window

The installation of much tighter windows has led to reduced rates of natural ventilation in German dwellings. This has resulted in increased indoor air humidity and condensation formation on the inner surfaces of external building elements with thermal bridges. Notes the areas most at risk from condensation and mould, in particular corners of outside walls and along the ceiling angle.

Reviews the existing standards of the AIC participating countries for whole buildings, windows, doors and building sections. Comments on the factors that should be taken into account in the application and future development of airtightness requirements, including climate, sources and severity of indoor pollution, ventilation requirements, existing practices, cost and overall impact of such controls on energy conservation.

Outlines the fundamentals of insulation and airtightness, proper air quality, and ventilation. Presents details of design and construction for walls, roofs, foundations, windows, and air-vapour barriers, as well as discussions of ventilation systems, heating systems, appliances and methods of testing and evaluation. One of the appendices gives weather data for selected US and Canadian cities. Aims to be accessible to the interested layperson or homeowner.

Air tightness results for 40 New Zealand timber frame houses of varying age and construction detail are given. The steady pressure method was used at 6-9 indoor-outdoor pressure differences in the range 10-150 Pa. The data is presented in four ways: 1. air changes per hour at 50 Pa, 2. the coefficient and exponent of a generalized leakage function, 3. the leakage rate per unit shell area at 50 Pa, and 4. the equivalent leakage area at 50 Pa. Houses in the 0-5 and 6-20 year age groups were not significantly different in terms of air tightness.

Presents the results of air leakage tests on the windows of the Arts Tower at Sheffield University. The results quoted show the ranges into which infiltration coefficients fall. Relates pay-back periods for weatherstripping to height above ground level. Tabulates mean values of leakage coefficient and flow exponent for defective and non-defective sealant and compares with values suggested in CIBS Guide.

Measurements in a test room of 28.4 m3 located at the top of a 3-storey building have been made to determine ventilation rates of different natural ventilation systems. The systems under consideration were windows which are typical for residential buildings in Germany and various adjustable natural ventilation systems for installation in walls or window frames. The measurements take into account parameters such as inside/outside temperature differences, wind velocity and direction, opening position and location of thedifferent systems.

Discusses insulation of lofts, roofs, walls, windows and floors, natural ventilation of dwellings and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in dwellings. Considers cost benefits of weatherstripping and constant-flow ventilators for naturally ventilated houses. Concludes that installation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is uneconomic, but adding a heatexchanger to an existing mechanical ventilation system has economic benefits.

It is necessary to design the ventilation system to avoid excess humidity in the apartments. Discusses the sources of moisture release in rooms, properties of air temperatures in relation to moisture absorption, condensation in bedrooms in particular, and moisture damage to building fabric. Advises on ventilation measures to control humidity.

Research was undertaken to provide buildings equipped with mechanical exhaust ventilation systems or natural ventilation with reasonable draught-free efficient ventilation. One possible solution for existing detached houses and multi-storey residential buildings is a supply air window. Recent research in Finland shows that, for the best method, about 6.0 dm3/s of outdoor air per light area m2 can be taken in through the wooden construction double-paned window without draught. The incoming air was heated to about 50% of thetemperature difference between the inner and outer air.

Increased attention to the reduction of energy consumption in buildings and greater awareness of the need to maintain acceptable standards of indoor air quality have led to the development of new or revised standards of building airtightness and ventilation requirements. In this review of the existing standards of twelve countries, an attempt has been made to compare their main features and criteria. In many cases, direct comparison is not possible because of different ways of expressing the significant parameters.