How Can I Make a Good Building Envelope Better?

The building envelope includes the foundation, roof, windows, and walls which form the critical thermal barrier between the exterior and interior environments. Envelope technologies account for around thirty percent of the primary energy used in commercial and residential buildings. The building envelope plays a crucial role in determining levels of ventilation, natural lighting, and comfort.

The building envelope is either defined as loose or tight. A loose building envelope permits more of natural air transfer to get in. These types of building envelopes can make the building more uncomfortable and drafty. It can make it difficult to control the temperature levels in the building. This increases the probability of mildew or mould, and higher quantities of cooled or heated air can get out via leaks in the loose building envelope. This further increases energy bills.

A tighter building envelope permits a high level of control over indoor air circulation, energy consumption, moisture levels, and temperature. However, to achieve this, more insulation, sealants, adhesive tape, and energy-efficient windows are needed to get a tight shell for the building. This leads to a more comfortable building for the occupants, which results in less waste in cooling and heating costs. It is necessary though to be sure there is enough ventilation.

You can usually make a good building envelope better by tightening it. Tight envelopes have lower chances of producing mildew or mould from infiltration and moisture. This helps in prolonging the life of building components and improves the health of the building inhabitants.

Tight building envelopes, in theory, offer the ability to sufficiently control the air quality, making the interior of the building more pleasant and comfortable.

Westerly Restoration provides building envelope integrity inspections and restoration in Surrey, BC and the entire Greater Vancouver area. 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.

Links

https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/alliance/technology-solution/building-envelope

https://www.echotape.com/blog/contractors-field-guide-building-envelope/