Exterior Envelope details are key to comfort and resilience.
Exterior Envelope
It’s all about physics, material properties, and how we detail your house to make it resilient, efficient, and durable.
A well-designed wall should include:
Rain control layer
Protects the structure by shedding rain and directing bulk water away from the building.
Air control layer
Limits unintended air movement through the wall, improving energy efficiency and moisture control.
Vapor control layer
Regulates moisture vapor to reduce condensation within the wall assembly.
Thermal control layer
Provides continuous insulation to stabilize interior temperatures and efficiency.
Acronyms worth knowing:
U-factor
The measure of heat flow (the inverse of the R-value). The lower, the better.
R-value
The measure of a material’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher, the better.
SHGC
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient — measures how much solar energy can enter the house. This should be determined by the climate and the house’s orientation on the site.
VLT
Visible Light Transmission (“tinted” vs. “clear”).