This paper explores the influence and role of both drainage and ventilation drying on the ability of enclosure assemblies to control moisture. Drainage is often the most direct method of removing water from within a wall (i.e., from exfiltration condensation or rain penetration), but it is often not sufficient to provide moisture control. Design approaches that rely solely on drainage to remove moisture from behind the outer layers or cladding ignore the significant quantities of moisture that can be stored in the outer layers of most enclosure walls.

Thirty-nine houses with high levels of biologically active contaminants in Wallace burg, Canada, and twenty houses with low levels of biologically active contaminants, were subjected to field inspections and testing, monitoring of indoor environmental conditions, and simulation to predict the condensation formation potential in winter. Occupant health was evaluated through questionnaires and blood sampling from an index child (closest to age ten) for analyses of T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte structure.

A large-scale model of an attic construction has been built in a climatic chamber. The purpose of the attic test model is to investigate hear transfer-in particular, heat transfer by convection-in loose-fill attic insulation. The influence of a number of factors on heat flows can be investigated using the attic test model; for example, insulation thickness, attic ventilation, ceiling construction, roof slopes, and the quality of installation workmanship. The heat flow through the attic ceiling construction is measured with a metering box.