Convection/Air barriers Documents

BSD-011: Thermal Control in Buildings by John Straube — last modified 2008/09/09

Providing thermal comfort without excess space conditioning costs is one of the primary requirements of buildings. Therefore, thermal control is an important aspect in almost all buildings. Understanding heat transfer and the temperature distribution through building materials and assemblies is also important for assessing energy use, thermal comfort, thermal movements, durability, and the potential for moisture problems. Heat flow occurs through the building enclosure via opaque enclosure elements, is directly transferred into the building by solar radiation through windows, is carried along with air across the enclosure by unintentional leakage and ventilation, and can be generated within the building by occupants and their activities. The control of heat flow in buildings requires insulation layers compromised with few thermal bridges, an effective air barrier system, good control of solar radiation, and management of interior heat generation.

BSD-119: Summer Condensation Problems in Ice Arenas by John Straube — last modified 2008/08/20

Ice rinks and arenas are a common building type in many communities. The trend over the last 25 years has been to operate these arenas for greater periods of the year, often throughout the summer. Also, an increasing number of such buildings are being built in areas with warm, humid summer weather. The result has been an increase in the number of reported moisture problems, most of which revolve around summer condensation. This digest will describe the causes and discuss potential retrofit solutions for summer condensation in ice arenas.

BSD-135: Ice Dams by John Straube — last modified 2008/08/20

Ice dams are a common roof performance problem in buildings that experience snowfall and at least a month of below freezing temperatures. The combination of sufficient roof pitch, adequate insulation just above the exterior wall, and air sealing at the wall-roof assemblies transition are all essential to prevent ice dams. But ice dams can occur even in properly detailed roof assemblies from differential solar snow melt. This digest outlines both the causes and solutions to ice dam problems.