Home Performance

Question 1

What is the Big Three?

Answer 1

Heat, Air, Moisture

Question 2

What is Home Performance?

Answer 2

The systematic approach to improving the comfort, health, safety, energy-efficiency, and durability of a house.

Question 3

Home performance also includes

Answer 3

occupant health and safety, indoor air quality and occupant comfort, and durability of materials.

Question 4

Building Science is

Answer 4

phyisics, chemistry, and thermodynamics

Question 5

Components of a House

Answer 5

Building
Mechanicals
Environment
Occupants

Question 6

Building of a House

Answer 6

Roof, Doors, Windows, Foundation, etc

Question 7

Environment of a house

Answer 7

Mangining indoor environment as exterior one is changing such as adjusting temp,

Question 8

Mechanicals of a home

Answer 8

lighting and appliances, electrical and plumbing

Question 9

Occupants of a home

Answer 9

People living in the home

Question 10

Attic

Answer 10

indoor space beneath the roof at top of house, used for storage or mechanical equipment

Question 11

Knee Walls

Answer 11

installed to increase ampunt of livable space, making some of the attic conditioned, knee wall creates two side attics

Question 12

Vaulted Ceiling

Answer 12

high sloping ceiling - oneor two straight slopes, not the same pitch as roof. It can be arched.

Question 13

Cathedral Ceiling

Answer 13

high sloping ceiling, two sloping sides rise to top of house and meet in center, center point is higher than walls, same slope or pitch as roof.

Question 14

Foundation

Answer 14

slab on grade
basement
crawlspace

Question 15

Standar ceiling

Answer 15

8’ high and flat

Question 16

Slab on Grade

Answer 16

first floor, concrete, several inches, least expensive, more common in warm climates

Question 17

Crawlspace

Answer 17

inexpensive, more expensive than slab on, some excavation, warm and humid environments, raising off ground to prevent moisture from getting into home. Can provide extra spacing for ductwork and pipes.

Question 18

Basement

Answer 18

Most expensive, significant excavation, adds extra floor, common in cold climates. May also have crawl spaces.

Question 19

Rafter

Answer 19

sloped framing member that supports roof

Question 20

Joist

Answer 20

horizontal framing member that supports ceiling or floor

Question 21

Stud

Answer 21

Vertical framing member that supports an interior or exterior wall. Typicall 2 × 4 or 2 x 6

Question 22

Bay

Answer 22

size of cavity (amount of space between members)