Guest Lecture - Peter Smith of Ecological Building Systems

Many thanks to Peter Smith of Ecological Building Systems who gave a very informative talk to the students on Year 3 of the B.Sc. in Construction Management and B.Sc. in Quantity Surveying and the M.Sc. in Environmental Systems. He outlined the principles of building tight and ventilating right, highlighting the advantages of using the Pro Clima Intello Plus membranes as well as the various other airtight products available including Solitex Plus membrane, Tescon Profil tape, Orcon F adhesive, Contega PV sealing tape, Roflect grommets and Duplex tape. The WUFI software was used to illustrate the how it can be used to measure: the drying time of masonry with trapped construction moisture; the danger of interstitial condensation; the influence of driving rain on exterior building components; the effect of repair and retrofit measures and the hygrothermal performance of roof and wall assemblies under unanticipated use or in different climate zones.

He also outlined the advantages of natural insulation materials that are hydroscopic e.g. Gutex insulation products. He also discussed the difficulties on the ground of trying to refurbish to the passive standard. Ecological Building Systems have produced a series of videos providing a step-by-step walkthrough of the installation procedures of making a building airtight.

Again many thanks to Peter!