This post originally appeared on the Andersen Windows website.
Where do you live? Is it cold or hot, wet or dry, or something in between? I live in an area that is considered cold and moist, Northern Minnesota. My climate is much different than Tucson, Arizona or Kansas City, Missouri. Because of the climate differences, some of my choices in building materials will be different than if I were located in one of those other areas.
Figure N1101.7 (R301.1) Climate Zones-2021 International Residential Code (IRC)
This climate zone map is published by the American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and is included in the International Residential Code, Chapter 11, Energy Efficiency. ASHRAE’s purpose is to create standards of how an engineer or HVAC professional calculates and designs heating, cooling, and ventilations systems to match the insulation, air sealing, and moisture profile of a building. When designing these often-complicated systems, where the structure is located becomes key, this is the reason the map was created. Continue reading “Construction Design-Windows-Climate Matters”