Building Smart #1 & 2 - Resource Guide

This guide provides direct links to the online resources related to the information presented in Building Smart #1: Avoiding Moisture Problems in Houses held in the spring of 2004 and Building Smart #2: Avoiding Moisture Problems in Houses: Building Envelope Systems and Details, held in the fall of 2004.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

CMHC publishes best practice guides, research highlights, research reports and information related to residential construction including building envelopes.

Best Practice Guides & Related Publications

• Best Practice Guides
• Best Practice Guide: Wood-Frame Envelopes in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia
• Building Solutions: A Problem Solving Guide for Builders and Renovators

Research Highlights

• Guidelines for On-site Measurement of Moisture in Wood Building Materials
• Summary of Research on Water Resistive Barriers
• Testing the Adhesion of Air-Barrier Membranes in Wall Assemblies
• The Envelope Drying Rates Analysis Study

Canadian Wood Council (CWC)

CWC has information on building performance including moisture, durability and wood-frame construction.

Publications

• Managing Moisture and Wood
• Moisture and Wood-Frame Buildings
• Moisture and Durability

National Research Council's Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC)

The NRC Institute for Research in Construction (NRC-IRC) is Canada's national construction research agency and publishes construction related research reports.

Construction Technology Updates

Practical information for builders, building officials, architects, engineers, specification writers, and property managers.

• Designing Exterior Walls According to the Rainscreen Principle
• Evolution of Wall Design for Controlling Rain Penetration
• Pressure Equalization in Rainscreen Wall Systems

Canadian Building Digests

The Digests were published between 1960-1990 with a high percentage of the Digests as relevant and meaningful as the day they were published, while others are outdated to varying degrees but they still contain useful information.

• Effects of Wood Shrinkage in Buildings
• Rain Penetration and its Control
• Requirements for Exterior Walls

Other sources

Whole Building Design Guide

U.S. based website with good information on building envelopes and building science principles.

• Wall Systems
• Air Barrier Systems in Buildings

Wood Durability

Forintek Canada and Canadian Wood Council's website on durable wood.

• Fundamentals of Moisture Control
• Durability by Design
• Moisture and Wood

Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA)

CHBA's Builders' Manual covers building design considerations, building envelopes and mechanical systems.

Homeowner Protection Office

The HPO has a list of education and training programs and courses for residential construction in BC including the Building Envelope Solutions: Theory and Practice course.