Controlling moisture flow in a building has significant impacts on occupant health and safety, comfort, building durability and energy efficiency. This section will cover the basics of moisture and its effects on the house system. It will also discuss how geographic location and house type can affect choices of moisture control strategies. Applied building science
Over the past few months, we’ve discussed some of the main factors in creating a comfortable and safe home. The end of most of these articles contained a note about reducing risk and increasing tolerance. Let’s talk about how these ideas fit together. In the last 50 years, home building has changed dramatically – increased insulation, tighter homes, smaller chimneys, more efficient
Indoor Air Quality Anyone can smell the air and tell if there are indoor air quality problems. However, many air problems may not stink now but will cause one later. There are five types of pollutants in houses: 1. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) – cleaning products, aerosols, pest killers, furniture finishes, fabrics and building materials
Last month we discussed air flow and its causes. This month, we delve into heat flow. First, let’s cover the basics. Conduction, convection, and radiation are the three mechanisms by which heat moves. Conduction occurs between objects that touch each other, such as when your warm hand touches a cold window during winter. Convection is
This article is the first in a series on the Principles of Building Science – Air Flow If Uncontrolled Air is the enemy to comfortable, efficient and healthy homes, what causes air to flow in and around a home? First, some basic facts about air: air always moves from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas. One of
