but a chimney.
Great video. What a wonderful experience being there. Captivated by everything. Thanks.
I think it's really awesome you are in Europe.
what is so remarkable about that, people go there every day, all you need is a passport, airline ticket, and money.
Hi Matt, you are mistaken about the low voltage idea. In fact, the cable that you reached up to is perfectly typical household 240 volt cable.
One of the things that initially surprised me when I moved to Germany a number of years ago is that residential circuits at 240 volts use conductors actually smaller than 18 AWG. In the US we would call it "bell wire". How is this possible? At 240 volts you need one-half the amperage. Our North American larger diameter conductors are necessary to for greater ampacity. In contrast, here in Europe, the diameter of the conductors is one half the size because the conductors need one-half the ampacity.
As an example, the conductors in the three-wire cable I just bought to install some new ceiling light fixtures in our German kitchen are labeled at 18 amps. We would use a cable typically called "Romex" in the US. Here, the entire sheathed cable for the same purpose is only slightly larger in diameter than a pencil. That's the sheathed cable used on every circuit that powers our entire thoroughly modern apartment. The only exception is the oven, which uses conductors smaller than 16 AWG -- rated at 30 amps.
It takes a bit of time to get used to this idea that twice the voltage means twice the wattage. Our circuit breakers (except for the oven) are rated at 16 amps. At 240 volts that's 3840 watts per circuit. That's twice the wattage of a typical 14 AWG 15 amp circuit.
For anyone interested in the details, the typical conductor size here is 0.75 mm2 -- (that is, three-quarters of one square millimeter). There are, or course, circuits for heavier draw circuits. such as 1.25 square millimeters. These conductors, slightly smaller than 16 AWG are rated at 30 amps (7200 watts!). You can buy this stuff at home centers everywhere, whereas larger diameter conductors like we have in North America would be very difficult to find.
BTW, for those who may be incredulous that wire gauge at 240 volts is smaller, not larger, check out some UA-cam videos of wiring in England, which will, of course, be in English. While the details of their wiring is different (they fuse every plug in England) you will see they use the exact same type of cable as we do here in Germany, with it's tiny brown, blue and yellow/green insulated conductors. It's amazing now much easier wiring jobs are when the conductor size is about the same as bell wire.
I guess that we Americans are somewhat bass-ackward, in some ways and some technology. I wouldn't mind wiring things with tiny wires instead of the huge, stiff wires sometimes employed. I'm sure there's more to the story, though, than small wire size and amps, etc.
It was one of my frustrations when moving to the US... I think the first time I tried to change an outlet it took me almost 1 hour to being able to put the wiring and bending them into the box. I needed plyers to be able to do that. In Europe I can use my bare ands to bend the wire for around the nuts and putting them inside a box is just fine since they are not stiff at all.
TJ Wilson FYI, it’s 230V in Germany. Continental Europe used 220V historically and harmonized to 230V decades ago (so that appliances would start be designed to be happy with the 220V of mainland Europe and the 240V of the UK).
TJ Wilson Also, the UK is really interesting in that they use thin wire to create *32A* circuits by making them “ring circuits”. But this high current is why every single AC plug must have its own fuse (3, 5, 10, or 13A) and switch.
It’s a clever system that’s not really used anywhere outside of the UK (and possibly some of its former colonies like HK.)
Thanks for sharing your trip! So fun to see you baffled by some of the building products in the first project ;) My sister lives in Germany and next time I visit, I want to set up a tour with some local builders. What a great way to get inspiration and keep learning about the craft of building.
Not a builder here but not unfamiliar with building practices in the US after seeing my cookie-cutter house go from slab to finished in a little over a month in Texas back in 2000. Have been educating myself about everything around the house so I could DIY whenever possible.
Having a German wife, we travel to Germany every year and I always check out their “Home Depot” there. What I’ve noticed is that most of the electrical and plumbing fixtures are designed to be swapped out relatively easily for the homeowner or renter. Apartments often don’t include a finished kitchen and the renter has to install that themselves. Sounds crazy but it’s commonplace. Same with lighting. The junction boxes are accessible on the ceilings and lighting connections are standardized so the renter can hang whatever lights they buy from the local Baumarkt or IKEA.
It’s super interesting. My brother-in-law is a project manager for Hochtief and he’s building his own home mostly prefab. It’s fascinating to follow compared to my experience with my house.
You should do more trips to the EU and check out homes that have a central wood-burning oven for heating.
That barn was sweet! Love to see more of the ag buildings from there.
It’s nice to see Matt mentor and bring up some new talent.
I think these water flexltubes will carry back the water to the source if they leak, they can as well be changed out by pulling in new pipes. Could be wrong, but they looks like the same types we use in Norway.
