Exam 3 BTECH

Potential Advantages of Green roofs and Green walls

Green Roofs:
1.Keep the surface of the roof’s
insulated roof envelope cool
2. Add insulation to the roof
3. Protect the roofing membrane
from the sun
4. Mediate storm runoff
5. Make the roof into a more
usable and attractive space
Green Walls:
1. Act as bio filters cleaning the air
2. Breaks down V.O.C.’s (Volatile
Organic Compounds)
3. Keeps the surface of the wall
envelope cool
4. Absorbs sound

Potential Disadvantages of Green roofs and Green walls

Potential Disadvantages:
Maintenance, harder to repair leaks,
expense, potential water exposure
damage, extra structural demands.

Intensive vs Extensive Green Roofs?

Anything deeper than six inches is Intensive while anything less than six inches is Extensive. Intensive can grow a wider variety while Extensive can pretty much be only surface level.

Containerized Green roof System

Containers holding greenery in them that sit on the roof

Problems that we have to solve with Intensive and Extensive Green Roofing?

Intensive: Roots, Water, Filtration of Water
Extensive: Roots, Water, Holding Water

Root Barrier?

Stops roots from penetrating the building

Growing Medium/Media? Why not just soil? Why use this Engineered Soil?

Soil mix that is used because we cannot use soil due to the weight and drying out. We use Engineered Soil that has a mix of organic and inorganic materials to lighten the load and hold moisture.

How do we do fire control for green roofs?

We usually create barriers around the greenery and leave plenty of room so that the fire cannot spread to important areas.

Passive and Active Irrigation Systems

Passive: Holding the water without any systems in place to keep it there
Active: Holding the water with systems to keep it there

Closed Irrigation Systems vs Open Irrigation systems

Closed systems recycle water, open systems bring in fresh water each time.

Why and When do you need to worry about weight of green roofs?

Why: It affects the loads of the structure
When: When it’s saturated because when the soil is holding water is gets even heavier

Living Walls vs Green Facades?

Living walls have actual plants in them and Green Facades are just walls with climbing plants

Sensory Gardens

Gardens designed to involve the senses and create an experience

Vegetated Mat System

Pockets that have growing medium that you put plants into and cage holds everything up

Monoculture vs Polyculture Wall

Monoculture walls consist of one plant type, Polyculture consists of many. Monoculture is easier to manage however it can have issues with diseases/infections. Polyculture is harder to manage

Sedums?

Hold water better than most plants

How do Vines grow?

Tendrils, Scrambling, Twining, Suction

Greenfield, Brownfield, Infill?

Greenfield is an untouched site, Brownfield is a site that has toxins in the soil, Infill is where you fill in where buildings are missing/destroyed

Heat Islands and Parking lots

We need to create lots of dividers, trees, and water absorption

Paving, what strategies do we use?

Lighter colors in areas where sun will commonly be, greenery woven with the cement

Permeable Paving

Paving that doesn’t absorb water and instead lets it go through, has gravel underneath so it can store the water and trickle it into the soil

Pavers

Enough concrete to support people or cars but also have enough space for soil so grass can grow

Gray Water, Stormwater, Black Water, Potable Water

Gray: laundry water
Storm: rain
Black: feces
Potable: drinkable

Water Efficiency methods

Landscaping decisions, Irrigation systems, capturing rainwater, recycle wastewater

Xeriscaping goal?

Goal is to reduce the amount of water used

Why not just use sprinklers? What other methods could we use?

Water Efficiency, drip irrigation, misters

Zoning? Use groups?

Pieces of property must be in certain zones, use groups are within zones

Why do we care about site decibels?

So that we can control where things will be loud and quiet and thus where we can have people doing certain activities

Septic system?

When you don’t have access to a public waste system, you have your own private disposal system, typically by draining to the groundwater far below

V.O.C’s? (Volatile Organic Compounds?)

Materials that slowly release gas from them, we are trying to reduce V.O.C’s as much as possible

Formaldehyde, Urea and Phenol?

Common in older factory building blocks, highly V.O.C. Urea off-gasses at room temperature and is toxic. Phenol off-gasses at high temperatures

Drywall? Is it fire-rated? Is it water resistant?

It can be both fire-rated and water resistant.

Why use corner bead and other accessories to terminate the drywall

The corner bead is set proud of the surface
so the knife presses against it when placing
the compound

Veneer Plywood, what is a Veneer?

Weaker interior plywood with a stronger outer plywood cover called a veneer

Plywood Grades

A - Sanded Smooth, no repairs or knots
B - Some repairs, tight knots, minor splits
C - Discoloration, knots, knotholes
D - Bigger knots and knotholes, some splits

High Pressure Laminate

Made up of several layers of resin-impregnated kraft paper, decorative paper, and a clear overlay

Cement Fiberboard

Fiber cement siding is made with a mixture of sand, cement, and cellulose fibers

Raised Access Flooring

Good for having mechanical equipment underneath the flooring so that its out of sight and works well.

Raceways

Space in the ground that allows for certain systems to run through while also mostly filling in the area so that its not as hollow underneath the floor

Suspended Ceilings

To hold equipment in the ceiling that is hidden above you

What are the important factors for choosing countertops?

Bacteria, Sealed or not, hardness, weight, etc

Plaster, what are the 3 layers, is it attached to a metal lath? does it need to be metal?

Scratch, Brown, Finish. Yes it has a metal lath. No it doesn’t have to be metal

Veneer coat plaster?

Plaster that is only one coat that goes onto drywall that acts as the finish coat, creates a strong bond.

Plaster Adhesive?

