Photo credit: Wikkelhouse
Have you ever heard of the cardboard house? No, this is not the scene of a fairy tale, but a reality. The cardboard house is indeed a much more solid solution than one might think, ideal for small budgets and quick to build. Ecological, it is a very interesting alternative which is beginning to find a place in the field of new construction. Zoom on this surprising house, but very real!
The cardboard house: a solid, resistant and well-insulated construction
Forget your preconceptions about the cardboard. It is a much stronger material than one might think. The principle of cardboard as a construction material was developed in Alsace, the first department to create this unique manufacturing process from recycled cardboard. To be well insulated, the cardboard comes in the form of three 2 cm thick plates with a honeycomb structure glued together, which traps air and gives the material its insulating properties. In addition, the cardboard is covered with a membrane made from recycled plastic which allows it to be more waterproof, to resist the vagaries of the weather without difficulty and to gain in resistance. With this technique, cardboard becomes a material capable of withstanding rain, wind, snow and sun.
Thermal insulation is one thing, but cardboard is also a material made soundproof thanks to this same manufacturing process. The noise is indeed greatly dampened. In addition, cardboard is very resistant to fire, like other building materials.
To compose a house of cardboard, it is necessary to build a wooden structure which will reinforce the maintenance of the whole house. The walls, floors and ceilings can then be covered with any coating, leaving the possibility of masking the cardboard to make it a completely classic house.
Like wooden houses, the cardboard house is very quick to build since it is prefabricated in the factory and assembled on site. Its kit design allows assembly in an average of 7 days.
The cardboard house is an eco-responsible solution thanks to its design from recycled cardboard and recycled plastic. In addition, you should know that cardboard allows a house to be built with thinner walls than in the context of a dwelling made of breeze blocks, concrete, brick or wood. Thus, the happy owner has a larger living area for the same floor area.
The cardboard house: the low-budget solution
The cardboard house is making a place, still timid, but real, among recent construction solutions. Indeed, with the search for ever more natural and ecological methods and materials, this alternative has everything to seduce.
It is true that opting for a cardboard house is a solution that is both environmentally friendly and saves money. Indeed, for those who have tried it, the costs of a cardboard construction are about 30 to 35% cheaper than for the same construction with traditional materials.
Such an attractive price is explained by the fact that cardboard as a building material costs less than others, with an average of 1200-1400 euros per square meter. But its price is not the only positive point, since its implementation is also less expensive, because the cardboard houses are prefabricated in the factory and assembled on site, which greatly limits the costs in terms of labor. Thanks to this low cost, low-budget households can access property more easily.
The principle has developed so well that it is now known through the famous Wikklehouse, or paper house in Dutch. This house made of 90% cardboard is an economical and eco-responsible solution offered by the Dutch company Fiction Factory. Sold in several European countries, this house, whose furniture and decoration are made largely of cardboard, is designed in a modular way and can be expanded or arranged as desired. Its success is no longer to be proven, because it is emulated throughout Europe thanks to its originality and its low price, which allows you to own a home of at least 44 m² for around 50,000 euros. Its minimalist and very contemporary design is ideal for an eco-responsible project that is included in the environment. On the other hand, its lifespan is estimated at a hundred years, which still leaves many decades for its owners to enjoy it!