From Planning to Restoration: The Building Envelope Lifecycle

Building envelopes go through a lifecycle. If the building envelope was well conceived and well built, the lifecycle will be a long one. There are, however, identifiable stages to this lifecycle. Today, in our blog, that is what we want to talk about.

Planning/Design

The planning or design stage is when you are planning the construction of a building. At this time you are planning your building envelope, such as exterior walls, roof, doors, windows, and vents. Part of the design will address air movement and intake, heat transfer, moisture control, and structural integrity.

Construction

This is the stage when the building is being built. You have chosen materials that fit your requirements, and hopefully, they will perform as needed for the building envelope.

Operation

This is the stage where you manage upkeep and keep on top of exterior components. You may check for roof damage or water in the basement, to make sure the envelope is performing as needed.

Maintenance

At this stage, your building envelope may need maintenance or some minor work such as repairing a roof, fixing a leak, making sure perimeter are functioning properly, and there is no water or air coming inside around windows or doors.

End-of-Life Disposal or Restoration

By now the building envelope is posing multiple problems. Most of the materials have outlived their service life, and you may need a large-scale restoration to save the building. There may also be water damage that needs repair or a mold problem to remediate.

For the integrity of a building, the building envelope is critical. And often the envelope needs repair before the rest of the building does because the envelope is what has to endure the outside elements. 

Westerly Restoration provides building envelope and restoration services in Vancouver, BC, and throughout the lower mainland.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about building envelopes or restoration, please call us at (778) 881-2877 or use the convenient form on our Contact page.