The Effect of Heat Flow and Moisture on the Exterior Enclosure

This article describes heat flow and moisture transfer through a building’s exterior wall assemblies. Methods and criteria that can assist analysis and the design process are discussed. Also, an analysis tool for simulation of transient hygrothermal behavior is discussed as well as utilization of this tool in simulating performance of three different wall assemblies in a cold climate.

keywords: heat flow, moisture analysis, exterior building envelope