Principles for Controlling Water Vapor in Buildings

Abstract

One of the most important issue in architecture is to produce high comfort leveled buildings, which provide appropriate physical conditions to fulfill living needs. For this reason firstly, buildings should be protected from every kind of factors which may be harmful for them. Also, necessary precautions should be taken for building protection. Buildings which have produced to fulfill various needs from past to present, are always face with various factors such as, thermal, water, water vapor, condensation, moisture, fire and noise. These factors may cause various failures in buildings or building elements, building users and also building environment. On the other hand, building failures are mostly caused by water vapor or condensation unless necessary protection precautions are taken in buildings. Indoor living quality may diminish and users may be affected in a negative way because of these factors. From this point of, controlling water vapor in buildings is a very important issue on the stage of not to face with or to reduce/remove similar building failures and negativities in buildings. Different kinds of methods are used for controlling water vapor in buildings. In this paper, methods for this purpose are addressed in the context of principles. The principles for controlling water vapor in buildings are explained with a classification of Edward Allen (1992) and some building failures caused by water vapor or condensation are sampled. This paper aims to raise awareness about principles and details for controlling water vapor in buildings. Also to make professionals and firms who are in building production process and people who are in using process conscious about this subject. So that, it is assumed to prevent or reduce building failures occured by water vapor factor.