The Guiding Principles

I have mentioned before that we understand and recognize the impact a building can have on the environment and its occupants. Qualifying for rating systems such as LEED and utilizing building science techniques must come from somewhere and that somewhere is right within our own company.

Our parent company, founded more than 100 years ago as a cement and lime operation in the depths of Germany’s Black Forest, developed a “binding framework within which we can achieve our ambitious and long-term objectives.” The goal is to have you understand how those objectives will be met through our mission: Building with conscience. Sto’s identity and vision together with a worldwide team of innovators, marketers and strategists have all molded what is the world leader in cladding, coating and restoration systems.

With ever changing technology and new trends in building science on the rise, the true definition of Building with conscience is left open-ended. In the coming months, we will continue exploring how Sto Corp. lives up to its mission.

The Little John Series – Part 2 of 2

In the last post, I discussed parts one and two of John Edgar’s building envelope video series, covering the air barrier and detailing respectively.

In part three, Mr. Edgar addresses the issue of water vapor within the enclosure. Here he explains how forces such as gas pressure and energy or heat affect water vapor transport. As a point of reference, the concept of relative humidity is discussed and we recall the key difference between dew point and the condensation plane. To best understand the effect of water vapor, we must learn how it moves through a wall section and how to calculate and model the transport of water.

How is relative humidity calculated?

The final part of the series provides an answer to all the above mentioned challenges within the building enclosure. Controlling moisture and preventing mold in wall construction are two bumps in the road many face along the building process journey. A solution provided by Sto is its fluid applied air/moisture barrier. This portion of the series helps us recognize the components and advantages of fluid applied air/moisture barriers vs. building wraps and other moisture barriers. Mr. Edgar ties it all together by outlining the different design considerations one must take when incorporating fluid applied air/moisture barriers into wall assemblies.

Overall, the “Little John Series” should not be utilized as a systematic guide to air/moisture barriers but serve as a set of guiding principles. Shifting gears, Sto recently announced a new set of guiding principles including innovations within the company and sustainability, which we will cover in the next post.

The Little John Series – Part 1 of 2

I mentioned in the last entry a four-part series designed by John Edgar to represent the importance of the building enclosure. Parts 1 – 3 serve as an overview while part 4 specifically addresses fluid applied air/moisture barriers and moisture control and mold prevention. Interestingly enough, Sto participated in the BEST2 Conference (Building Enclosure Science & Technology) just a few weeks ago.

Part 1 of the series covers the air barrier portion of the enclosure. Here Mr. Edgar compares fluid-applied air/moisture barriers with more traditional, paper and synthetic moisture barriers. While defining the components of an air barrier and demonstrating the differences between air and moisture barriers, emphasis is placed on the causes and effects of air leakage. Standards and building codes are also highlighted as well as the advantages of fluid applied air/moisture barriers.

The second part discusses detailing within the enclosure. Find out how to prevent bulk water entry and how to incorporate a fluid-applied air/moisture barrier into details. This portion also brings us back to last week where we discussed the 3-D approach (deflect – drain – dry) and how that concept can be integrated into the “leak triangle”, where the three components for bulk entry are defined.

Here is a sample of what you can expect in the four-part series. In the next post, we will discuss parts 3 and 4 that cover water vapor and fluid applied waterproof air barriers for moisture control and mold prevention in wall construction.

Keeping Your Walls Dry

As Sto continues arranging itself in the sustainable building and design arena, I am proud to announce that eleven employees from Sales and Marketing have successfully received the LEED Green Associate accreditation; with more to come. The ultimate goal is to position Sto as a valuable and reliable resource for LEED construction.

The idea of building with conscience relates directly to a systematic approach, very similar to the concept behind LEED. What can a manufacturer known as the innovative world leader in cladding, coating and restoration systems really do for a building? The answer lies within the wall itself!

In talking with John Edgar,  Sto’s Technical Manager of Building Science, he said “the message is simple – deflect, drain, dry – with the most important being deflect.” Sto incorporates flashings with StoGuard to deflect water away from the wall. As proven in a recent life cycle analysis, StoTherm NExT (EIFS + StoGuard) drains better than most other claddings and EIFS is designed to ultimately allow your wall to stay dry.

