Table Of ContentUS/CAN $34.95 SUSTAINABLE BUILDING / DIY
The easy-to-understand “rocket science” you need to design and build
durable, healthy, comfortable, high-performance houses
essential
POOR HEAT AND MOISTURE MANAGEMENT are the enemies of durability,
comfort, and high-performance housing. Good building design and construc-
tion start with a solid understanding of good building science. In this essential book, Jacob Racusin distills
the basic tools builders and homeowners
Essential Building Science provides a highly visual, accessible introduction need to make efficient homes that start B U I L D I N G
to the fundamentals of building science for residential construction. It arms out light on the planet and last a good
designers, builders, and homeowners with the information and strategies long time.
necessary to think through decisions regarding materials, assemblies, and — Tristan Roberts, Executive Editor,
BuildingGreen.com S C I E N C E
mechanical systems. Crucially, it provides a framework for asking better ques- B
tions, which in time lead to better answers, and ultimately to better buildings. • • • • • • • • • • U
A masterful — and delightful — job of I
Coverage includes:
L
presenting the complexities of building
D
• The key role of building science in high-quality, high-performance physics in a way that anyone can under-
house design stand and use to their benefit. If you want I
N
to build well, folks, read this!
• How to establish goals for health, safety and comfort, durability,
G
and resource efficiency — Bruce King, Structural Engineer and
author, New Carbon Architecture
• Fundamentals of building physics including understanding heat loss S
and gain,and heat and moisture movement within buildings • • • • • • • • • • C
• Strategies for moisture and thermal control This is the book that builders, designers, I
• Examples from across North American climatic zones and homeowners have been waiting E
for! In the coming years, understanding N
• Consideration of buildings as whole systems
building science principles will be consid-
C
Containing over 100 illustrations and photographs, Essential Building ered as important as drafting skills and
driving nails. E
Science presents the vital knowledge and critical thinking skills needed to
— Chris Magwood, author,
design durable, comfortable, high-performance houses anywhere. Good
Making Better Buildings
science plus critical thinking equals high-performance buildings.
• • • • • • • • • •
Jacob Deva Racusin is co-author of The Natural Building Companion, contributor to The
An invaluable introduction, teaching
Art of Natural Building, and Systems Director of New Frameworks Natural Design/Build.
tool, and resource for homeowners,
He is Program Director of the Certificate in Building Science and Net Zero Design at Yes-
educators, and builders. I hope there will
termorrow Design/Build School, and a Building Performance Institute-certified Envelope
be a dog-eared hard copy or an oft-ac-
Professional and Building Analyst.
cessed e-version of Essential Building
Science on every residential building (or
renovation) site in North America.
— Tim Krahn, P. Eng.
• • • • • • • • • •
Essential for builders and architects, as
New Society’s Sustainable Building Essentials Series aims to
provide the highest quality information on sustainable building methods well as for future homeowners to know R
a
and materials. Editors Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin have scoured the what to look for and what to ask for in
c
world of sustainable building to bring you the techniques and systems that good design. u
deliver measureable benefits in terms of greater energy efficiency and reduced
— Andrew M Shapiro, Energy Balance, Inc. s
environmental impact. Written by the world’s leading sustainable builders,
i
designers, and engineers, these succinct, user-friendly handbooks are n
indispensable tools for any project.
Understanding Energy and Moisture
in High Performance House Design
www.newsociety.com Jacob Deva Racusin
Praise for
Essential Building Science
Where the heck was Jacob Deva Racusin 40 years ago when I started my career?
You could have saved me, and thousands of others, a whole lot of expense and trouble
if you had troubled yourself to be born a few decades earlier, and gotten this wonderful gem
out to us all a bit sooner. That grouse aside, you have done a masterful — and delightful — job of
presenting the complexities of building physics in a way that anyone can understand and
use to their benefit. If you want to build well, folks, read this!
— Bruce King, Structural Engineer and author,
New Carbon Architecture
This is the book that builders, designer and homeowners have been waiting for... even if they
don’t know it! In the coming years, understanding building science principles will be considered
as important as drafting skills and driving nails. Jacob Racusin explains everything you need
to know in a concise, direct and meaningful way. Anybody who reads this book will
immediately start to make better buildings.
— Chris Magwood, Co-founder and co-director,
The Endeavour Centre, and author, Making Better Buildings
Jacob Deva Racusin has provided as clear and concise a summary of building science for
residential building as I can imagine. This volume is an invaluable introduction, teaching tool and
resource for homeowners, educators and builders. I hope there will be a dog-eared hard copy
or an oft-accessed e-version of Essential Building Science on every residential building
(or renovation) site in North America.
— Tim Krahn, P. Eng.
