Workshop / Studio insulation in Passive House

The workshop (that also doubles for a one-car garage) is the only structure that is not a part of the Passive House envelope. It has been designed to structurally support a master suite on the second floor but had to be thermally broken from it by a foot of blown-in cellulose insulation and five inches of Rockwool COMFORTBATT® Thermal Batt Insulation on the exterior wall.

Although technically it is a separate structure, the workshop is treated as a semi-conditioned space and does not require a lot of extra energy to keep constant temperatures throughout the four seasons. It also has an adjacent wall with the carport. The carport itself sits directly under a part of a Passive House. It had to be insulated on all sides, including the ceiling to create a thermal break from the master suite above.

The carport ceiling connects the living space with a workshop that is not a part of the passive envelope. It’s filled with cellulose insulation inside the floor joist cavities and five inches of Rockwool bats in the exterior drop ceiling to create a thermal break for the second-floor master suite.

The rural aesthetics

The black siding all around the workshop is actually white pine boards treated with organic black pine tar and linseed oil mix. It has a thick texture with great coating properties. It penetrates the softwood nicely and creates a durable low-maintenance coating. The siding has remained untouched by elements so far. I expect it to keep its look for at least 5 years without extra oil treatment.

Garage wall with 1×6″ white pine siding boards. The boards were treated with organic black pine tar and linseed oil.