Sto products used in the above-mentioned system can potentially contribute to a LEED project gaining points in four credit areas (Sustainable Sites, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources and Indoor Environmental Quality) with an additional four points in Innovation in Design.

In the coming weeks, a series of presentations created by Mr. Edgar will be made readily available on our new website. This four-part series outlines the importance of the building envelope as well as fluid applied air/moisture barriers for moisture control and mold prevention.

Sto Corp. and LEED®

We have already begun a fairly detailed look inside the world of EIFS and the clear benefits in using an integrated systematic insulated approach. As discussed, there is currently living proof that an EIFS application can add to the curb appeal, provide continuous insulation (CI) and extend the life cycle of any building. All those things being said, the building industry lacked, for a long time, a clear cut certification system to address the sustainable attributes of “green buildings” similar to some built using StoTherm® NExT EIFS systems.

In recent history there has been a new focus on global climate change and the depletion of natural resources. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, is now one of the most widely used building rating systems in the US. Sto manufactures numerous products that help reduce a building’s overall impact on the environment, and thus can contribute to a project’s ability to earn points toward LEED certification.

As a manufacturer, it is extremely important to ensure that those who use Sto products can be confident in saying that they are contributing to the betterment of the environment. Although there is no actual guarantee that a product can gain LEED credits, Sto has provided a thorough resource (in literature and on the web) to better understand how to best attain those credits in the design and construction processes.

With several LEED Accredited Professionals and Green Associates on staff and another forty employees on path to becoming Green Associates yet this year, Sto is positioning itself well in the sustainable building and design arena.

EIFS Makes Its Case for Better Performance and Continuous Insulation

Some might ask, “You have a product that is highly flexible in design, provides excellent energy efficiency, is cost effective versus other options and has very positive life cycle testing results. But what are the negatives?”

As it turns out…not many. A recent study by the US Department of Energy and Oak Ridge National Labs has provided us with the best look yet. A look on just how effective modern EIFS designs can be for both energy efficiency and controlling moisture in wall assemblies. New drainable EIFS literally blow the doors off other wall cladding systems such as brick, siding or stucco.

This study should finally put to rest concerns of homeowners and building owners who have resisted these systems in the past.

The EIFS Industry has been on an interesting journey. It has been at the forefront of efforts to understand and deal with water intrusion and retention issues arising from errors and omissions in construction regardless of cladding type. These efforts have resulted in innovative solutions, product development and design innovations that have benefited the entire construction industry.

EIFS has always been a great cladding option. Today’s systems are designed to facilitate easier and more accurate installation. Today’s guide specifications and details help the design professional deal with the areas most vulnerable to water intrusion in the wall assembly and related components in the building envelope.

EIFS is a continuous insulation system that works as advertised. How many products perform that well and truthfully make that claim?

The Life Cycle Assessment

We touched upon the life cycle assessment [LCA] conducted by Franklin Associates/ERG earlier this year in a previous post but how exactly does that relate to our industry?

The goal of any LCA is to evaluate the full range of damages assignable to certain products/services, for the consumer to select the least onerous one.  With that being said, this particular study compared three standard Sto cladding systems (StoTherm® NExT EIFS, StoPowerwall™ NExT stucco, and StoQuik® Silver NExT cement-board stucco) to typical brick and stucco walls with and without foam, to represent residential construction.

The results tell the “what you see is what you get” story. The Sto cladding systems measured in the study were proven to “demonstrate good life cycle performance in regards to waste, emissions and energy used in production, construction and building operations.”

Combining the power of EIFS with StoGuard® – a fluid-applied waterproof air barrier – establishes a cladding that the LCA shows to be superior in minimizing life-cycle energy use and greenhouse emissions.

Sto and the EIFS industry alike are confident that the answer to building with conscience falls into place with the results of this LCA.

Sustainable Issues in Construction

So, what are some examples of the sustainability issues we are facing in construction today?

The most obvious is wasting energy. I saw a very bright building science expert, John Straube a few years ago do a comparison of one of the oldest habitable structures. It was built a thousand years ago or so in England, made out of thick stone that was measured to have an R-value of R-2. He then compared that to an incredibly modern glass high rise, built in a city just a short time ago with a similar R-Value.

