Last week we discussed the code requirement for an energy code certificate, make sure you are doing your part.
Moving on, yesterday I attended Day 1 of Building Science Fundamentals in Dallas, TX. This course is coordinated by Building Science Corporation and our host, and presenter, was Joe Lsitburek, also known as Dr. Joe.
Do you know Dr. Joe?
Dr. Joseph Lstiburek is the founding principal of Building Science Corporation. He is quite possibly the most well-known building scientist in the world and the Wall Street Journal has described him as “the dean of North American building science.” He has a unique presentation style that includes dishing out stories and tall tales to engage his audience, and he continuously looks for opportunities to inject humor into the moment. If you have any interest in building science, and I hope you do if you are reading this, he is a must see.
So, today I am going to give you some rapid fire notes from the seminar. Here it goes:
- GCs & Builders make decisions based on: faster, cheaper, less trouble for them
- 3 damage functions to be most concerned about: Water, Heat and UV
- Repeated wetting is ok, as long as there is repeated drying
- Hygroscopic materials – attract water, water lies flat
- Hydrophobic – repels water, water beads up
- Air conditioning is a big dehumidifier, that only works when it runs, but all the energy reduction moves we make lowers HVAC run times and therefore dehumidification potential.
- HVAC SEER ratings are increased by increasing coil temp & increasing air flow, which reduces condensation on coils, resulting in less dehumidification.
- RH comfort range for people is 20% to 60%
- Every 18°F drop in temp, the ability of air to hold water vapor drops 50%
- RH alone means nothing, you need to know both temperature and RH.
- Dilution is not the solution to indoor pollution.
- There are two types of windows: those that leak and those that will leak.
- Air exchange is needed in closed attics that use open cell foam.
We have another day with Dr. Joe today, and I am sure there will be more nuggets of wisdom, but over the next few weeks we will dive a little deeper into some of these ideas. Which of them do you want to hear more about? Comment below with your thoughts.
Stay tuned next week as we continue to discuss the interesting world of spray foam insulation.
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