Durability Is Critical to Building Low-Carbon Homes

Building a low-carbon-embedded home is the new green goal for some homebuilders. The durability of the structure is an important consideration for dwellings built with this goal in mind. One builder says the 30-year durability assumption and the code minimums based on it are sorely insufficient, essentially producing “disposable housing.”

Homes with a planned lifespan of 75 to 100 years will use less building material, making them far more efficient from an embedded carbon standpoint. Vapor permeability is critical to a building’s durability. Vapor-open assemblies that can dry in both directions are best.

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