Towards a methodological approach to builder specific, preconstruction airtightness estimates for light-framed, detached, low-rise residential buildings in Canada

Abstract

Building air leakage has been shown to predominate at wall transitions rather than through the field of the building enclosure. Controlling air leakage forms an important part of the reduction of annual buildings energy use, as well as its contribution to green house gas emissions. Adequate airtightness estimation methods have thus become an important tool for designers in the construction industry as they adapt to stricter government mandated energy consumption targets. An empirically based design of experiments was devised to quantify the impact of air leakage through a floor-to-wall detail typical of light framed residential homes. A very strong laboratory-based model explained up to 88% of the air leakage through the floor-to-wall joint (R = 0.95, p « 0.001). The resulting estimation was then combined with a whole building, preconstruction airtightness multiple linear regression forecasting model. The results demonstrated an approach to estimating preconstruction airtightness in light framed, detached homes.