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Forums > Green Building Technologies > Solar and Wind Power > Subject: adding thermal mass

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AlexisUser is Offline
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Posts:3
04/20/2008 6:10 PM  
Hello everybody,

I am designing a passive solar timber frame house. I always taught that since I will have a masonry heater, I would have sufficient thermal mass. I have read that after 4 inch of thickness, the mass in almost inefficient. So I made new calculation and need to add mass. I have a 15X30 great room with about 250 sq feet of south glazing. I am trying to find ways to add thermal mass in the great room. It has a full basement so I dont't have a slab. I would like to put granite tile on the floor. Any suggestion for adding thermal mass, in the floor if possible...

thanks a lot

Alexis
bartman99User is Offline
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Posts:41
04/21/2008 9:15 AM  
Posted By Alexis on 04/20/2008 6:10 PM
Hello everybody,

I am designing a passive solar timber frame house. I always taught that since I will have a masonry heater, I would have sufficient thermal mass. I have read that after 4 inch of thickness, the mass in almost inefficient. So I made new calculation and need to add mass. I have a 15X30 great room with about 250 sq feet of south glazing. I am trying to find ways to add thermal mass in the great room. It has a full basement so I dont't have a slab. I would like to put granite tile on the floor. Any suggestion for adding thermal mass, in the floor if possible...

thanks a lot

Alexis
Not sure exactly how much thermal mass it adds, but we have 2' thick soapstone as our floor in our sunroom.  It's pretty heavy and it's black.  Two things that should help.

Here's a picture of our floor during construction:



BM
Stephen TUser is Offline
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Posts:10
05/04/2008 12:33 PM  

A designer that we work with from time to time specs 2 layers of 5/8" gypsum wall board (drywall/sheetrock). (He also specs that the vapour barrier be installed between the layers of wall board.)

This does complicate jambs and jamb extensions, as well as electrical boxes. But since walls and ceilings offer more area than just floors, it adds a surprising amount of mass.

Stephen Thwaites
Thermotech Fiberglass Fenestration
Stephen Thwaites P.Eng.
Thermotech Fiberglass Fenestraion
Ottawa, Ontario
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