He questioned that after a thousand years, this was how far we had come in energy conscious design.  Of course it is an extreme case, but how many of today’s designs really look at energy cost for the occupants, or environmental sustainability as a primary driver to the design?

We hear about a LEED project from time to time, and the crescendo is starting to rise, but the fact remains, the single biggest way to conserve our energy resources is by improving the energy use of buildings by better insulation to reduce heat loss or more efficiently cool.

Sustainability obviously goes much further. Does the building have a long life cycle capability because of its design or materials specified, such that it needs constant maintenance or constant upgrades due to poor product choices? Is it possible to make a cost effective “zero energy” building, that isn’t rejected because the cost benefit analysis cannot be shown to ever get a return on the investment? Can a building actually generate surplus power that can be sold to a power grid?

On the first two questions, I think we are there.

Sto has participated on several of these experimental “zero energy” projects. One of the more notable is the BioHaus project in Bemidji, MN. This project used common sense design and a well thought out marriage of products to produce a very energy efficient and affordable structure.

Photo Credit: Joe Hilliard

Our systems have recently undergone life cycle analysis to see how they stack up as far as overall costs and sustainability.

The last item appears to also be a reality, as I read the other day of a building to be built in China with a curved design that has wind turbines on several floors that, along with passive solar wall and roof collectors may generate more than 100% of the buildings total power needs. It will incorporate water cooled ceiling systems and vertical photovoltaic panels that one of our German affiliates, Sto Verotec has been selling for years.

I work in an industry that can deliver solutions today that are proven to be not only energy efficient, but are incredibly good on life cycle, and cost benefit comparisons to virtually any other systems available.

What is Building with Conscience?

In an effort to assist customers at each stage in the design process, Sto aims its products and services at a level to allow for beautiful and sustainable building. We begin by offering design details that make it easy for an architect or engineer to incorporate them into their plans. Most are “BIM friendly”, and because some like to create intricate designs, all are backed up with technical support to answer even the most difficult questions.

Sto provides 24/7 technical assistance, and have some of the finest building science minds in the industry on staff. In addition, we offer the Sto Studio, a service to help building owners and designers see all the possibilities of what various color combinations and detail options are available.

Next, Sto offers numerous building systems solutions to not only make the building fit well into its aesthetic environment, but to maximize the energy efficiency and moisture control of the structure. Sto has developed liquid applied air and moisture barriers that provide a breathable, structural membrane to effectively control air movement and bulk moisture that can attack a building.

Sto offers Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS) that can provide maximum energy savings for a building by providing an external insulation source, with none of the thermal bridging issues prevalent with interior cavity insulation designs.

Finally, Sto products are designed to be low/no VOC, many contain high levels of recycled content, and all are designed to maximize the time between maintenance cycles for repainting. In short, Sto has an incredible offering of building solutions, all compatible with the Building with Conscience motto.

Next, we will discuss how Sto systems deal with the major sustainability issues you may face.

To Build with Conscience

More than seven years ago, I was introduced to Sto Corp. as a company that contributes to society through its underlying theme of “building with conscience”. Our parent company, Sto AG, situated in the Black Forest of southwest Germany, implemented the idea of Bewusst bauen – or Building with Conscience™ – when the first exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS) was launched into the market more than 50 years ago

What attracted me to Sto Corp. was not only the ideology of building with conscience but also how the company implements that concept through our products, processes and environmental benefits achieved through our customers.

Upon accepting my role as CEO of Sto Corp., I realized that there is truly a way to design, build and repair buildings that take the environment around them into account. Our company [and industry] has a key solution to solving the sustainability and energy usage dilemma. The building with conscience blog is intended to discuss what we’ve discovered and how the discoveries are applicable to our industry as a whole.

Building with conscience places emphasis on all things Sto. Through this blog as a medium, I plan to discuss the specific solutions to our current energy and sustainability debate that are already available to us today. From our ISO 14001-2004 certification to our LEED accredited professionals to our groundbreaking, innovative product lines – the time to build with conscience is now.