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Climate Design Basics
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Climate Design Basics

A house not just a shell. It is a system - a manipulated environment that attempts to control the movement and amount of heat, air, light, sound, sights and even feelings. How you deal with building dynamics can greatly affect energy consumption, durability, indoor air quality and comfort.

Remember: You must design and build the home for the climate you're in. Houses designed for northern climates will not work in hot-humid Louisiana.

Every component of a building has an effect on how the system performs. Many building failures are caused by changes in building components that offer improvements in some characteristics without compensating for how they change the air or moisture dynamics. That’s why a basic understanding of some key building science principles is so important. These principles hold true regardless of the product or system used and are an essential tool in evaluating emerging technologies or methods.
Geographic Basics - Climate, Flood, Wind and Termites
climate zone map

Geographic Basics in Louisiana include Climate, Flood, Wind and Termites. Read about the climate, wind and flood hazards, and termites in Louisiana.

Load Paths
To illustrate the concept of load paths and highlight important connections in a wind uplift load path. SOURCE: Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction FEMA 499: Technical Fact Sheet 10.
Heat Basics
Conduction

Heat moves three ways, so controlling it one way doesn’t necessarily affect the other two.

Summary of Design and Comfort Basics
This page summarizes the finding in geographic basics, air basics, heat basics and moiture basics, referring to your overall comfort and ability to take control of your investment - making your home all that it can be.
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Moisture Basics
Humidity and Health
Water vapor is one of the many gases that make up air. A little water vapor is good; too much is trouble. The goal is to maintain an indoor relative humidity (RH) in the 40% to 60% range, for comfort and health benefits (including deterring the growth of mold). For optimal dust mite control, maintain an RH below 50%. Read more on moisture basics.
Air Basics
Negative Pressure
Air tries to equalize between higher and lower air pressure areas. If there is a pathway (a gap) and a pressure difference, air will move through that pathway - whether you want it to or not. Indoor air typically contains more types and higher concentrations of pollutants than outdoor air, even in industrialized areas. Read more about air basics.
Moisture Barrier Systems
The location of water entry is often difficult to see, and the damage to substrate and structural members beyond the exterior wall cladding frequently cannot be detected by visual inspection. A successful moisture barrier system will limit water infiltration into unwanted areas and allow drainage and drying of wetted building materials. SOURCE: Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Contruction FEMA 499: Technical Fact Sheet 9.