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LecLure on alr
Alr Leakage and
WaLer vapor ConLrol
ChapLer 6
Alr leakage !"#$%&'(" *(+ ,-+ .%,/,0%
!"#$%&'(" *(+ ,-+ .%,/,0% lnlLrauon
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Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - lnLroducuon
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Alr
CuLslde alr
uusL
ollen
Czone
CLher polluLanLs
LnLry/LxlL (!"#$%&'()"/*+#$%&'()")
WaLer vapor
WaLer and waLer vapor (,)!-%.&*)
WaLer - llquld sLaLe
vapor - gas sLaLe
WaLer vapor
Cenerally occurs ln comblnauon wlLh alr
Leakage of alr Lhrough Lhe envelope means leakage of
waLer vapor.
1he mlgrauon of alr
and waLer vapor can
occur even when Lhe
envelope ls fully sealed
(wlLhouL any gaps and
volds, so LhaL Lhere ls
no leakage).
Such mlgrauon ls
called /!0.-!)" 2
Leakage and uluslon
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - Alr Leakage ConLrol
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Alr Leakage ConLrol
1wo facLors aecung alr leakage ln a bulldlng:
Leakage area
ressure dlerence beLween lnslde and ouLslde
alr caused by (a) wlnd and (b) LemperaLure.
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Alr lnlLrauon and LxlLrauon
Alr lnlLrauon and exlLrauon Lhrough a bulldlng caused by Lhe pressure dlerence
creaLed by wlnd. 8ecause wlnd creaLes posluve (+) pressure on Lhe wlndward face
of a bulldlng and sucuon, LhaL ls, negauve (-) pressure on Lhe oLher faces, alr
lnlLrauon and exlLrauon occur Lhrough Lhe bulldlng as shown.
Alr lnlLrauon and LxlLrauon
Alr leakage (lnlLrauon and exlLrauon) Lhrough a bulldlng caused by Lhe
LemperaLure dlerence beLween Lhe lnslde and ouLslde alr. 1he plus (+) slgn
lndlcaLes relauvely greaLer pressure, and Lhe negauve (-) slgn lndlcaLes lower
pressure.
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - Alr uluslon ConLrol
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ln addluon Lo conLrolllng alr leakage Lhrough Lhe
envelope (by uslng sealanLs, gaskeLs, and
weaLhersLrlpplng), we need Lo reduce alr
dluslon Lhrough Lhe envelope's maLerlal(s).
1hls ls achleved wlLh Lhe help of an alr dluslon
barrler ln Lhe envelope.
8ecause an alr dluslon barrler does noL
compleLely sLop dluslon, lL ls really noL a barrler
buL a reLarder, commonly called an '!& &*%'&/*& 2
3% 4'- 5'!&$6 $)7 '!& 8*&,*'9!$!%62
Alr uluslon and ConLrol
Alr uluslon and ConLrol - conL'd
1yplcal leakage slLes ln a wood frame or llghL-gauge sLeel frame bulldlng. nouce
LhaL mosL leakage slLes ln a bulldlng are ln Lhe walls.
Alr uluslon and ConLrol - conL'd
Locauon of a wrap-Lype alr reLarder ln a wall assembly framed wlLh wood or llghL-
gauge (cold-formed) sLeel.
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An alr reLarder
wrapped over Lhe
exLerlor wall sheaLhlng
of a Lhree-sLory wood
frame condomlnlum
bulldlng.
Alr uluslon and ConLrol - conL'd Alr uluslon and ConLrol - conL'd
Alr uluslon and ConLrol - conL'd
A self-adherlng Lape on Lhe ouLslde of a wlndow (referred Lo as 7!"/)7 7&'8 : %)
&*/.;* '!& $*'<'=* %4&).=4 %4* >)!"% 9*%7**" Lhe wlndow and Lhe wall,
phoLographed before Lhe appllcauon of exLerlor claddlng.
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - WaLer vapor ln Alr
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WaLer vapor ln Alr
?4* /!0.-!)" )5 '!& '"/ %4* /!0.-!)" )5 @'8)&
%4&).=4 ' 9.!$/!"= *"@*$)8* '&* !"/*8*"/*"% )5
*';4 )%4*& '"/ '&* ;)"%&)$$*/ 96 %4*!& )7"
!"/!@!/.'$ 8&*--.&* /!0*&*";*- ';&)-- %4*
*"@*$)8*2
3" )%4*& 7)&/-A %4* /!0.-!)" )5 '!& !- &*$'%*/ %)
%4* '!& 8&*--.&* /!0*&*";* ';&)-- %4* *"@*$)8*A
'"/ %4* /!0.-!)" )5 @'8)& !- -!,!$'&$6 &*$'%*/ %)
%4* @'8)& 8&*--.&* /!0*&*";*2
AlLhough Lhoroughly mlxed LogeLher, alr and vapor exerL pressure on Lhe
boundarles of a room lndependenL of each oLher. 1hls facL ls as per ualLon's Law of
arual ressures.
