Building Envelope Educational Courses, Tools, and Materials

The demand for high-performance building envelope systems is on the rise. Energy codes such as ASHRAE 90.1 and the IECC continue to increase requirements aimed at creating more energy efficient and environmentally friendly designs. Some of these increasing code requirements involve the addition of continuous air barriers, as well as continuous insulation to wrap the entire building. Architects, specification writers, and designers have the almost impossible task of staying up-to-date on new code requirements, understanding how and why changes were made, and accurately and appropriately incorporating these changes into their designs.

Over the last several decades, Carlisle Construction Materials (CCM) has become the premier single-source supplier of building envelope materials, including single-ply roofing, air and vapor barriers, waterproofing membranes, insulation, metal products, and more. Therefore, CCM is focused on educating and assisting design professionals through training courses, as well as helpful tools and materials, to minimize the learning curve experienced by architects when code changes occur. Here’s some information on CCM’s newest educational courses, tools, and materials to help you stay at the forefront of building envelope designs.

Education is paramount to the success of building envelope projects, which is why CCM offers free courses to design professionals on various building envelope design considerations. CCM’s “Pushing the Envelope: Going Beyond Conceptual Design” is a 300-level, AIA-accredited course that explores proper product selection, material performance characteristics, test procedures, and best practices as they relate to building envelope systems. It is available online as a self-guided course here or you can request a face-to-face presentation here.

CCM’s newest course, “Building Envelope Design – Understanding Codes, Best Practices, and Tie-in Detailing”, is a 400-level, AIA-accredited course available exclusively as a face-to-face presentation. This course helps raise awareness of code requirements as they relate to building envelope components and systems, with a focus on the all-important tie-in detailing needed to provide an air tight building. Common material misconceptions are also discussed. For more information on CCM’s Building Envelope Design course, or to request an face-to-face presentation, click here. 

As energy code requirements increase the need for air barriers and continuous insulation, questions about fire safety may arise. In most cases, the International Building Code (IBC) requires compliance with NFPA 285, which is the Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components. Carlisle Coatings and Waterproofing (CCW) offers both an online tool and mobile app that allow you to build an NFPA 285-approved assembly. When finished, a submittal document is created for the wall you designed, and this document can be provided to your building code official if your design is ever called into question. To build your NFPA 285 wall assembly, click here or download the app by searching “NFPA Guide” on the AppStore, GooglePlay, and Amazon.

Since continuous air barriers became a requirement of energy codes, building designers have been given the difficult task of determining material compatibility and proper tie-in sequencing of dissimilar systems. CCM’s breadth of building envelope materials allows for the internal vetting of material compatibility, taking away the guesswork typically required from designers. CCM’s NVELOP details are easy to read and understand, illustrating the most common material combinations along with step-by-step installation instructions to create the continuous air seal required by energy codes. NVELOP details can be downloaded from the NVELOP website here.

CCM is unique in its ability to provide a wide range of materials from a single source. Similarly, NVELOP is unique in its ability to provide a single-source warranty for the tie-ins between dissimilar CCM systems. However, the uniqueness of CCM and NVELOP can make specifying for public bid projects complicated. To address these difficulties, CCM developed the MasterFormat Specification Sell Sheet with instructions on how to write CCM and NVELOP as the basis of design in public bid project specifications, while keeping them open for competition. To download CCM’s NVELOP MasterFormat Specification Sell Sheet, click here.

NVELOP is unique in its ability to provide warranty coverage for tie-ins between dissimilar CCM materials. Traditionally, applying for and receiving a warranty for tie-ins was either impossible or extremely difficult and involved lots of paperwork and time. NVELOP eliminates these issues with an easy online warranty application process. Once the individual CCM system warranties are purchased and received, visit NVELOP’s warranty application portal here and fill in the appropriate information.


If you have questions about any of these building envelope tools, please contact Chris Kann at [email protected].