Used when going to apply a veneer coat plaster to a typical drywall.

Tongue and Groove wood flooring, how to keep it from buckling?

Wood flooring that has tongues and grooves to be attached like puzzle pieces.
Spaces at the edge, acclimated to the building

Sanding the floor, why?

Make the floor smooth so that its nicer to walk on and better for staining/coating

Wood Surface Sealer vs Penetrating Sealer

Surface: Creating a layer of resin between user and wood
Penetrating: Soak the wood, so it repels moisture

Issues with Oil-Modified, Moisture Cured, Water based urethanes and epoxy sealer

Oil: yellows, high V.O.C’s
Moisture: expensive, harder to apply, high V.O.C’s
Water based: harder to apply, expensive
Epoxy: more expensive and harder to apply

Slate tile, why grooved back?

To engage thin set of mortar

Quarry Tile, solid clay tiles are often called what?

Terra Cotta

Ceramic and Porcelain tile

Clay tiles with a glaze on them

Mosaic Tile Sheets

Tiles made up of small tiles that create a 12” sheet

Cement Fiber Board:
Thin Set Mortar:
Tile:
Grout:

Cement Fiber Board: Good base for tile system
Thin Set Mortar: Engages the tile and holds it in place
Tile: the Tile
Grout: placed between tiles as filler

Why not just start tile in a corner and go?

So that we don’t have issues with fitting down the line and need to get something recut

Notched Trowel?

Each tile requires a certain notched trowel so that the thin mortar engages properly

Sanded vs Unsanded Grout

Sanded is used for most tile systems, unsanded is used for thinner gaps or smaller tiles

Tile Sealers, Why?

We want sealers so that when we spill something on the tiles it doesn’t get stained forever

Linoleum?

Made of natural fibers and natural oils

Bio based Tiles?

Replacing old high V.O.C tiles

What should we be aware of when choosing adhesives?

That they are V.O.C free

Carpet Tile? Why this over rolling tile?

So that we can replace individual carpet tiles in case of staining

Epoxy floors, why are they nice?

Self leveling, glossy, durable.

Gyp Crete underlayment, why do we use it?

Self leveling so that you can have it underneath your tile so everything is level

Terrazzo colors, How’s it made?

Has a base and then has an aggregate and its mixed

Active vs Passive Ventilation

Active: Mechanical systems
Passive: Uses passive systems

What is R-value? U-value

The material or wall assembly ability to resist the transfer of heat, U-value is the inverse

Energy star insulation zones?

Helpful map that gives you guidelines for insulation for certain climates

Why do we care about Vapor Diffusion

so moisture doesn’t get trapped in walls and leads to damage

Vapor permeability? Permeability is measured in PERMS, when is a material determined to be impermeable?

Allows vapor to pass through things so that it doesn’t get trapped. At 1 PERM or less

Vapor barrier vs Moisture barrier?

Vapor barrier stops water in the air and moisture stops liquid water

Air Barriers, why are they important?

So that we can have controlled air vs letting in wind from outside

What are the important decisions when choosing your barriers?

Location, if you need it or not, which one you’re going to be using

Do you need a vapor barrier? moisture barrier?

Typically not unless for extreme conditions. Moisture barrier is absolutely required

Where does dew point not want to occur? How do we prevent it

On the inside of the wall, continuous insulation

Can moisture and/or vapor barriers be apart of exterior sheathing?

Yes

Why blower door tests?

To test if air is blowing in because we don’t want air to blow in from the outside

Batt Insulations, pros and cons

Easy installable insulation, cheap, hard to not have gaps, doesn’t work perfectly, can be harmful to installers,

Dry blown cellulose insulation

blowing in recycled paper into the walls

Wet sprayed cellulose

Spraying hose of wet cellulose and then flattening it

Open and closed cell insulation

Open cell: thicker, lower r-value
closed cell: thinner, higher r-value

Rigid Board Insulation, it has many types what are some common things that need to be considered when choosing?

Is it touching the ground, cost, r-value, moisture barrier, what thickness makes it a vapor barrier, does it need to be taped?

Tapered roof insulation, why?

Good for insulation and drainage

Positive drainage needs to go from where to where?

Top to bottom

Roof Venting, how and why?

Roof venting requires an exhaust and intake, important for things like attics

How do we prevent ice dams?

Proper ventilation

Forced air HVAC Systems

HVAC systems that use ductwork to push air through the building

Sheet Metal Ductwork
Flexible Ductwork
Exposed Ductwork
Insulated Ductwork

Sheet metal: Easy to do, hidden, straight
Flexible: Convoluted paths
Exposed: Technical but have to make it look good
Insulated: For uninhabited space so that there isn’t any heat loss or gain from the ducts

Chases

Framing that holds the ductwork

Plenums

Bring in air from outside

Geothermal

Putting hot or cold liquids into the earth to heat or cool it for the house

Mini Splits / VRF

Allow for more isolated temperature control, requires outdoor unit, removes ductwork

Electrical: Transformers, Panel boards, circuits

Transformers control amount of energy to house, Panels control circuits, circuits control energy flow to certain rooms

Lumens vs Footcandles
Color Temperature?

Lumens: How bright something is
Footcandles: How much light is hitting a surface
Color Temp: How warm the light is

Cool white light is for what? Warm white light is for what?

Cool white: garages, labs, work areas
Warm white: residential, relaxing

Photovoltaic rays? Thermal solar panels?

Capture the suns energy and converted to useable energy. Heats up liquid that can be used for radiant heating or other liquid heating systems

Net Metering

Ability to get credit from utility systems for excess energy