Building Performance – Lesson 8
8. It all happens at surfaces and connections.
What this means is that each material dictates what is going to happen when they come in contact with elements and forces in their environment and the adjacent building materials.
Is the material foam, timber or is it masonry? How does it react to moisture? Does it absorb water, shed it or drain it? Does it dry out quickly? How does it react to the environment? Will the environment alter or degrade the material? How does it react with adjacent materials?
Most building materials are often chosen by price and looks, not by how the surface is going to react to its environment. If we want our buildings to last, we need to choose materials that are compatible with the environment and the materials they’re in connection with.
All 8 rules of building performance apply to the materials we select and the environment we put them in.
In a realistic sense, we’re not trying to build perfect buildings; we’re trying to build more tolerant buildings. By understanding these 8 rules, we will be able to construct buildings that are more tolerant of the elements and forces that impact their durability. At the same time we will keep our clients safe, comfortable and happy.
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