I thought Jordan did a great job in his segments! Very nice seeing this new style of build show. Throwing it to the field reporters every now and again makes watching the news more entertaining, keep it up!
That "not load brearing column" is likely a chimney. The surface is covered in calcium silicate sheets to fireproof it.
That's some sick building going on there. That stapple gun is crazy!
Great channel you've got going on here, Matt. And such an interesting and fresh perspective on how folks build in other parts of the world!
While on vacation in northeastern Spain back in '08, I noticed their decidedly non-wood building culture. All over the countryside I passed by residential homes built with reinforced concrete-slab and pillar style- just like I see all over Manhattan for high rises. All exterior and partition walls were masonry- those SAME clay masonry units you've been showing in Switzerland. And for material handling on the job site, a little tower crane! They were everywhere! Here, Lulls and Bobcats are the norm. Just fascinating and inspiring to see these differences!
Having toured ALL OVER Europe, I appreciate this video!
Hi, I'm a student in Belgium and I study " Wood Technology ". We basically learn everything that has to do with wood, from wood chemistery to furniture and also Timber.
We're learning how to build houses out of wood and one of the most important rules we learn when buidling a house is to make sure the inside is as vapor tight as possible and the inside as vapor open as possible. We do this because inside we cook, take a shower, sweat ... taka creats moisture, that moisture need to get out and if you make the outside of the walls vapor tight the moisture won't be able to get out and it will stack up inside your walls and that's not good with woodden walls. Also wood has some moisture inside too that need to evaporate outside in the summer and take some in the winter.
Damn, I love those doors and windows. Gorgeous hardware.
Would love to see a follow-up video with more info on the products you weren’t familiar with.
The folding door for ventilation, should have four positions: closed, opened, micro ventilation (opened for 1-3mm), ventilation (the one we saw in the video). Doors like these exist for at least 15 years (here in lithuania, eu), so probably longer in western europe, like germany. Doors like these are usually used for balconies. The wiring is normal 230v wires with their outside insulation cut of (usually white). Europe are now moving towards LED lighting (i think from 2020 no halogen bulbs will be produced and sold). New LED bulbs can be put in place of the old bulbs without changing anything, usually. The concrete balcony connection is basically a norm throughout EU. There are tons of manufactures that produce elements for such connections, like PEIKKO, ANSTAR, some local.
Amazing. How fascinating to see how the other side of the pond does it.
I have always found it fascinating in Switzerland mortgages typically can be 50/75/100 year terms. This translates to (or perhaps from?) a longer term mindset on the quality and energy efficiency of building. In the US we tend to build many many homes to last the length of the mortgage (30 years typically) and it really is obvious given the quality of materials and construction. Especially doors and windows which really are amazing like the door featured in this video.
Tim Youngblood What?!? Mortgages here in Switzerland are typically 5-10 years, and 15 being the maximum. The lack of the 30 year mortgage (and the requirement of a 20% down payment) is one of the reasons home ownership is so low here.
Matt, thanx for your videos!
Really enjoy watching. Keep going! and Good luck to you!
From Russia with love -)
Most likely the inside walls are also strapped horizontally with 2x2 or 2x3 after the vapor barrier has been wrapped and sealed together with the ceiling. Those cavities are also insulated before the inside OSB gets installed. Electrical conduits gets pulled in similar fashion to the ceiling. This way you never have to break the vapor barrier with electrical outlets or screws from OSB/drywall. You also of course lessen the thermal bride through your wall studs
That small crane at the barn,,,, it can erect itself,, no other major equipment is needed to assemble and put it up,,, annnndd it breaks down into sections that load on a flat bed or a pickup truck. Small tower cranes owned by builders are normal in Switzerland. Especially because,,,,,
The house, the barn,,, you were looking at all the new stuff,,, a one hundred year old structure in Switzerland is a new structure. Go look at homes in Zermatt, Le Chabel,, in the valleys,, I have seen 400 year old log cabin type residences,, the kitchens, baths,, continually updated,, continually occupied, (Usually by the same family for centuries.),, In Zermatt, I saw roofs of huge pieces of native flat stone,, 2 to 6 inches thick,, 2 to 5 feet in round, square, rectangular natural shapes,, laid dry,, unfastened on purlins that cross the sloped rafters,,, and zero gable ends. Zero,, the birds can fly straight through. The ultimate in attic natural ventilation,,, and the wood so perfectly protected from the rain and completely ventilated,, the rafters and purlins last for centuries. A re-roof is a matter of tha small vertical crane errected,, to carefully remove the flat strones. Replace thew aged or dry rot 200 year old purlins or rafters,, and then put the same stones back. The ultimate of recycling roofing material,,, stone shingles that may have first been used when the Romans were marching through. And are still in use today. You must have those small cranes to hoist the lam beams and the (stone) shingles.
