Essential Building Science: Understanding Energy and Moisture in High Performance House Design (Sustainable Building Essentials Series Book 3)

Down and dirty – a complete step-by-step guide to making, installing and living with beautiful, all-natural earthen floors Poor heat and moisture management are the enemies of durable, comfortable, and efficient housing, and good building design and construction starts with a solid understanding of good building science. Essential Building Science provides a highly visual and accessible introduction to the fundamentals of building science for residential construction. Part one covers the rationale behind high-performance design and the fundamentals of building physics, including thermal dynamics, moisture transfer, and hygro-thermal dynamics such as vapor drive and condensation. Part two teaches the vital critical thinking skills needed to consider buildings as whole systems and to develop thermal and moisture control strategies regardless of the specifics of the design. Case studies and examples from across North American climatic zones illuminate real-life problems and offer builders, designers, and DIYers the insights and tools required for creating better new buildings and dramatically improving old ones. Good science plus critical thinking equals high performance buildings. Front Cover ......Page 1 Praise......Page 2 Title Page ......Page 6 Rights Page ......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction......Page 12 Part I: Rationale......Page 18 Chapter 1: Establishing Goals......Page 20 Part II: Fundamentals of Building Physics......Page 26 Chapter 2: Thermal Dynamics: Understanding Heat Loss and Gain......Page 28 Chapter 3: Moisture and Hygrothermal Dynamics......Page 42 Part III: Developing Strategies......Page 50 Chapter 4: Moisture Control......Page 52 Chapter 5: Thermal Control......Page 72 Chapter 6: Examples of Building Assemblies......Page 102 Chapter 7: Buildings As Whole Systems......Page 132 Color Section ......Page 94 Endnotes......Page 150 Resources......Page 154 Index......Page 156 About the Author......Page 160 A Note About the Publisher......Page 161 A Guide to Responsible Digital Reading......Page 162 "Poor heat and moisture detailing are enemies of durability, comfort and efficiency in house design. Essential Building Science provides a highly visual, accessible introduction to the fundamentals of building physics and the critical skills to develop thermal and moisture strategies for creating better new buildings and dramatically improving old ones. Good science plus critical thinking equals high performance building."-- Provided by publisher The Easy-to-understand Rocket Science You Need To Design Durable, Healthy, Comfortable High-performance Houses