Energy efficiency is one of the most important considerations for any building, because the more efficient it is, the less expensive it will be to own and maintain. If you want to make sure your building loses as little energy as possible then there are two words you need to be concerned with before you even break ground on the project; air filtration.
Air Filtration and Energy Loss
Every building has what’s called an air envelope; a personal bubble where the building controls what air comes in and what air goes out. When that bubble is breached, then air you don’t want comes in, and brings outside contaminants with it. Worse, though, this air will siphon out energy in the form of temperature control. If it’s winter time, then cold air will suck out a building’s heat, and if it’s summer time, then the heat will suck out the air conditioning. In either case, it will take more energy to heat or cool a building because there are gaps in the envelope where unwanted air is sneaking inside.
The key to preventing this loss is to make sure that every draft is sealed up properly. This means using the proper insulation, keeping areas around windows and doors properly filled in, and ensuring that there are no gaps in the roof, walls, etc. Not only do you need to make sure that all of these steps are taken during construction, but a building will need to be regularly evaluated to make sure the air envelope hasn’t been breached. These checks can be thought of like regular doctor visits; their purpose is to detect problems before they’ve become huge, life-threatening conditions and can still be fixed through relatively simple corrections.
If these inspections are put off (or worse, not done at all), then a building runs a serious risk of needing a great deal of repair to undo the damage that a major breach of the air envelope can cause. Especially if it brings moisture along for the ride. Unwanted air exchange and moisture can quickly lead to mold and mildew eating a building’s insides like cancer, ruining the structure and putting the health of those inside at risk. As such, it’s just easier to make sure the air envelope is put in place at the start, and that it’s regularly checked to be sure that are no problems.
For more information on commercial construction concerns, simply contact us today!