Getting the building science right in a house — so your home is healthy, durable and
energy efficient — can be a daunting and complex process, but Jacob has distilled this down
to principles that are easy to understand. Racusin provides clear guidance for putting
these principles into action, including details of building assemblies that work.
The contents of this guide are essential for builders and architects, as well as for
future homeowners to know what to look for and what to ask for in good design.
— Andrew M Shapiro, Energy Balance, Inc.
Too many of us are suffocating in a stew of mold and toxic chemicals as our buildings
disintegrate around us. In this essential book, Jacob Deva Racusin distills
the basic tools builders and homeowners need to make efficient homes
that start out light on the planet and last a good long time.”
— Tristan Roberts, Executive Editor, BuildingGreen.com
New Society
Sustainable Building Essentials Series
Series editors
Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin
Title list
Essential Hempcrete Construction, Chris Magwood
Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction, Chris Magwood
Essential Building Science, Jacob Deva Racusin
See www.newsociety.com/SBES for a complete list of new and forthcoming series titles.
THE SUSTAINABLE BUILDING ESSENTIALS SERIES covers the full range of natural and
green building techniques with a focus on sustainable materials and methods and code compliance.
Firmly rooted in sound building science and drawing on decades of experience, these large-format,
highly illustrated manuals deliver comprehensive, practical guidance from leading experts using a
well-organized step-by-step approach. Whether your interest is foundations, walls, insulation,
mechanical systems or final finishes, these unique books present the essential information on each
topic including:
• Material specifications, testing and building code references
• Plan drawings for all common applications
• Tool lists and complete installation instructions
• Finishing, maintenance and renovation techniques
• Budgeting and labor estimates
• Additional resources
Written by the world’s leading sustainable builders, designers and engineers, these succinct,
user-friendly handbooks are indispensable tools for any project where accurate and reliable informa-
tion is key to success. GET THE ESSENTIALS!
v
Copyright © 2017 by Jacob Deva Racusin. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Diane McIntosh.
Interior illustrations © Dale Brownson.
Thumbs up art: AdobeStock_23490949.
Chapter banner: Ace McArleton — New Frameworks Natural Design/Build.
Wood background: AdobeStock_65301138
Printed in Canada. First printing November 2016.
This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide.
The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be
associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.
Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Essential Building Science should be addressed
to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers,
please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com
Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:
New Society Publishers
P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada
(250) 247-9737
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Racusin, Jacob Deva, author
Essential building science : understanding energy and moisture in
high performance house design /Jacob Deva Racusin.
(Sustainable building essentials)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
ISBN 978-0-86571-834-0 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-55092-629-3 (ebook)
1. Dwellings--Thermal properties. 2. Dwellings--Heating and ventilation.
3. Dwellings--Energy conservation. 4. Dwellings--Design and construction.
5. Dampness in buildings. I. Title. II. Series: Sustainable building essentials
TH9031.R32 2016 693.8’9 C2016-906214-7
C2016-906215-5
New Society Publishers’ mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways
to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible
impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision.
Contents
Acknowledgments ................................................................ ix
Introduction ..................................................................... 1
Part I: Rationale
Chapter 1: Establishing Goals .................................................... 9
Part II: Fundamentals of Building Physics
Chapter 2: Thermal Dynamics: Understanding Heat Loss and Gain ................. 17
Chapter 3: Moisture and Hygrothermal Dynamics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Part III: Developing Strategies
Chapter 4: Moisture Control ..................................................... 41
Chapter 5: Thermal Control ..................................................... 61
Chapter 6: Examples of Building Assemblies ...................................... 83
Chapter 7: Buildings As Whole Systems ........................................... 113
Endnotes ...................................................................... 131
Resources ...................................................................... 135
Index ...................................................................... 137
About the Author ................................................................ 141
A Note About the Publisher ...................................................... 142
vii
Acknowledgments
This book would not be possible New Society Publishers, for bringing this and so
without the incredible support of a com- many vital publications into the hands of those
munity of passionate and committed individuals who need them.
and organizations. I offer my deep and humble
Chris Magwood and Jen Feigin, for their tireless
gratitude to:
support and clear vision of the potential held in
Ace McArleton, Ben Graham, and the New this book.
Frameworks team, for their fearless pursuit of a
My technical editors, Robert Riversong, Andy
better world.
Shapiro, and Bruce Courtot, whose brilliant
Yestermorrow Design/Build School, for their minds and efforts helped ensure the quality and
commitment to empowering our society to accuracy of this work.
design/build great things.
My many teachers and mentors in this work, on
The global natural building community, for whose shoulders I stand every day.
believing in a path to deep sustainability.
My family, Mary, Elijah, Mimi, and Micah, and
The global building science community, for Bob, Sharon, and Jess, for absolutely everything.
lighting our way to a deeper understanding of
This book is dedicated to those who are dedicat-
our world.
ed to those who come after them.
ix
