Running Gear For Buildings?

Originally Posted on my previous blog site and remains appropriate now in January 2013

by Lee Mamola on 10/19/11
Perhaps one of the greatest improvements involving running gear in the past dozen years or so is the invention of so called "Tech Fibers".  Tech fibers are clothing fibers that have been scientifically designed to wick moisture (aka sweat) away from a body.  These special blends of polyester fibers are woven into light weight shirts, jackets, pants, socks, hats and are worn by runners in both hot and cold conditions to allow the runner to run in efficient comfort. They have become an essential component of the running experience.

It was not all that long ago that cotton was king and runners were clad in hot and heavy moisture soaked T-shirts in summer. In winter this same cotton gear worked to hold moisture close to the runner's body and allowing the wetness to become cold and thus turning a winter run into a winter chill if not freeze session.

So what does this have in common with architecture? Actually a great deal! In today's energy and environmentally sensitive world the proper attention to moisture control in a building's overall performance and projected long term life is absolutely critical.

In today's world of tightly constructed and highly insulated buildings there is less room for error in the design and the construction of the exterior building shell or envelope. Older buildings with less insulation and unintended air leaks actually provided for a more forgiving envelope assembly and thus moisture penetration was less likely an issue in these structures.

Yet there is not one solution or proper way to "dress" a building to assure it's comfort during the run or existence of a building's life. First the building's location or micro climate must be clearly understood. Then there are various types of wall assemblies that involve not only a myriad of materials between the inner and outer surfaces, but it is critical to where these materials are located within the wall assembly. The location of certain materials is dependent upon the micro climate of the building site. The most variably located materials are  vapor barriers, air barriers, and water barriers. Most building and home owners do not have a single clue as to what these items are yet alone how they should be installed in a given wall assembly. Yet these items are critical to the long term successful performance of their building or home.

While many older buildings were constructed with what we consider to be something a kin to an air or moisture barrier I believe it is a fair comparison to say that these barriers are like the old cotton shirts worn by runners years ago.

As the runner's tech shirt works equally well in hot and cold conditions so do certain newly developed air and/or vapor barriers that are properly located and installed within a given wall assembly. Thanks to this new building technology our buildings and plan to "run long" for well into the far future.

Thanks for stopping by and reading and RUN HAPPY!
Lee