Air Leakage, Brick Veneer, and Thermal Mass Heat Transfer
Mr. Martin Holladay and Malcolm Taylor (whom I have asked questions to previously several years ago now),
I am a sole proprietor architect near the Toronto area in Canada for about 17 years. I have learned to be very concerned about the gaint air-leaky brick veneer homes that developers here have been building in the suburbs of TO for decades.
Can I ask if the standard door blower test can measure the slow constant air-loss aided by the 1″ air space the convection movement behind the brick veneer with weep holes?
I also have a concept of creating these solar rammed earth chimneys to create thermal heat for the exterior masonry with the help of earthern tubes which I read several articles here to bring constant warmer outside air to the basement mechanical heating units. I can provide a sketch of the idea in a later email. Do you think if the exterior masonry wall say 2 wyths of brick 8″ thick if it is warmed by thermal mass heat transfer of the exterior solar rammed earth chimney could that provide a sort of buffer zone to slow down heat loss for the detached homes in our Cold Climate?
I have been busy for the last few years designing for the cause of Urban Agriculture as a do-good hobby at my office during my office arch projects downtime…if I may say that.
My website for repurposing plastics and other Urban AG initiatives is here:
http://www.lowelllodesign.com/things-permaculture/
Thanks you all for your insights and attention here again
Lowell Lo
OAA Architect LEED AP Green Roof Professional as well..
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Replies
I’m giving your question a bump. While you wait for experts to chime in, take a look at this related Q&A conversation Air-sealing a Brick House.
thanks Kiley...I will check that out first thing in the morning tmr
You lost me at "thermal mass heat transfer."
sorry for my bad english there DCC
Lowell,
I think you are heading off in unprofitable directions when very simple, proven solutions exist. They might not be as fun to dream up, but if the aim is lower energy consumption and to have less moisture problems, they are a better way to go.
The movement of air in a cavity behind brick has an unmeasurably small effect on heat loss, or exfiltration. The problem isn't the brick or the cavity, it's the wall behind it. Air-sealing needs to occur where the air-barrier is - which in Ontario is almost always the interior poly.
Any gains in efficiency from the gymnastics of earth tubes and thermal mass you propose could be easily met with a better air-barrier and improving the levels of insulation in the building assemblies. For most of those tract houses that could be as simple as adding a few more inches of cellulose in the attic.
Lowell, I hope you take the following comment in the spirit it is intended. I bet you are an excellent architect who designs beautiful spaces your clients enjoy living in. But from our previous exchanges it's perhaps fair to say building science and the technical side of the profession isn't perhaps your strong point. If I were you I'd play to my strengths, continue designing great projects, but stick to the conventional building assemblies you know work.
Thanks Malcolm for your comment. I think fibre-glass insulation filled cavities with an inche of air space is not a problem in our Cold Climate? The Pickering Nuclear Plant is shutting down soon since it is the 2nd oldest one in our World...Would it not be an urgent call to fix these energy hog detached monster homes??
I dont get hired for design aesthetics...and you practice out in Mild weather Vancouver right I ask also; thanks again Mr.Taylor..
Lowell,
Q. "Can I ask if the standard door blower test can measure the slow constant air-loss aided by the 1 inch air space the convection movement behind the brick veneer with weep holes?"
A. A blower door test measures air leakage through all holes in the home's air barrier, including holes (if any) that connect to the ventilation space behind brick veneer. That said, blower door test results won't tell you if the holes are near the bottom of the house (and therefore important), near the top of the house (and therefore important), or near the house's neutral pressure plane (and therefore unimportant). This last fact is true for homes with brick veneer, as well as for homes with other types of cladding.
Q. "I also have a concept of creating these solar rammed earth chimneys to create thermal heat for the exterior masonry with the help of earthern tubes."
A. This concept sounds like it will cost far more to construct that the value of any gathered heat. For more information, see "All About Earth Tubes."
> holes ... near the house's neutral pressure plane (and therefore unimportant)
Neutral pressure location is so variable (eg think wind) that practically, "unimportant" doesn't apply to any holes in a house.