Building Envelope Maintenance

Building Envelope Maintenance
By Alan Trauger


A Building Envelope is the separation between the interior and exterior environments of a building. It is the outer shell, or elements including the foundation, walls including windows and doors, and roof. Properly designed and constructed it will control heat flow, control air flow, control water vapor flow, control rain penetration, control light, solar, and other radiation, control noise, control fire, provide strength and rigidity, be durable, be aesthetically pleasing, and most importantly be economical.

A building envelope is a system of interdependent parts. Like other types of systems, the whole unit functions only as well the least effective component. When making improvements, the system should be considered as a whole. If the entire system is not working at maximum effectiveness, conditioned air inside a building will find a way to escape: unwanted outside air will find a way to enter.

It is obvious and a known fact that roofs will leak and may require periodic maintenance or replacement. Many people do not realize that the other elements of the building envelope can be the main culprits for moisture entry intrusion. An important element when determining the source of a problem is the wall system. For the wall system to function as intended, several factors must be taken into consideration, including the selection and design of compatible materials and systems, proper detailing of material junctions and terminations installation and inspection of these details during construction, the ability to composite envelope systems to function during weather cycles, and proper maintenance skilled and trained trades. Even the slightest difference between the way a wall system was designed and how it was actually constructed can have a major impact on performance.

Maintenance: Crucial Key To Proper Performance

Proactive maintenance should encompass the following components for both residential and commercial properties: annual maintenance budget, regular building condition assessments, annual proactive maintenance, and seasonal visual changes. Integrating maintenance into funding into the yearly budget is essential for those committed to a property over the long term, and a regular review of the buildings condition is a way to assess the remaining life expectancies of the materials. This is the only way for tasks such as sealant and weatherstriping replacement, window glazing, painting, coatings, and more to be integrated into the household or operating budget.

Windows and doors - Many window and doors found in present day properties were designed for an era when energy was less expensive to purchase. As energy costs increase, windows and doors play a critical role in the envelope system. An energy efficient building envelope provides numerous benefits to property owners. It reduces the load on the mechanical systems in the building. When heating and cooling systems do not have as much variation in temperatures to regulate, energy consumption drops. Energy efficient building envelopes are becoming increasingly important to building owners due to stricter government regulations. Newer building codes are now mandating higher levels of energy efficiency, a trend that will likely continue in the future.

As a general rule of thumb, the building envelope accounts for 35% to 40% of a typical buildings energy consumption. Using this as a guide, we can roughly determine the amount of money our envelope is costing by dividing our total annual energy costs by the number 3. If the amount is insignificant, obviously we are doing a better than average. If however, the amount is significant, we need to do some investigation.

Alan Trauger is a Building Consultant that performs property condition assessments for residential and commercial properties. An experienced and knowledgeable problem solver, understanding processes and issues related to building structures and their systems. An expert witness, trainer, and educator. To view past newsletters on construction and buildings http://newsletters.alantrauger.com/

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