WaLer vapor ln Alr - conL'd
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Llke alr, vapor has Lwo
means of mlgraung
Lhrough a bulldlng
assembly:
vapor leakage (Lhrough
holes and cracks ln Lhe
assembly)
vapor dluslon
(Lhrough Lhe body of
Lhe assembly)
MovemenL of WaLer vapor ln Assemblles
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - Condensauon of WaLer vapor
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1he LemperaLure aL whlch Lhe alr's 8P
becomes 100 (l.e., when Lhe alr becomes
saLuraLed) ls called lLs /*7 8)!"% %*,8*&'%.&*A
)& -!,8$6 %4* /*7 8)!"% of alr.
lf Lhe LemperaLure of Lhe alr ls decreased
below Lhe dew polnL, Lhe waLer vapor ln alr
converLs Lo (llquld) waLer-a phenomenon
known as ;)"/*"-'()" 2
Condensauon of WaLer vapor
Concealed Condensauon and Surface
Condensauon
1he condensauon of vapor lnslde an envelope
assembly ls referred Lo as ;)";*'$*/
;)"/*"-'()" A '- )88)-*/ %) -.&5';*
;)"/*"-'()" A 74!;4 );;.&- on Lhe
envelope's surface, such as a wlndow glass.
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - ConLrol of Condensauon
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B*7 C)!"% - LemperaLure aL whlch alr's 8P becomes 100

D)"/*"-'()" - waLer vapor ln alr converLs Lo llquld waLer


Condensauon occurs when alr LemperaLure ls
decreased below dew polnL
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ConLrol of Condensauon
Surface condensauon can be prevenLed by
slmply lncreaslng Lhe 8-value of Lhe assembly.
1he eecL of Lhe 8-value of an assembly on Lhe locauon of Lhe dew polnL durlng a
heaung season.
ConLrol of Condensauon - conL'd
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - MaLerlals used as vapor 8eLarders
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Classlcauon of vapor 8eLarders
vapor reLarders are classled lnLo Lhree
Lypes:
Class l: perm raung .0.1 perm
Class ll: perm raung beLween 0.1 perm and 1.0
perm
Class lll: perm raung beLween 1.0 perm and 10.0
perm
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - Locauon of Lhe vapor 8eLarder ln Lhe
Assembly
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Locauon of Lhe vapor 8eLarder ln Lhe
Assembly
As per Lhe codes, a vapor
reLarder (Class l or ll) ls
requlred on all lnLerlor
surfaces of Lhe envelope
ln cllmaLe zones 3, 6 , 7, 8
and marlne 4.
1he ob[ecuve ls Lo
prevenL lnLerlor vapor
from mlgraung lnLo Lhe
envelope assembly,
where lL could condense.
8reaLhablllLy of Lhe Assembly 8eyond
8ecause a vapor reLarder
encloses an lnLerlor space
compleLely, as shown, lnLerlor
vapor wlll noL permeaLe lnLo
Lhe envelope assembly.
Powever, Lo ensure LhaL any
unlnLended small amounL of
lnLerlor vapor, whlch may
mlgraLe lnLo Lhe envelope
assembly, does noL condense
Lhere, Lhe assembly beyond
Lhe vapor reLarder should be
vapor permeable (breaLhable).
Alr and WaLer vapor ConLrol - lmporLance of Amc venulauon
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lmporLance of Amc venulauon
lce dams can subsLanually lncrease Lhe load
aL eave overhangs and guuers.
1hey also prevenL waLer from dralnlng o Lhe
roof, whlch may cause roof leakage.
AdequaLe celllng lnsulauon, coupled wlLh
venulauon of Lhe amc, helps Lo ellmlnaLe lce
dams as well as Lhe bulldup of waLer vapor.
lmporLance of Amc venulauon - conL'd
1he eecL of amc venulauon on Lhe formauon of lce dams aL Lhe overhanglng eave
of a sloplng roof.
lmporLance of Amc venulauon - conL'd
SomL venulauon ls consldered as !"%'<*
@*"($'()" 2
E/*F.'%* @*"($'()" )5 %4* 'G; requlres
cross venulauon, requlrlng lnLake as well as
*+4'.-% @*"($'()" 2
H*;'.-* 7'&, '!& rlses, exhausL venulauon ls
requlred aL a hlgher level ln Lhe amc.
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lmporLance of Amc venulauon - conL'd
lour dlerenL alLernauves are used for
exhausL venulauon:
Cable venulaLors
8ldge venulaLors
1urblne venulaLors
Cable fans
lmporLance of Amc venulauon - conL'd
lmporLance of Amc venulauon - conL'd
8lnClLLS ln 8AC1lCL:
Condensauon Analysls - Where uew olnL Cccurs ln an Assembly
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