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what about a stone/brick/concrete house with insulation?


In general, any thermally-conducting path from outside to inside will reduce the insulating value of the wall by a lot. The standard framing method used in American houses is described in basic terms here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_(construction)#Balloon...

(Platform framing is different from balloon framing in some details, but that's not important for our purposes.) The gaps between the vertical "studs" allow insulation to be put in, covering ~90% of the surface area. I forget the details, but there are code and construction-method developments that are working to raise this figure closer to 100%.

The final wall would then be a roughly 7" sandwich. Details vary, but perhaps 1" exterior cladding - stucco, siding, etc., 5.5" of insulation where the frame is, 0.75" of interior wallboard ("drywall"). In older homes, alas, the insulation is thinner than 5.5".

The brick, concrete, concrete-block, and stone construction methods I know about do not allow such a thick layer of insulation. I know there are products available to get higher insulating value in less thickness, thus allowing for 3" of brick + 3" of rigid foam, but of course these are applicable to both methods.

And, as I've tried to clarify, the concrete-block methods I know about have areas where there is a non-insulating path through the concrete.

Perhaps there are other concrete or brick methods that provide significant insulating value, that I'm not aware of, that are realistic for single-family homes?


Reinforced concrete is used mostly in Spain, where I live. Then walls are either traditional bricks, or some plasterboards stuffed with insulation, or an outer layer of thin bricks, insulation, and an inner layer of plaster.

I think we're moving away from bricks because everybody has A/C now. But houses are still "solid", with a concrete skeleton and walls that you can't "punch through", at least the outer walls.




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