Solving common building environment problems

channel/diffuse flowAccording to Architectural Record News, “Buildings use massive quantities of raw materials and consume nearly half of the energy used in the U.S. and 70% of the electricity generated.”

Unfortunately, many design and construction professionals don’t fully understand the effects of air pressure and moisture movement that affect energy efficiency.

Henry’s Building Science Specialists can help you identify and address common problems, such as:

  • Wind cycling from sustained winds that have the potential to damage air barriers that are improperly selected and installed
  • Fan pressurization from HVAC units that may lead to unnecessary exfiltration or infiltration of air and moisture through the building envelope
  • Stack effect phenomenon in which outside and inside temperatures, coupled with decreasing air pressures with increases in height, result in pressure differences affecting air flow across the building envelope.
    stack effect
  • Barometric cycling in which rises in barometric pressure rises, sucking humid interior air into the wall cavity and resulting in condensation.
  • Thermal cycling caused by temperature differences from one side of the building to another or from daytime highs to nighttime lows.

Too often, these problems are improperly addressed by oversizing the HVAC system to compensate for energy loss — a costly solution that does not address the resulting moisture build-up.

>>About air, vapor and rain barriers