Airtightness and Resistance Effects Most of the hazardous particulates enter the home from outdoors. The airtightness of a home is the most important factor to minimize airborne particles, known as PM2.5, in indoor air. PM2.5 means particles of less than 2.5 microns...
Masonry air leaks Masonry materials must be airtight and have airtight joints between the building assemblies to function as air barriers. Masonry roofs, walls, and floors may or may not be airtight. For example, concrete block isn’t itself airtight. Joints between...
Selecting caulk Caulk fills and seals narrow and consistent joints between building materials. Selecting the best caulk requires recognition of the substrate materials (the materials bordering the joint), the gap size, weather exposure, and joint movement from...
Lead is a dangerous poison. Widely used in the paint and plumbing pipes of residential homes until 1978, lead poisoning remains one of the most serious residential health risks. Lead was also used in gasoline until 1996. Depending on how near your home is located...
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of great value to homeowners, builders, energy auditors, and codes-and-standard bodies. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL) is developing new IAQ metrics that will provide an easy-to-understand IAQ score. Audiences for IAQ Metrics IAQ...
An economizer is a part of a building’s cooling system that uses cool outdoor air to cool the building instead of operating the air conditioning compressor. An economizer is an optional feature to an HVAC air handler that draws in outdoor air and mixes it with...