Anbother building difference in snow country,,, in the mountains,, ALL structures must be able to survive an average avalanche. A wall of a new hotel I saw being built in Verbier, Switzerland was, from inside to out,, a four inch brick or solid cement black wall,, a 4" layer of insulating foam, a 12" hollow core cement block,,, filled with cement in the lower levels of the building and filled with foam in the upper walls,, a 2" foam skin on the block,,,and then a 6" stone veneer on the outside. A 2 foot thick, three layers of stone or block,, two or three layers of insulation. And even at that,,, if a large avalanche were to strike the building,, it would not survive. The extreme structures are for durability, first,, thermal efficiency, and then avalanche survivability,,, even if the structure is destroyed,(very rare),, if it protects pockets where people can shelter until they are dug out,,, it succeeded.
Note.... My study of the Swiss building tech,,, was observation while I skied my butt off.
Sailor376also
Only noticed one thing i didn't like. The groove cut in the extincting wall for the power outlets was so random. So you couldn't just drill into the wall without having a risk of shorting the power.
In Denmark you have to make all cable runs either horizontal, vertical or parallel to a slanted surface(Like a roof). So that you quickly can identify areas of the wall that are safe to drill in.
I clicked the "like" button at the start, and wanted to click it again when I seen that huge staple gun. WOW!
American living in Switzerland here. Nice overview, but no idea why you think that’s all “low voltage” wiring - it’s the standard 230V wiring. They don’t normally use romex-style cable, but rather just run individual wires in conduit.
The building I live in was built around 1980 and renovated (down to bare concrete) 5 years ago. It’s also made of terra cotta blocks, even for interior walls.
And yeah, it has the tilting windows, too - they’ve been the norm here for the better part of a century!
He thought it was low-voltage, because that's what it looked like, and no one told him any different. A perfectly logical assumption.
I think the switches might use a low voltage steering system, and the lights might have be as well (for LED lighting)
Antonio Tejada the only thing wrong with those swing/tilt windows,,is NO DAMNED SCREENS flies pissme off, when I spent a few weeks in GERMANY
@@flybyairplane3528 you can put fly screens on them. It a matter of preference. I have them on my windows. There are 2 types that i know. Removable. And built in slide down ( very well concieled but part of the window).
The Channel thanks, I will inform my cousin , in PFORZHEIM
This is awesome content. Love seeing different approaches and everything done so well.
The timber is cross laminated timber CLT. I doubt it is low voltage. Almost certainly 230v AC. Higher voltage than US, less current, smaller cable
Yes 230. Found out after we completed the day.
Matt Risinger It is standard here to use individual wires in conduit. Not like in USA with romex cable and the like.
Love the barn!
reminds me of growing up in Germany. my parents bought a old farm house built in 1903. the outside walls where 12 by 18 solid granite bricks/rocks. chiseling thru it was hell. lol
Water pipes are put inside larger pipes as this will protect structual damage from damaged main pipes/water leaks You will see that water is sipping out at the end of the larger pipe. You get no damage in the wall, floor, roof and it's easy to change damagead pipes without the need to demolish anything. Just fix the new pipe to the end of the old one and pull it all trough.
poff1973 Here in Switzerland they also do the same thing with the water and electric (and I assume gas) infrastructure, too!!! The town where my mom lives recently replaced its water and sewer mains, and they made a big deal about how they’re spending a ton of money up front to install such double walled pipes, but that the added cost of the outer pipes will make future repairs and upgrades faster and cheaper.
poff1973 Oh yeah, and I recently found out there’s a 100KV distribution line running under my street, apparently in oil-filled conduit!)
Lived in Germany on and off for 6 1/2 years. They have great houses there. The doors and windows are similar to the one shown in the Swiss build shows. The last few German houses I was in the hinge side had a lever and depending on the lever position the door would tilt inward or drop down into a track in the floor and you could not open the door and it latched in several places. In current times any new house is ultra efficient and usually has 2-3 fuel sources for hot water and heat via radiant heat. The also use solar for both electricity and solar as another heat source which stores the hot water in a super insulated tank. The house also had a boiler to heat hot water and it could run off of I believe oil, wood pellets and maybe another fuel, (Electricity generated by the solar panels maybe)?The last time I was in that house the boiler had not been used for over 2 years. It got
Dude... great video! Love seeing different techniques. Food for thought...
Great video, I love how open minded you approach this! I'm a German that has spend a lot of time in the States and the different ways to build have always interested me. I think actually, that the obvious question "which is better" isn't actually all that easy to answer.
Between the concrete slabs (balcony / inside), could be something like the products from Schöck. Check them out, their products are available here in North America as well.