Indoor air quality (IAQ) is of the utmost importance in school
buildings — perhaps even more so in this ongoing time of COVID. Did you know
taking a wholistic approach to “sealing” your building envelope can help you to
improve IAQ? Fortunately, through AEA Purchasing vendor partner Tremco Roofing
and Building Maintenance and affiliated construction services company WTI, you
can obtain air barrier testing and solutions to not only improve indoor air
quality, but to improve interior safety, comfort, health, and energy efficiency
– all through the AEPA contract.
According to the
U.S. Department of Education, the average school building is 42 years old. In
all buildings, (but especially in older buildings), there are often unseen
gaps, cracks, and holes in the various parts of the building envelope. This can
include roofs, walls, windows, doors and all the components in between. Their
condition can impact ventilation, air distribution, pressurization, energy
usage and ultimately, how comfortable, safe, and healthy the building’s
interior is for staff and students. If you’d like to find out how “healthy”
your building envelope is, the first step is to conduct an air barrier audit to
find out where leaks occur.
What Is Air Leakage and Why Does It Matter?
“Air leakage” is any breach in any of the building envelope components that
causes a lack of continuity between connections. This allows unintended
infiltration/exfiltration to occur in a conditioned (heated or cooled) space. Common
sources of unintended air leakage include roof/wall joints, mechanical vents, poorly
insulated doors and windows, baseboards, outlets, roof level changes, and
soffits/overhangs. An
often-overlooked culprit is the joints
of assemblies. Examples include roof/wall junctions, parapets, low level
soffits, the intersections of different cladding systems, and internal vertical
or horizontal shafts.
When unconditioned air seeps into your
buildings and conditioned air leaks out, several things can happen. HVAC
systems struggle to keep up, resulting in wasted energy and uncontrollable
costs. Hot and cold spots can develop, impacting
occupant comfort. And unintentional air
flow can bring with it odor, dirt, and pests – and potentially
even the spread of viruses.
To prevent these issues, start with a
professional air barrier audit to identify where leaks occur. The
auditor
should also be able to provide you with air sealing options as well as with
energy savings calculations to help you demonstrate how air sealing will
improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.
COVID
Contamination
According
to the CDC,
“SARS-CoV-2 viral particles spread between people more readily indoors than
outdoors.” Indoor, occupied spaces are particularly susceptible areas of
transmission and further spread because the virus is spread person to person. As part of recently published COVID guidance,
the CDC
recommends evaluating ventilation and HVAC systems. This is because the coronavirus can
residually contaminate a building in two ways: infected droplets settling on
high touch surfaces, or by infected droplets entering, settling, and traveling
in the HVAC System.
Through
Tremco/WTI, you can also procure environmental diagnostics services, building
and room decontamination, and HVAC system hygienic cleaning and restoration.
Keep a “Healthy” Building
Envelope
The building
envelope is the first line of defense against weather, moisture, and pollutants.
Maintaining its integrity is essential to keeping a “healthy” building that is safe
and comfortable for building occupants. Better
building envelope performance translates to better indoor air quality for healthier
buildings with happier occupants. To learn more about improving your indoor air
quality through Tremco/WTI solutions, please contact:
Tremco/WTI
Jeremy Yoder
jyoder@tremcoinc.com
515.208.4241
AEA Purchasing contract: AEPA IFB 021-D
About Tremco Roofing/WTI
Tremco Roofing & Building Maintenance and our affiliated construction
services company WTI provide industry-leading roofing and building envelope
solutions. With a focus on improving
long-term performance and ROI, our capabilities include quality products with
an emphasis on sustainability. Our roof
restoration systems enable school districts to restore many types of roofing
systems versus replacing them, potentially saving millions of dollars. And our
unique Roof Management Programs take a holistic approach to managing roof
inventory, so you can understand the condition of roof systems across your
district, establish priorities and spend your money wisely for the best ROI and
building performance.
Through our affiliate Canam Building Envelope Specialists and
Premier Services Partner PureAir Control Services, we can help you to address indoor
air quality and Coronavirus remediation through the following: air barrier
audits, building envelope testing, continuity systems, indoor environmental
testing, and HVAC, building and room decontamination.
Tremco Roofing meets the needs of our school
customers with a dedicated team that includes expert WTI Technicians who
provide world-class diagnostics, repair and maintenance services, and Field
Sales Representatives who are among the most highly trained and experienced
roofing experts in the country. Tremco
Roofing/WTI solutions are available through the AEA for speed, quality, and
compliance. To learn more, please visit tremcoroofing.com
or request a consultation at yourroofexperts.com.
