Houses that make sense

The construction industry undoubtedly represents a burden on the environment. What steps is HELUZ taking to contribute to the development of sustainable construction?
There are several steps. In terms of sustainability and the life cycle of the building, longevity and energy consumption during the use of the house play the most significant role. HELUZ offers bricks with the best thermal insulation properties and, at the same time, long-term durability. These benefits are complemented by our philosophy of a meaningful whole – our system is comprehensive, and everything fits together, a bit like Lego. This has a huge impact on transport, implementation, the absence of leftovers, and minimizes mistakes and waste. HELUZ brick industry is also a holder of EPD - Environmental Product Declaration.

What does this "comprehensive system" include and what advantage does it have for me as a builder?
Besides the masonry itself, it includes lintels, ceilings, chimney systems, and other accessories. The main advantage is systematism. Everything modularly fits together, works together, and creates a functional whole. I know cases where a builder bought, for example, imported masonry, and it then lay on the slab because they didn’t know what mortar to use for the foundation, who would lay it – because the manufacturer did not offer the laying service – what adhesive to use for masonry, and so on. No one came to them during construction, trained them, or advised them on details, anchoring, statics, acoustics, thermal technology, recommended shading technology, plastering, and other details - that essential service was simply not there. Very often, it happens that the money saved by the builder is largely invested in additional costs.

So, HELUZ will advise me on everything you mention?
Definitely. The company's philosophy is to perceive the house from the design to realization as a meaningful whole. This means that the house does not emerge as a random collage of various elements, but as one cohesive and perfectly cohesive system. All the mentioned building components – from masonry to chimneys – are designed to fit together precisely. You do not need to cut unnecessarily, level, or complicate connections.
In addition to the building materials, a comprehensive portfolio of services fits into this whole. Thanks to this, construction is faster, easier, and of higher quality. Errors in implementation are minimized, the risk of thermal bridges is reduced, and the entire house is more energy-efficient.

This brings us to the new concept of the HELUZ Meaningful House, which is essentially the realization of this philosophy in practice. Can you elaborate on what it involves?
HELUZ Meaningful Houses can be imagined as complete packages that include project documentation for the building permit, execution documentation including heating, electrical installation, air conditioning, water, and so on. They also include interior design in the form of visualization, including a "shopping list" of all used items, and a clear manual describing the construction step by step. The package also includes two vouchers for HELUZ masonry and windows totaling two hundred thousand Czech crowns. If an investor purchases this package, they take it to the designer, who places the building on the plot and takes further steps related to it. We are happy to recommend a designer. If the investor then uses the mentioned vouchers during the implementation phase, in other words, if they buy masonry and windows from the HELUZ brand, they will get back the money they invested in this package. In the end, they essentially get it for free. The main advantage of this service is not only the savings in finances but also the savings in time and worries and the assurance that everything will connect during the construction and the resulting house will meet the necessary parameters.

So you also offer investors the realization of the construction?
That phase is up to them, however, if they decide on a construction company, we will help them find one and recommend vetted ones in their area. If they decide to build independently, they can count on technical support, consultations, and proper training at the beginning. We can also help with the foundation of the building, transportation, possibly with panel laying, blower-door testing, and more.

Within the Meaningful House service, it is currently possible to choose from three types of houses. What distinguishes them and do you plan to expand this offer?
Currently, we offer three complete house packages – NORDIC, ELEMENT, and SPACE – designed by architects in cooperation with a design studio so that they are comfortable to live in. The houses are thoughtfully designed down to the smallest detail, every centimeter is perfectly utilized, and they are designed so that the roof shape and orientation can be changed according to the needs of the plot placement. Additional individual changes in the project are usually not a problem.
If a customer does not choose from the offer, they can turn to our collaborating designers and architects who know our system perfectly. In the future, we plan to expand the offer according to the needs of future builders.

How do you address the energy efficiency of these houses?
All houses are designed in energy class A and utilize the full product portfolio of HELUZ with an emphasis on the interconnection of building elements and maximizing energy efficiency. They are based on bricks in a single-layer construction that does not need further insulation. The design also includes shutter lintels for shading installation and heavy ceilings suitable for the thermal stability of the building. Since insulating glass IZOS has been part of the HELUZ GROUP portfolio since 2021, we can also offer customers glazing that can be designed according to their needs with regards to solar gains, solar factor, acoustic insulation, safety, and so on. We can then direct the investor with this proposal to a suitable window supplier. Technologically, the houses are equipped with a heat pump and a recuperation unit.

Let’s take a moment to focus on the masonry itself. How do HELUZ bricks differ from other bricks on the market?
HELUZ bricks have the best thermal insulation parameters on the market. For example, the HELUZ FAMILY 2in1 has a heat transfer coefficient U of up to 0.11 W/m²K, which meets the standards for passive houses without additional insulation. Thanks to their weight, they also have excellent accumulation and static parameters. We have very strict requirements for grinding the bearing surfaces – the masonry is thus precise, and we can realize it using either HELUZ SIDI mortar or PU foam.

In your portfolio, we find both ground bricks without integrated insulation and bricks whose hollow cells are filled with polystyrene. What is the difference in their use?
The difference lies in their thermal insulation properties. If an investor is building a classic energy-efficient house, a brick without thermal insulation in the cavities is sufficient. However, if the investor is constructing, for example, a passive house, bricks filled with polystyrene are suitable for that purpose.

What thickness of bricks should you choose?
Construction without additional insulation can be realized from a wall thickness of 380 millimeters. If someone wants to use additional insulation for the building, they usually choose a wall thickness of 300 millimeters, which is typically fitted with 160 millimeters of polystyrene. This composition corresponds to our HELUZ FAMILY 44 ground brick, which is a classic thermal insulating brick without filling that meets all the parameters for building a family house. If the builder wants the very best available on the market, they can use the HELUZ FAMILY 50 2in1 brick, which is equivalent to masonry with a thickness of 300 millimeters insulated with 260 to 280 millimeters of polystyrene. In addition to other advantages, such as increased mechanical resistance of the wall or its much better diffusion permeability, they gain the benefit of a smaller overall wall thickness, and thus a smaller footprint of the house.

Are there cases where it is nonetheless better to choose additional insulation?
Sometimes the specifics of the architectural design are such that it is indeed better to insulate the building – for example, during renovations to unify existing and new structures. However, we can also offer even those buildings that are additionally insulated our thermal insulating "thirty" HELUZ FAMILY 30 ground, which has about twice the insulating capabilities compared to classic brick. This allows for saving about 60 millimeters in insulation thickness. The cost savings are naturally also in anchoring the insulation. The total thickness of the structure is smaller, allowing the builder to gain additional floor space. In one family house, for example, this could be two square meters.

As the only manufacturer on the market, you offer builders the possibility to obtain a lifetime warranty on the shell of a family house. What does this mean in practice?
If you build with HELUZ products and incorporate the material according to technological recommendations, you will receive a warranty from us on the structural properties of the material for the entire lifespan of the building, which means for 148 years. The lifetime warranty is therefore a kind of guarantee that the material will meet the guaranteed parameters throughout its lifespan. To obtain this warranty, you just need to register, then our technical representative will visit the construction site to take photo documentation, and after obtaining the occupancy permit, you will receive a certificate signed directly by the owner of the company. The added value of this guarantee is better resale of the property, as the buyer knows they are not buying a "pig in a poke".

HELUZ
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