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Impact of added insulation on air leakage patterns

Derome, D., Fazio, P., Desmarais, G.
2000
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, External Research Program Research Report, January 2000
external insulation, air leakage, wall

Derome, D., Fazio, P., Desmarais, G., (2000), "Impact of added insulation on air leakage patterns", Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, External Research Program Research Report, January 2000.
Abstract:
Adding insulation to exterior walls may worsen the original wall performance. Depending on the amount and geometry of air leakage in the original wall, added insulation may actually increase the potential for condensation, letting water accumulate in the wood structure and leading to rot.

An experiment was set up to compare the performance of different leaky walls and to investigate their behaviour with insulation added on one side or other of the wood studs. The experiment also maps the path of air leakage. The test conditions represented winter and late spring weather in Montreal,

It was found that the first measure to be considered remains the sealing and air tightening of the existing walls, with special care given to junctions and to punctures. If not sealed, leaky walls were found to accumulate moisture, especially when insulated on the outside.
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Author Information and Other Publications Notes
Derome, D.
Dominique Derome Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. Approach for the simulation of wetting due to rain infiltration for building envelope testing
  2. Behavior of wall assemblies with different wood sheathings wetted by simulated rain penetration
  3. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  4. Essai sur les toits plats isol¨¦s ¨¤ la fibre de cellulose
  5. Experimental setup for the study of air leakage patterns
  6. Hygroscopic behavior of paper and books
  7. Impact of air leakage pattern on reinsulated walls
  8. Large scale testing of two flat roof assemblies insulated with cellulose
  9. Mapping of air leakage in exterior wall assemblies
  10. Methodology and Application of Simulated Wind-Driven Rain Infiltration in Building Envelope Experimental Testing
  11. Methods for the assessment of moisture content of envelope assemblies
  12. Modeling of moisture behavior of wood planks in nonvented flat roofs
  13. Moisture occurrence in roof assemblies containing moisture storing insulation and its impact on the durability of building envelope
  14. Moisture performance of leaky exterior walls with added insulation
  15. Rainwater runoff from building facades: A review
  16. Rapport Final Projet Site Internet - L'enveloppe du batiment et l'efficacit¨¦ ¨¦nerg¨¦tique
  17. Review and framework for large-scale laboratory studies on wetting and drying of building envelopes
  18. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  19. Testing of flat roofs insulated with cellulose fiber
  20. The impact of sorption history and hysteresis on moisture pattern in a wood-framed building envelope
  21. The need for an integrated computer-based tool to support building envelope design
  22. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  
Fazio, P.
Paul Fazio, Professor of Building, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. A limit state design (LSD) approach for comparing relative drying performance of wood-frame envelope systems with full-scale lab, A roadmap towards intelligent net zero- and positive-energy buildings,
  2. A new test method to determine the relative drying capacity of building envelope panels of various configurations
  3. A new testing method to evaluate the relative drying performance of different building envelope systems using water trays
  4. A quantitative study for the measurement of driving rain exposure in the Montr¨¦al region
  5. A review of research activities in energy efficiency in buildings in Canada
  6. Airtightness testing and air flow modeling of two and three-unit multifamily buildings
  7. Airtightness testing of two- and three-unit buildings with a single fan
  8. Approach for the simulation of wetting due to rain infiltration for building envelope testing
  9. Approach for urban driving rain index by using climatological data recorded at suburban meteorological station
  10. Behavior of wall assemblies with different wood sheathings wetted by simulated rain penetration
  11. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  12. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  13. Cavity pressure in rain screen walls
  14. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  15. Continuous folded plate structures under uniform load
  16. Creative case adaptation for building engineering design
  17. Design and construction of an environmental chamber facility
  18. Design Methodology of Solar Neighborhoods
