Building Envelope Assessment Flashcards
7 cards from real Certified Energy Auditor Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Building Envelope Assessment flashcards as text
Which ASTM standard governs the test method for air leakage of building envelopes using a blower door?
Answer: ASTM E779
ASTM E779 is the standard test method for determining air leakage rate by fan pressurization, which is the basis of blower door testing.
What is the recommended pressure differential used during a standard blower door test?
Answer: 50 Pa
The standard test pressure is 50 Pascals, and the resulting airflow (CFM50) is used to calculate ACH50 and ELA.
Continuous insulation (ci) on the exterior of a wall primarily addresses which building science problem?
Answer: Thermal bridging through studs
Exterior continuous insulation wraps over studs and other framing members, eliminating the thermal bridging pathway that degrades whole-wall R-value.
Which building envelope component is typically responsible for the greatest share of infiltration in existing residential construction?
Answer: Exterior wall penetrations and bypasses
Research consistently shows that penetrations, bypasses, and connections between assemblies (e.g., wall-to-ceiling, plumbing chases) account for the majority of unintended air leakage.
When using infrared thermography to locate air leakage, what is the recommended minimum indoor-outdoor temperature difference?
Answer: 15°F (8°C)
A minimum delta-T of approximately 15°F (8°C) is generally recommended to produce sufficient thermal contrast for reliable IRT results.
A building's foundation wall transitions from below-grade to above-grade. Where should the auditor focus inspection for thermal bridging?
Answer: At the sill plate and band joist area
The sill plate and band joist are often uninsulated or poorly insulated and represent a major thermal bridge and air leakage path at the foundation-to-wall transition.
What does effective leakage area (ELA) measure in the context of envelope air tightness?
Answer: Equivalent hole size that would produce the measured leakage at a reference pressure
ELA expresses building air leakage as the size of a single sharp-edged orifice (at 4 Pa reference pressure) that would produce the same airflow as all the building's leaks combined.