Surprising Ways to Improve School Indoor Air Quality

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.