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Methods of construction vary from country to country and building regulations are no different. Here in the UK, as the focus turns to modern methods of construction and building sustainably, there is confidence that standards are improving at pace. But are there tips we can take from our counterparts in Europe and countries even further afield, particularly when it comes to factors like moisture and interstitial condensation? The answer is yes and using a Wufi analysis is one of them. So, what is a Wufi software and why should you use one? Our CEO and founder, Adam White has the answers.
Explaining A Wufi Analysis
A Wufi uses software to produce a hydrothermal calculation – it tells us how heat and moisture move through a building and can work out the humidity and condensation in every area that you might be working in – so it is a very useful tool when building in different environments, like countries with warmer climates.
Overseas, especially in Europe, Wufi calculations are used all the time, but here, in the UK they are quite rare. The system we rely on instead is a Glaser Method for condensation risk analysis. As our systems change and get more complicated, the industry is going to ask itself, “are we happy with the standard of the Glaser Method, should we be doing more?” In fact, it’s already happening – we were working on a project recently with an eco-company who insisted on us using a Wufi analysis, so it’s something, as a business we’re moving towards.
The Wufi calculation will become standard in this country in the future, so it’s important that we at Intelligent Membranes are ahead of the curve.
Adapting Our Sustainable Materials
As the Intelligent Membranes profile is raised in different countries, we need to be able to work out how to tweak our products for different levels of humidity – conditions in the UK will be different to Australia or the USA, so it’s important that our products can reflect those changes and adapt to them.
In our Passive Purple range, we have products for both internal and external use – in a hotter country we might need to change our method, so the vapour closed is on the outside and the vapour open is on the inside. In a warmer environment, the Wufi analysis might tell us that the priority is to stop more moisture getting back into the building, so we may need to tweak our product and method to ensure it is still effective.
As an industry, we can learn a lot from the way other countries build. As a business we want to show an awareness of what is required overseas, which is all part of our plan to spread the word about our products further afield than just the UK.