  19. Development of experimental procedure to evaluate potential movement of mold spores from wall cavity to indoor environment
  20. Development of HAM tool for building envelope analysis
  21. Effect of capillarity on rainwater penetration in the building envelope
  22. Environmental chamber for investigation of building envelope performance
  23. Essai sur les toits plats isol¨¦s ¨¤ la fibre de cellulose
  24. Evaluation of radiance's genBSDF capability to assess solar bidirectional properties of complex fenestration systems
  25. Experimental evaluation of potential transport of mold spores from moldy studs in full-size wall assemblies
  26. Experimental setup for the study of air leakage patterns
  27. Experimental study of temperature distributions across two curtain wall systems
  28. Folded sandwich plate structures
  29. Identification and transport investigation of microbial volatile organic compounds in full-scale stud cavities
  30. IFC-based framework for evaluating total performance of building envelopes
  31. Impact of air leakage pattern on reinsulated walls
  32. In-cavity evaporation allowance--A drying capacity indicator for wood-frame wall system
  33. Influence of air space on multi-layered material water vapor permeability measurement
  34. Influence of facade geometry on weathering
  35. Integrated analysis of whole building heat, air and moisture transfer
  36. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test hut: Part 1 - Experimental study
  37. Interzonal air and moisture transport through large horizontal openings in a full-scale two-story test-hut: Part 2- CFD study
  38. Large scale testing of two flat roof assemblies insulated with cellulose
  39. Mapping of air leakage in exterior wall assemblies
  40. Measuring air leakage characteristics with flexible double air chambers
  41. Measuring air leakage of full-scale curtain wall sections using a non-rigid air-chamber method
  42. Methods for the assessment of moisture content of envelope assemblies
  43. Modeling of moisture behavior of wood planks in nonvented flat roofs
  44. Modelling of indoor air humidity: the dynamic behaviour within an enclosure
  45. Moisture buffering capacities of five North American building materials
  46. Moisture performance of leaky exterior walls with added insulation
  47. Nonlinear elastic analysis of panelized shear sandwich walls
  48. Numerical investigation of the influence of room factors on HAM transport in a full-scale experimental room
  49. Performance evaluation protocol for full-scale wood-frame building envelopes
  50. Potential of rain screen walls to prevent rain penetration: pressurized cavity principle
  51. Quantitative driving rain exposure on a vertical wall at various Canadian cities
  52. Rapport Final Projet Site Internet - L'enveloppe du batiment et l'efficacit¨¦ ¨¦nerg¨¦tique
  53. Review and framework for large-scale laboratory studies on wetting and drying of building envelopes
  54. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies
  55. Study on thermal performance of curtain walls using infrared thermography
  56. Test method to measure the relative capacity of wall panels to evacuate moisture from their stud cavity
  57. Testing of flat roofs insulated with cellulose fiber
  58. The dynamic modelling of air humidity behaviour in a multi-zone space
  59. Transfer of heat, moisture and air through metal curtain walls
  60. Transient model for coupled heat, air and moisture transfer through multilayered porous media
  61. Use of an environmental chamber to investigate large-scale envelope specimen hygrothermal performance  
Desmarais, G.
Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering, Concordia University, Montreal
  1. Building Physics: 3rd International Conference in Building Physics
  2. Building pressurisation can affect possibility of mould growth
  3. Comparaison de m¨¦thodes de mesure de flux de chaleur pour sp¨¦cimens de grandes et moyennes dimensions
  4. Experimental setup for the study of air leakage patterns
  5. Final Report from Task 8 of MEWS Project (T8-03) - Hygrothermal Response of Exterior Wall Systems to Climate Loading: Methodology and Interpretation of Results for Stucco, EIFS, Masonry and Siding Clad Wood-Frame Walls
  6. Impact of added insulation on the hygrothermal performance of leaky exterior wall assemblies
  7. Impact of air leakage pattern on reinsulated walls
  8. Mapping of air leakage in exterior wall assemblies
  9. Moisture performance of leaky exterior walls with added insulation
  10. Report from Task 2 of MEWS Project - Description of 17 Large Sale Wall Specimens Built for Water Entry Investigation in IRC Dynamic Wall Testing Facility
  11. Report from Task 8 of MEWS Project - MEWS Methodology for Developing Moisture Management Strategies - Application to Stucco Clad Wood-Frame Walls in North America
  12. Study of the reduced impact of thermal bridges in two sprayed-applied polyurethane wall assemblies  


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