On some aspects of modernisation of a wooden house with special cultural value

Institute of Heat Engineering, Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 21/25, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland

^* Corresponding author: Hanna.Jedrzejuk@itc.pw.edu.pl

Abstract

This paper presents specification of the scope of modernization of a wooden house built in 1950 in the village of Nowoberezowo in the Podlaskie voivodship (eastern Poland). It was constructed in traditional technology that is specific for this area and which dates back to the 19th century. It was considered that due to special cultural values it is necessary to preserve the exterior appearance of the building. For this reason, the idea of insulating its external walls from the outside was abandoned. In connection with planned interior remodelling and the selected variant of insulation of external walls from the inside, a hydrothermal analysis was carried out. On this basis, the maximum acceptable thickness of the thermal insulation layer was determined given the need to protect wood against degradation resulting from long-lasting moisture. The necessity to ensure adequate air exchange in rooms was emphasized and a mechanical ventilation system was proposed. Next, the impact of the proposed treatments on the change of energy performance was evaluated. An economic assessment was also made and a simple payback time was determined.