Wall assembly Documents

BSD-013: Rain Control in Buildings by John Straube — last modified 2008/09/09

Moisture is one of the most important agents leading to building enclosure deterioration. Understanding and predicting moisture movement within and through the enclosure is therefore of fundamental importance to predicting and improving building enclosure performance, particularly durability. Since driving rain deposition on walls and roofs is quantitatively the largest single source of moisture for most walls and roofs, it is no surprise that controlling rain penetration is one of the most important parts of a successful moisture control strategy. In fact, failure to control rain is likely the oldest and most common serious building enclosure performance problem. Commentators as long as Vitruvius (70 BC) bemoaned the challenges of controlling rain penetration. This document will consider rain control from a general to a specific level. The following sections will cover: basic moisture control principles that should be employed in the design of above-grade building enclosures; driving rain as a moisture load on walls; a classification system of the various rain control strategies available for walls; and finally, good design practises for walls. The rain control of roofs will be covered in more detail in another BSD.

BSD-018: The Building Enclosure by John Straube — last modified 2008/09/09

That part of any building that physically separates the exterior environment from the interior environment(s) is called the building enclosure or building envelope. Environmental separator is another term used to describe the enclosure, but note that this generic term also applies to separators of two different interior environments. The term building enclosure is preferred to the term building envelope largely because it is considered both more general and more precise. Also note that the building enclosure may contain, but is not the same as, the so-called thermal envelope, a term that is used to refer to the thermal insulation within the enclosure. The enclosure, the loadings it must resist, and its functions are addressed in this digest.

BSD-104: Understanding Air Barriers by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/08/20

Controlling heat flow, airflow, moisture flow and solar and other radiation will control the interactions among the physical elements of the building, its occupants and the environment. Of these four, airflow “merits major consideration mainly because of its influence on heat and moisture flow” (Hutcheon, 1953). Airflow carries moisture that impacts a materials long-term performance (serviceability) and structural integrity (durability). Airflow also affects building behavior in a fire (spread of smoke and other toxic gases, supply of oxygen), indoor air quality (distribution of pollutants and location of microbial reservoirs) and thermal energy use. One of the key strategies in the control of airflow is the use of air barriers

BSD-105: Understanding Drainage Planes by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/10/14

Controlling rain is the single most important factor in the design and construction of durable buildings and in the control of mold. Drainage planes are used in the design and construction of building enclosures to control rain. All exterior claddings pass some rainwater. Siding leaks, brick leaks, stucco leaks, stone leaks, etc. As such, some control of this penetrating rainwater is required. In most walls, this penetrating rainwater is controlled by the drainage plane that directs the penetrating water downwards and outwards.

BSD-106: Understanding Vapor Barriers by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/10/17

The function of a vapor barrier is to retard the migration of water vapor. Where it is located in an assembly and its permeability is a function of climate, the characteristics of the materials that comprise the assembly and the interior conditions. Vapor barriers are not typically intended to retard the migration of air. That is the function of air barriers.

BSD-109: Pressures in Buildings by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/08/20

Air flow in buildings is one of the major factors that governs the interaction of the building structure with the mechanical system, climate and occupants. If the air flow at any point within a building or building assembly can be determined or predicted, the temperature and moisture (hygrothermal or pyschometric) conditions can also be determined or predicted. If the hygrothermal conditions of the building or building assembly are known, the performance of materials can also be determined or predicted

BSD-114: Interior Insulation Retrofits of Load-Bearing Masonry Walls In Cold Climates by John Straube — last modified 2008/09/09

This digest reviews the moisture control principles that must be followed for a successful insulated retrofit of a solid load-bearing masonry wall. Two possible apporaches to retrofitting such walls are presented and compared.

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-150: Black Stains on Carpets and Ghosting of Framing by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/09/09

This digest offers a detailed explanation of the causes of carpet discoloration, particulate deposits on surfaces and "ghosting" of wood stud members on the interior gypsum board surfaces of exterior walls.

BSI-001: The Perfect Wall by Joseph Lstiburek — last modified 2008/09/09

An edited version of this Insight first appeared in the ASHRAE Journal. The perfect wall is an environmental separator – it has to keep the outside out and the inside in. In order to do this the wall assembly has to control rain, air, vapor and heat.

BSI-006: Can Highly Glazed Building Façades Be Green? by John Straube — last modified 2008/10/22

When I see a fully glazed, floor-to-ceiling commercial or institutional building, I see an energy-consuming nightmare of a building that requires lots of heating and cooling at the perimeter just to maintain comfort. The result, on a cold winter day, is that offices exposed to the sun require cooling, while those in the shade need heat.