Frequently Asked Questions
Who are our clients?
Since Veerhuis is not a contractor but an advising supplier of a system, we do business with contractors, architects, project developers,NGOs and governments. People often assume they can buy houses at Veerhuis or that Veerhuis builds houses themselves. This is not the case, though a small pilot project can always be discussed.
Are you a contractor? (Or do you know an interested contractor?) Veerhuis would like to certify you!
Is a building with a Veerhuis shell more economical? With regard to building costs our system competes with traditional methods. The extent to which the shell influences the eventual building costs depends on the design. Therefore the decision to build with this system should not be based on initial costs but on potential returns, such as the speed of building and energy savings now and in the future.
What is EPS?
Expanded Polystyrene, or EPS for short, is a lightweight, firm, plastic foam insulation material produced from solid beads of polystyrene. Expansion is achieved by virtue of small amounts of pentane gas dissolved into the polystyrene base material during production. The gas expands in reaction to heat and is applied as steam to form perfectlly closed cells of EPS. These cells occupy approximately 40-60 times the volume of the original polystyrene bead. The EPS beads are then moulded into suitable foams suited appropriate to our application. We call EPS "The pearls of the future".
Why can a plastic material be called eco friendly?
Although EPS has its origin in oil, during it's life cycle, it will provide you with vast energy savings and thus reduce CO2 emissions. The initial energy saving is during production, transportation and assembly. Most significant is the reduced energy needed for heating and/or cooling your building. At the demolition phase, the EPS is perfectly recyclable (up to 5 times). As such it has a very long life span.
Fire?
Mortar layers on the inside and outside protect the core of EPS including the main carrying construction (the frame). The EPS itself is fire retardant.
Noise?
Soundproofing is enhanced as the mortar layer becomes thicker. Normally the reduction is app. 23 dB(A). A perfectly acceptable standard.
Strength?
The mesh layers in the mortar act as reinforcement. So on te whole it is incredibly strong.
Anchor heavy objects?
Special plugs and/or facilities in the wall make it possible to attach heavy objects.
Burglary? Our special mortar layers require considerable time, energy and industrial machinery to demolish. Just like in the use of traditional buildings methods, burglaries and break-ins are not always avoidable. Moreover, windows and doorframes prove to be the weakest link in every building!
Vermin?
The mortar layers make our buildings resistant to vermin and other insects.
Dividing walls between two annex houses?
According to building standards, dividing walls between two annex houses, should not pass on 'contact' noise (knocking). Since this requires a significant amount of mass or a non-common frame, Veerhuis walls are not appropriate for this purpose. For this situation there are divers inexpensive and fast solutions available on the market. Veerhuis is happy to advise in this area.
Partition walls inside a house? Veerhuis walls are thicker and most likely more expensive than common methods. Therefore we do not reccomend Veerhuis walls for that purpose. However many builders have decided to use Veerhuis walls for that purpose especially when contact sound problems and/or lack of space were not an issue.
Maintenance? The mortar layers prevent disintegration of the core. The system basically has no joints and seams, so subsequently less fragile or weak spots. Plaster renders require the normal maintenance. Clean it every five years. Every 10-15 years re-paint (depending on the quality of the rendering).
Repair a wall or extend a building? Quite easy.
Sculpture? EPS is an outstanding material for sculpturing and apply relief (ornamental lines and stills).
Official approval? The system has been tested and approved according to the standards and regulations of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Whether additional approval is needed depends on the individual country.
Warranty?
Guarantee can be provided. Of course when the construction is done according to our specifications.
Foundation? The system could be placed upon a pier, pole, concrete rim/plate or a combination of these as well as on asphalt. Like compounds it could also be applied on asphalt. The foundation can also be poured afterwards. This technique strongly depends on the local situation and ground conditions. Generally speaking one can say that the system needs the foundation needed for conventional buildings but then a lot lighter.
Floors?
The system does not include the floors, but any traditional floor can be used.
Roofs?
The roof is part of the shell. We recommend that roofs be insulated. Our mortar is not suitable as roof cladding. Here an additional weather-resistant layer needs to be applied (tiles, bitumen, metal). State of the art nowadays in roofing technology is the use of prefabricated, premeasured insulated roofpanels.
Windows? The glass surfaces will always have the lowest insulation values. We recommend the use of dual layered and/or tinned glass. In extreme conditions the use of triplepane is indicated.
Ventilation?
As in any building, good ventilation is a must. This can easily be achieved with an air grate (natural ventilation) or mechanically with air conditioning or heat exchanger.
Planning grid? The intercolumn distance should preferably not exceed 3 meters.
Wall thicknesses?
Sizes of: 20, 25, 30, 35 cm
Wall heights?
As high as wanted.
Gaps in the wall?
Can be of any lenght and height.
Dimensioning of the main carrying construction? According to your structural engineer.
Max. height of the building? Depends on the material used for the main carrying construction. Using a concrete or metal frame construction allows you to build as high as the construction will allow.
Neighbouring buildings? During the construction phase all facades have to be accessible for plaster work. So abut building have to be built later on, or your building has to be (partially) prefabricated.
Round forms?
Are possible, but require more expensive, processing and structural adjustments.
Sloping wall? Sloping walls are in fact roofs (see also roofs). Reclining walls are also possible.
Expansion joints? None. The mesh is overlapping so the walls are basically infinite.
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