Overall, improvements in building envelopes have helped homeowners benefit from greater protection against moisture. Builders are able to create more energy-efficient homes overall due to these developments. However, when the exterior envelope doesn’t allow a structure to breathe, any moisture that gets trapped inside simply rots—causing more problems than intended.
What is the solution to needing a tight building envelope that allows for proper airflow? Symbiotic materials, such as the LP® Structural Solutions portfolio of products, provide an answer.
What Is a Building Envelope?
A building envelope is the separation of the interior and exterior of a building.
What is the function of a building envelope? These thresholds help facilitate airflow, protect a building from the elements, and assist with climate control and moisture protection. By definition, a building envelope’s job is to make the structure as energy efficient as possible, minimize leaks, and ensure ventilation is possible to prevent moisture buildup.
Building envelope science has developed considerably over the years as building technology has advanced. Many products contribute to the effectiveness of the building envelope, including sheathing, windows, doors, foundations, roofs and more. As each of these have advanced, the builder’s options for creating a tight building envelope have increased. However, building scientists have also found that symbiotic products—and companies that produce them with working together in mind—provide a better approach to building envelopes.
Building Envelope Maintenance
Building envelope maintenance is critical to ensuring the structure maintains its topnotch efficiency. A typical maintenance plan should cover all products that contribute to the exterior wall envelope, from roofing and windows to wall sheathing. Visual checks are the main way to ensure the building envelope is maintained; be sure to check all sealants and possible cracks and openings at least annually. It can also be useful to complete infrared surveys of these same components periodically so that even minuscule cracks can be discovered.
Types of Building Envelopes in Today’s Builds
Many different products can contribute to an exterior wall envelope. Here are a few examples of each component:
- Roofing: Concrete, commonly used in commercial building envelopes, offers strength and fire-resistant qualities. Other roofing options include plywood and OSB products, often paired with asphalt shingles.
- Wall Sheathing: Sheathing made from wood, including plywood and OSB, is very common for creating the external envelope of a building. Builders may also use gypsum, cement board or glass-mat sheathing.
- Windows: An important component in terms of energy efficiency, double-paned windows are one option that many builders choose to increase insulation and reduce the amount of air escaping from the home. With all windows, proper flashing is critical to create a seal.
Building envelope systems and materials work best, however, when considered as a holistic unit instead of individual parts. And that’s where the LP Structural Solutions portfolio comes in.
Using LP Structural Solutions for a Tighter, More Resilient Building Envelope
Achieving a tight building envelope that also allows room for the structure to breathe is possible with symbiotic products and a holistic system. According to Craig Miles, Director, OSB Sales & Marketing at LP Building Solutions, the answer lies in products designed better overall—and designed to work together.
Miles points to as an example. “Moisture is the biggest threat to the building envelope,” he says. “LP WeatherLogic panels and our Seam & Flashing Tape inherently keep moisture out.” However, incorporating LP WeatherLogic Water Screen in the exterior envelope adds another layer of assurance that moisture will drain out.
“Water Screen is there to help build a better wall cavity,” Miles says. “You’re never going to have a cladding that is 100% non-permeable, so Water Screen creates a drain and allows gravity to do its work.”
Miles points to the importance of working with a manufacturer invested in innovation for building envelope systems and materials as well. Building better “creates a need for better partnerships,” Miles adds. “Builders will want to have partners who can provide the products alongside the support they need.” When you find a good partner, he continues, you can lean on them, sharing pain points that will inform the company’s innovative steps forward.
“Confidence comes from choosing the right forward-thinking partner,” says Miles.
Check out our portfolio of LP Structural Solutions products for more information on how our building solutions will Defend Your Build® for years to come.
FAQs
Overall, improvements in building envelopes have helped homeowners benefit from greater protection against moisture. Builders are able to create more energy-efficient homes overall due to these developments.
What are the ways to improve a building envelope? ›
Routinely inspect building for air and heat leakage using infrared cameras to identify thermal bridges and smoke blowers to locate air leaks. Inspect each envelope component from both the exterior and interior of the building. Establish a winter maintenance policy for window and through-wall air conditioners.
How do you upgrade the building envelope? ›
Air sealing, adding extra insulation, and installing efficient doors and windows will all contribute to a more efficient building envelope. Air sealing is the process of plugging any leaks in your home that allow cold air to enter and warm air to escape.
What is building envelope optimization? ›
Building envelope optimization for minimizing heat gains and resultant energy demand involves optimization of building orientation, window-to-wall ratio (WWR), roof, wall, glass and shading devices.
What is a highly efficient building envelope? ›
An energy-efficient building envelope refers to an effective boundary between the conditioned interior of the building and environment beyond it. This boundary includes: The heat-resistant materials in the façade of the building. Highly insulated windows and window seals.
How improvements in the building envelope can reduce the HVAC system size? ›
A well-designed envelope with proper insulation, airtightness, and quality windows can enhance energy efficiency. This, in turn, reduces the load on HVAC systems, leading to more effective temperature control and lower energy costs.
What causes building envelopes to fail? ›
Building envelope systems can fail for numerous reasons: design flaws, not implementing the whole-building approach, material problems, poor workmanship, not hiring a qualified building envelope inspector, natural disasters, and not conducting routine inspections during and after construction.
What is sustainable building envelope? ›
The main objectives of sustainable, building envelope first design are to avoid resource depletion of raw materials, energy, and water, to prevent environmental degradation caused by operation demands of buildings and their infrastructure throughout their life cycle.
What are the three main functions of a building envelope? ›
The many functions of the building envelope can be separated into three categories:
- Support (to resist and transfer structural and dynamic loads)
- Control (the flow of matter and energy of all types)
- Finish (to meet desired aesthetics on the inside and outside)
Physical components. The building envelope includes the materials that comprise the foundation, wall assembly, roofing systems, glazing, doors, and any other penetrations. The connections and compatibility between these elements is critical to ensure that the building envelope functions as intended.
Building envelope systems form the primary thermal barrier between the interior and exterior environments and include all the components of a building's outer shell, the walls, glazings, roof, and foundation.
What is home envelope improvement? ›
By definition, a building envelope's job is to make the structure as energy efficient as possible, minimize leaks, and ensure ventilation is possible to prevent moisture buildup. Building envelope science has developed considerably over the years as building technology has advanced.
What are the benefits of building envelope? ›
The building envelope keeps outside elements, such as moisture and humidity, from entering and causing major damage. Envelope components are designed to prevent water leakage or infiltration to the interior by systems such as: A barrier system which is designed to repel and shed water at the outermost surface.
What is the effect of building envelope? ›
Building envelopes reduces energy consumption by protecting the interior from direct solar radiation penetration while reducing glare, minimizing water penetration, providing natural ventilation, reducing external reflection, providing view and acting as a thermal barrier.
What is the intention of a building envelope? ›
The purpose of the building envelope is divided into three categories. Building envelope provides three main purposes: supporting the structure, providing climate control, and offering an aesthetic view of the building exterior.
What is the building envelope strategy? ›
A tight building envelope allows for a high level of control over indoor air quality, temperature, humidity levels, and energy consumption. This requires more insulation, caulk, adhesive tape, sealants, and energy-efficient windows to acquire a tight shell for the building.
What are the concerns of building envelope? ›
A failed building envelope can cause:
- Reduced energy efficiency.
- Reduced durability.
- Reduced comfort.
- Reduced moisture resistance.
