City Government

Building Envelope

Your Home’s Magic Membrane

The building envelope is the physical separator – the walls, roof and foundation – between the inside and outside of the building. The design, configuration and performance of the building envelope has a direct impact on your comfort, home heating bill and your home maintenance costs. The envelope is also the longest lasting and most difficult piece of a home to change, so it should be a top priority when building.

An Energy-efficient New Home Depends On:

Insulation: Proper insulation keeps heat inside when it’s cold outside, and keeps it cool inside when it’s warm outside.

Good Windows: Energy efficient windows, doors and skylights reduce your home energy costs by 7 to 12%.

Ventilation: New homes built to EnerGuide 80 and above will usually have a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) that provides abundant fresh air into the home while minimizing heat loss.

Air Leaks: Airtightness (sealing) is critical to reduces leakage of air between indoors and out. This includes things like caulking and weatherstripping in existing homes.

Did You Know?
A high-performance, energy-efficient building envelope can save up to 40% of your home heating costs.