Building Envelope

Section · 5 entries

The envelope is everything that stands between the rooms you heat and the weather outside: the roof, the walls, the floor, the windows and every joint between them. Work on the envelope tends to come first, because it changes how much heat a home needs before any decision about heating equipment is made.

Building Envelope

The shell of the house: the layer that separates warm inside air from cold outside air.

Schematic of two wall sections meeting at a joint, with the joint filled by a marked sealing strip

Air Sealing Gaps And CracksClosing the small unintended openings that let outside air move through the shell.

BE-01

Straightforward
Cool, still weather

Schematic cross-section of a roof with an insulation layer laid across the ceiling line

Attic And Loft InsulationLaying or topping up insulation at the ceiling line so heat stops leaving through the roof.

BE-02

Moderate
Any season

Schematic of a cavity wall showing two masonry leaves with the gap between them filled

Wall Insulation ChoicesHow wall construction decides whether insulation goes in the cavity, inside or outside.

BE-03

Trade work
Warm, dry weather

Schematic of a door in its frame with a seal marked along the threshold

Weatherstripping DoorsFitting compression seals and threshold strips so external doors close against a gasket.

BE-04

Straightforward
Before winter

Schematic of a window opening with a second glazing layer drawn inside the frame

Secondary Glazing And FilmsAdding a second sealed layer inside existing windows without replacing them.

BE-05

Moderate
Cool, still weather

Catalogue Status

This catalogue holds 17 entries across 4 sections.

Entries are written to be read and worked from. Nothing here is ordered, priced or supplied.

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4 sections · 17 entries · 5 index pages — Building Envelope Heating, Cooling & Water Water & Outside Materials & Finishes