ABOUT BUILDING ENVELOPES
The Building Envelope is made up of the outside walls, roof, windows and foundation of a building. This "skin" provides thermal and moisture protection and creates a buffer between the building and outside elements. The barrier it provides between outdoors and indoors is crucial to the longevity of a building.
Water ingress is one of the biggest threats and cause of damage to a Building Envelope. A building envelope's effectiveness is measured by several factors, all of which contribute to the comfort, public health and energy efficiency of the building, and include:
- The protection it provides from exterior weather
- The quality of indoor air that it creates
- Durability and Longevity of the Materials Used
- Energy Efficiency and Potential Cost Savings Provided
In order to ensure your Building Envelope performs effectively for all of these goals, your Building Envelope system must have:
- Solid Structure
- Drainage Plane
- Air Barrier
- Thermal Barrier
- Vapor Barrier
- Moisture Control / Damp Proofing
- Insulation
- Ventilation
While moisture control is critical in all climates, the wet climate found in Vancouver is especially taxing on a Building Envelope. Failure to ensure your building has a properly functioning Building Envelope can result in heat loss, air leakage and/or penetration of rain - which in turn causes poor indoor air quality, early deterioration of the structure and high energy costs due to energy inefficiency.
