What’s a building envelope?

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A building envelope, or envelope, includes all of the components that separate the interior spaces within a structure from the surrounding exterior areas. The shell can be made up of many different features, including walls, windows, doors, roofing, footers, and foundations. While the building envelope can be made from various materials, it will typically be made from some form of wood, stone, metal, or concrete.

The building envelope helps protect the interior spaces of the building from external elements such as rain, wind and snow. It also acts as a barrier to keep out noise, bugs and intruders. In addition to its role of protecting the building interior, the envelope provides structural stability for the remaining building components. It also plays an important role in temperature control, allowing occupants to regulate air pressure and humidity levels within the building. Finally, the building envelope acts as a safety element to protect occupants and assets.

A building envelope is often classified as open or closed, and these designations can have a major impact on the energy efficiency of the structure. Older buildings will generally have an open envelope, meaning they are built loosely. This also means that wind, moisture and vermin can enter and exit the building through cracks and other openings in the shell. Modern buildings are typically built more tightly or closed. This means that it is harder for air, moisture and insects to enter the space, making it easier to control indoor conditions.

Both building and closed envelopes require a careful balance between energy efficiency and air quality. Narrow buildings let less air out, making them cheaper to heat or cool. At the same time, fresh air has difficulty passing through a tight shell, which often results in poor indoor air quality. Loosely constructed buildings allow more air to flow in and out, which means fresh air is always flowing into the space. At the same time, the air conditioning can flow freely, which results in poor energy efficiency and higher bills.

To balance this problem, homeowners can take steps to strengthen a loose building or add mechanical ventilation systems to a tight building. To stiffen a building envelope, you can add insulation, seal cracks or openings in exterior walls, and add gaskets around windows and doors. Homeowners can also invest in energy-efficient doors and windows, which can greatly reduce heat transfer through these surfaces. Simple ventilation systems consisting of fans and intake grilles can help bring fresh air into a well-constructed building envelope.

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