It consists of shingles on the outside, which are on top of tar sheeting as a vapor barrier.
The roofing system is an important part of any house, as it keeps weather out.
While the precise placement and configuration of each component may vary between climates and individual buildings, the following components are typically found in the wall assembly (from exterior to interior): The wall assembly consists of a system of components that fulfill the support, control, and finish function of the building envelope. In some cases, a sump pit and pump system will be required in addition to the perimeter drain. One example of a perimeter foundation drain is weeping tile placed in trench complete with gravel ballast backfill, also known as a french drain. ĭrainage around the perimeter of the foundation must be provided to prevent long-term underwater submersion of the waterproofing membrane. Additional waterproofing products such as sheet-applied membranes, liquid membranes, cementitious waterproofing, and built-up systems are also viable options. Waterproofing the foundation is typically completed by applying a liquid applied asphaltic damproofing. The transfer of thermal energy through the foundation can be controlled by providing insulation between the interior and exterior environments however, in some cases the foundation insulation is neglected to reduce construction costs. However, the foundation must also be designed to control the transfer of moisture and thermal energy into the interior space. Typically, some combination of reinforced concrete walls, slabs, and footings constitute the structural components of the foundation. The foundation is the structural component that transmits the loads from the building to the underlying substrate. The connections and compatibility between these elements is critical to ensure that the building envelope functions as intended. The building envelope includes the materials that comprise the foundation, wall assembly, roofing systems, glazing, doors, and any other penetrations. To make the building look attractive while still performing support and control functions.
The only time that I can think of where the expense of a tight building envelope is not justified is in the housing of livestock, or an equipment shed that houses mechanical machinery resistant to the climate.Figure 1. In almost every case, it is better to have the operator and occupants of the building control the ventilation. It does require more ventilation, but a building with a tight envelope can have mechanically or manually controlled natural ventilation.Ī tight building envelope is an energy efficient building envelope. As a building inspector, I have to say that I think a tight envelope is the best for any type of residential or commercial building.
BUILDING ENVELOPE CODE
The market value of an efficient building is much better than one that is inefficient, and as code standards continually improve, this extra market value will surely increase. In a hot or cold climate, the building envelope is the best area to find cost effective energy efficiency improvements.
BUILDING ENVELOPE WINDOWS
Depending on the climate, the windows usually make an ROI in five to seven years.įurthermore, over 40% of the thermal losses in a building are attributed to the building envelope. In most cases, the payback time for the investments in constructing a tight building are in the three to five year range. On a new build, it is cost effective to make an envelope tighter when the costs of energy are taken into consideration. Besides the windows, the building materials that go into making a tight building envelope are not that expensive. This allows the builder to afford things like demand controlled ventilation systems that increase ventilation automatically as carbon dioxide levels rise.Īpril 18, I would agree that a tight building envelope would be the best type of building envelope for the money. Because of this, the energy use per square foot begins to decrease significantly as the building square footage increases.
After a certain point, the square footage of a building increases relatively faster than the buildings volume. I would just like to point out that the cost effectiveness of a tight building envelope in new construction increases as the square footage increases.