Final step: home, sweet home | Birth of a passive house

Last summer, a couple began building a so-called “passive” house, that is to say one with very low energy consumption. From the first sketches to the handing over of the keys, we followed his project carried out in Ham-Sud, in Estrie, in three stages. In this third and final chapter, the owner’s tour in the company of Nathalie and Philippe, who have started to live in their house, awaiting the finishing touches.

Certainly, there have been delays, costs and unforeseen challenges. The covering, which showed irregularities, will be installed a little later, and the bathroom is still under construction. But what joy for Nathalie Larouche and Philippe Candelier to invest in their home finally built from the ground, as the new stone of an ecovillage adjoining Mount Ham.

“It never ends, one of the site managers warned us that it would be a marathon, he was right! », breathes the couple, who had sold their house in Longueuil at the end of August and found refuge in their trailer while waiting for their new property to be habitable.

At the beginning of October, the owners were finally able to slip under a brand new roof, waiting for the moment of truth: is this passive house really efficient in terms of energy efficiency? “It’s super comfortable. We had nights at 0°C, and the indoor temperature went from 22 to 21°C in the morning, without heating. We were also gone for two days, the house only lost 2°C,” they note.

The various elements granting passive house status are therefore effective, namely abundant windows on the south side, very muscular insulation stuffed with a layer of cellulose, breathable membranes, triple glazing and maximum airtightness, among others.

At worst, a heat pump and a few radiators (which risk gathering dust) were installed. For the entire house, the couple anticipates an average monthly electricity bill of $50.

But in summer, doesn’t the house risk transforming into a giant furnace? According to the owners’ calculations, the heat cannot enter and the sun, higher up, being less penetrating through the windows, the premises should keep their cool. “If it’s 30°C outside, it should rise by 1°C inside… provided you don’t open the windows,” they predict.

Passive house, active owners

At the time of our visit, at the end of October, the living rooms were almost finished, as were the bedrooms. In addition to the exterior cladding and the installation of the shower, it remained to install skirting boards, local slate and ceramic tiles, among other things. Still a little work for the workers and occupants, since the latter participated in the construction, tackling for example waterproofing work or fixing a white pine ceiling.

Despite everything, the atmosphere of the place began to take shape, thanks to the beautiful view of Mount Ham, the cathedral ceiling of the master bedroom and the furniture placed there (we note a warm walnut kitchen counter).

In the other bedroom, a fold-down wall bed will optimize the slightly smaller space in the room. Outside, when the leveling is completed, a gazebo should grow on their land, which extends over 5000 m^⁠2 (53,820 ft^⁠2). A charging station for an electric vehicle has also been planned.

As for their new neighborhood, an ecovillage called “At the foot of Mount Ham”, it pleasantly surprised them, thanks to good relations with the neighborhood and the provision of a common house that can be rented for an event or to accommodate people. guests. They also received visits from owners located not far from their homes, inspired by the concept of passive house and wanting to know how to go about it… without necessarily pushing energy-efficient developments that far. “We advised them to prioritize the waterproofing of the house, which is a crucial factor,” reports Nathalie.

Aim for the century

And the budget? Unforeseen events and decisions taken along the way caused the Excel columns to overflow quite a bit. On a project initially calibrated at around $300,000 before the pandemic, the bar hovers around $500,000.

Despite everything, Nathalie and Philippe admit to being very satisfied with their new home. And if they had to do it again, they would start the same project again, with simple adjustments, particularly in terms of coordinating the different works, to avoid certain hiccups.

In any case, the owners are very transparent on one point: it is not with the aim of profitability that they embarked on the adventure of passive solar, but more for its virtues of sustainability and its environmental value. long term.

“It’s a house that will last 100 years before starting to deteriorate, while most buildings start to become sieves after 40 to 50 years,” estimates Philippe. They will no longer be there to verify it, they say with a laugh, but isn’t this a great example of transmission to future generations?