In terms of both comfort and structural integrity, the building envelope drives the end user experience.Īnother reason to attend to the building envelope is its role in energy performance. The building envelope prevents problems ranging in severity from drafts to complete structural failure. Why Do Building Envelopes Matter?īuilding envelopes are the most important line of defense against moisture, thermal fluctuations, and unwanted airflow. High-quality flashing is one of the best ways to deal with inevitable water flow while also sealing the building against other risks. Preventing all water from entering a structure is virtually impossible so the building envelope should also have a mechanism to capture or divert water at vulnerable points. It’s important to insulate the building against temperature fluctuations and seal out precipitation and humidity.
Depending on their placement, windows, doors and walls may face all of these pressures to various degrees, though windows and doors are often especially vulnerable.Ī sturdy building envelope must achieve several goals simultaneously if it is to protect the structure.
The roof of an enclosure, for instance, is most vulnerable to wind, precipitation, and temperature fluctuations, whereas the foundation must defend against its wet earthen surroundings. The building envelope provides structural integrity and a protective barrier against moisture, temperature, and air flow changes.įor the building envelope to function effectively, each component must contend with unique environmental factors. What is the Building Envelope?Ī building envelope is comprised of the components that isolate the building from the external environment. Compared to traditional flashing, SillDry is cheaper and easier to install, while still offering enhanced insulation and drainage performance. SillDry is an innovative zero-waste, injection molded flashing solution designed to mitigate these problems. Unfortunately, many traditional flashing solutions are costly at best and ineffective at worst, requiring builders to spend excessive amounts on additional labor and materials to achieve a satisfactory seal. The quality of a building envelope's flashing-a weather-resistant seal situated at joints-is one critical consideration that substantially impacts a building's weather resistance. In most cases, a multi-faceted solution is necessary to prevent damage from environmental risks such as moisture penetration, air infiltration and temperature fluctuations. Read more about this success story on the project web page.Protecting a building's interior from the elements is a critical design challenge for any construction project. The goal is to produce more consistent sealing performance and improved airtightness in a cost-effective manner. Several sealing approaches were evaluated with multiple builders to establish procedures that builders can use to easily integrate the aerosol sealing technique into standard construction practices and reduce the cost of less-effective conventional sealing. In this project, researchers sought to optimize the integration of this technology into the construction process by identifying the most appropriate stage to perform the air sealing (e.g., before or after drywall). The technology is thus capable of simultaneously measuring, locating, and sealing leaks in a building. A standard blower door is used to facilitate the sealing process and provide real-time feedback and a permanent record of the sealing. As air escapes through leaks in the envelope, sealant particles are carried to the leaks where they impact, stick, and accumulate to seal them.
The process involves pressurizing the building for an hour or two while applying an aerosol sealant “fog” to the building interior. Aerosol envelope-sealing technology developed by the Western Cooling Efficiency Center at the University of California, Davis, uses an automated envelope-sealing method to precisely meet air leakage targets.