To make this vision reality, I have founded a Scientific Research Centre in Goldegg where we test and investigate traditional 'Moon Timber' and building methods. We are finding extraordinary evidence for its longevity and have been able to develop and patent our Holz100 System which consists of prefabricated 100% natural wood elements.
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Dear Reader,
While I was writing this book, I didn't anticipate the overwhelming appreciation and rising awareness towards sustainable forestry management and the influence of the moon. My passion is to build solid wooden homes which are (technically and scientifically measurably) superior in all building disciplines and regulations to conventional homes. Some woods like Douglas fir and Larch, disintegrate much slower than other species such as Spruce and Pine. Additionally to carefully selecting weatherproof and long lasting woods, we can use particular building techniques which further delay the decaying process.
The oldest preserved dwellings are solely built with stone and untreated wood and have survived for millenia.
Timber constructions outdoors Nature intended wood to weather and finally break down into mulch to close the natural cycle. When restoring the building, all infested wooden components should be generously removed and any existing strands of fungi should be eliminated from the masonry, brick and stone work with a blowtorch.
How to prevent dry rot? If the house has been built in a constructive and proper way, it usually is enough to make sure there are no rotting piles of wood, old building parts or off cuts which provide feeding and breeding ground anywhere close to the building.
The true dry rot needs damp wood (more than 20%) to grow, however, once established it can grow several meters long in up to one centimeter thick strands. These strands transport water to neighbouring, dry areas and dampen these for the infestation to spread.
Condensation and dew water still remain risky for wood frame walls.
It is important to ask professional tradesmen about all types of insulation. Ask them to calculate the dew point for every ceiling and wall construction and to confirm their results in writing. Condensation, Frost and Foils:
To build a more energy efficient home, more and better thermal insulation is in demand. However proper insulation needs to dam and should not seal. Avoid water and air tight foils (vapor barriers) and rather use a recommended vapor retardant instead of a barrier. Keep wood off the moist earth. Cladding and posts should never end up in the ground or soil. Make sure you build on sufficient foundation made from brick, concrete or rock.
(Plinth for wooden post, foundation made from rocks, and back ventilation of vertical weather bonding) Burning pellets for heating has led to a drastic lowering of the CO2 emissions. At the same time, forestry framers are achieving better and fairer prices for their wood off cuts and leftovers. In Austria alone there are more Biomasseheizungen being installed every year than oil heaters. May the day come when trees are not being turned into toxic building materials!
The last active windmill in Austria is as much an example as all the other tourist attractions of this vine growing area which is so very rich in culture and beautiful attractions!
Only a decade later, Biomasseheizungen and wood pellets are vital parts part of the international climate discussions in politics. Now we make the best use of it by burning it in our heating system and keeping our environment clean and pristine."
Guest and visitors are most welcome to have a good look around the village to find out how localizing the energy supply has empowered this community. The use of gentle energy has a long tradition here. "On nice days, the sun is enough to keep us warm. When the weather is cold and foggy, we burn the wood off cuts collected from local sawmills, carpentries and leftovers from the forest. Over the last years the price for this kind of wood has dropped so low that it is not worthwhile to sell it.
1996 in spring 70 more buildings in the idyllic vine growing village in 'Retzer Becken', Austria, have been connected. This means that 70 old and faulty individual heaters have been replaced by solar panels plus the burning of wood off cuts.
It houses a storage area for firewood, the boiler and two huge buffer storage both of which have been buried two thirds into the ground. The water in the tanks is heated by either solar power or burning wood chips and sent hot to the homes and buildings which are connected to the system.
Heating with renewable biomass at the push of a button is no utopian dream anymore.
The 'Bramberg' village centralized biomass power station is accommodated in a wooden building. You wouldn't notice any difference to an agricultural farm building, only the fact that the southern aspect is equipped with solar collectors. It has reached a stage now, where it is possible to build very small units that generate sufficient energy for single family homes. these small furnaces include an automatic stoker and ash removal. Generic versions are available in sizes suitable for single households up to large plants.
The warmth which is generated by a centralized biomass power station is nothing else than sun energy stored in growing trees and closes a natural cycle. The technical advancements of biomass combustion are not only available to a few privileged communities.
Even just a generation ago, this was unthinkable. Today it is possible thanks to the advancements made in the heating and combustion technology.
Environmental impact study, emissions from central heating plants in kg/TJ The biomass power station in 'Bramberg' has now been running for many years and the unthinkable became reality. This small power station is able to supply the whole village with warmth. The emissions sank to less than those generated by just one family home with a badly adjusted oil heater.
"Maybe we should try it out?"
Isn't it crazy to heat our buildings with fossil fuels from afar, which have been mined and transported around the whole world and at the same time, our local woodchips and wood waste is being trucked to far away countries. It's not surprising that people living in the valleys are complaining about the amount of trucks on the roads. Two Villages are Firing Up
The saying goes: "The farmer won't eat what he doesn't know!" In the local inn of the small village 'Bramberg' in 'Salzburger Land', discussions were running hot about a proposed project they called: 'Hackschnitzelheizung'. "They want to build a heating plant for our village? One which burns wood chips? That must be a joke! It wouldn't work, impossible!" According to statistics of the forest inventory, only half of the combined yearly re-growth from Germany and Austria together is being harvested. Most of it is being used in a wasteful and toxic way.
The use of toxic wood preservatives, paints and glues has turned modern wood products into toxic waste which cannot be returned to nature and close this wood cycle. When we recognize this ingenious and simple resource and integrate our ways into the natural cycle, we will be able to fully replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. Here in Austria, if we were to use wood as building material for our homes (from the floor to the roof, furniture, heating, thermal power stations, to make paper) we still couldn't use up the yearly re-growth of wood. There still would be enough trees left to decay and mulch the forest floor.
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