Investigating Solutions to Wind Washing Issues in Two-Story Florida Homes, Phase 2

Technical Report · Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1220445· OSTI ID:1220445

Withers, C. ^[1]; Kono, J. ^[1]

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1. Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States)

This report provides results from a second-phase research study of a phenomenon generally referred to as wind washing. Wind washing is the movement of unconditioned air around or through building thermal barriers in such a way as to diminish or nullify the intended thermal performance. In some cases, thermal and air barriers are installed very poorly or not at all, and air can readily move from unconditioned attic spaces into quasi-conditioned interstitial spaces. This study focused on the impact of poorly sealed and insulated floor cavities adjacent to attic spaces in Florida homes. In these cases, unconditioned attic air can be transferred into floor cavities through pathways driven by natural factors such as wind, or by thermal differences between the floor cavity and the attic. Air can also be driven into a floor cavity through mechanical forces imposed by return duct leakage in the floor cavity.

• Research Organization: Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction, Cocoa, FL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1220445
• Report Number(s): DOE/GO-102015-4595; 7053
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
residential
Residential Buildings
BA-PIRC
Building America
wind washing
floor cavity
attic space
thermal barrier
air barrier
uncontrolled infiltration
duct tightness
pressure testing
Retrofit
existing homes
cooling impacts
heating impacts
multi-story