EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Thermal mass

JRMichler · 08-07-12, 07:34 PM

Further down in that GBA quote is:

A typical 2,000 SF home may have 9 tons of drywall. So doubling even part of that will add considerable mass that is well-coupled with the interior environment.

And:

Gypsum has twice the specific heat by weight of concrete or brick and 2 to 3 times that of stone, so in spite of its lesser density (~50 pcf), has nearly the same heat storage capacity as masonry per cubic foot (except for very dense stone such as granite, marble or soapstone).

I have experience with two different houses that were insulated to well beyond current Wisconsin code minimum. Both of these houses are on crawlspaces, and both have only the typical 1/2" drywall with no other thermal mass.

The inside temperature rises about two or three degrees per day when the outside temperature hits the 90's. The better the insulation and air sealing, the less need for thermal mass.

08-07-12, 07:34 PM	#9
JRMichler Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Phillips, WI Posts: 109 Thanks: 10 Thanked 30 Times in 25 Posts	Further down in that GBA quote is: A typical 2,000 SF home may have 9 tons of drywall. So doubling even part of that will add considerable mass that is well-coupled with the interior environment. And: Gypsum has twice the specific heat by weight of concrete or brick and 2 to 3 times that of stone, so in spite of its lesser density (~50 pcf), has nearly the same heat storage capacity as masonry per cubic foot (except for very dense stone such as granite, marble or soapstone). I have experience with two different houses that were insulated to well beyond current Wisconsin code minimum. Both of these houses are on crawlspaces, and both have only the typical 1/2" drywall with no other thermal mass. The inside temperature rises about two or three degrees per day when the outside temperature hits the 90's. The better the insulation and air sealing, the less need for thermal mass.