FGIA FENBC Region

This manual is intended to reflect all aspects of the practice of glazing in Canada. Users of the manual may belong to one of the following: Students and apprentices; Glaziers and related trade disciplines; Suppliers and manufacturers; General contractors and developers; Engineers, architects and specifiers.

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This Guide applies current building science and best practices to the replacement of windows and doors in wood-frame residential buildings. It provides practical information and useful guidelines to help ensure these products are replaced in a way that improves the durability of building enclosures in existing buildings.

While it addresses the unique challenges presented by BC’s coastal climate, which has inspired advancements in building envelope technology that have been adopted around the world, it is also of value to other geographical locations.

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This manual is designed to provide your company with a personalized and structured Occupational Health and Safety Program that will assist in reducing accidents and ensuring compliance with Occupational Health and Safety regulations.

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As a guide for architects, the FGIA FENBC Region has published this information resource guide with regards to NAFS labeling and Part 5 compliance path for glazing products.

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This guideline document describes best practices for NAFS-08 labeling of fenestration products in Canada for jurisdictions that have adopted the 2010 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC) or a provincial building code based on the 2010 NBCC. Issued by Fenestration Canada for the benefit of participants in the fenestration industry and for building officials, it is also endorsed by the Fenestration Association of BC.

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This summary is intended as a guide only to the major parts of the NAFS standard. It does not absolve the user of fully reviewing all requirements for supplying a product, including but not limited to reviewing project specifications, window schedules, authorities having jurisdiction, etc. Consult the full edition of the NAFS and Canadian Supplement where needed to meet requirements. FGIA assumes no liability for errors or omissions from use of this summary.

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Learn more about the reasons for exterior and interior condensation on windows.

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About this methodology
The “BC Reference Procedure” published in September 2019 is the first methodology using LBL THERM software to be recognized by the Passive House Institute for use in certifying Passive Houses to the International Passive House Standard. The use of a uniform reference procedure is intended to allow PHPP window performance values using this methodology to be trusted and compared.
This methodology enables window manufacturers to report the performance of their existing products in Passive House terms, and to design next-generation windows for the growing Canadian and North American Passive House building market.

The methodology presented in this document was developed jointly by RDH Building Science Inc. and Peel Passive House Consulting Ltd. It was created specifically to clarify the differences between North American and Passive House window thermal energy performance standards, and to provide a way for North American window manufacturers and energy simulation practitioners to accurately determine the energy performance parameters required to qualify them for use in Passive House buildings designed to the International Passive House Standard (IPHS). It shows how the industry-standard and publicly available LBL THERM software, together with a Microsoft Excel worksheet, can be used to accomplish this in a manner recognized by the Passive House Institute.

This project was produced with financial support from the BC Innovative Clean Energy (ICE) Fund, administered through the Fenestration Association of BC. Established in 2007, the ICE Fund is designed to support the province’s energy, economic, environmental and greenhouse gas reduction priorities and advance BC’s clean energy sector.

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A public resource prepared for the FGIA FENBC Region with the financial support of BC Housing under the Building Excellence Research and Education Grants Program

Energy design standards such as ASHRAE 90.1 and the Canadian National Energy Code for Buildings (NECB) require building designers to determine effective U-factors (U-values) for all enclosure assemblies. In these standards, spandrel assemblies utilizing fenestration products are considered to be opaque walls, not fenestration products.

Design standards such as ASHRAE 90.1 and NECB require building designers to determine the effective U-factor of opaque wall assemblies clad with spandrel products. The Reference Procedure for Simulating Spandrel Panel U-Factors was created to allow spandrel U-factor performance claims to be objectively evaluated in a similar way as window U-factor performance claims that are based on NFRC 100 procedures.

While various methods are currently employed to determine spandrel U-factors, including physical testing, 2D simulation and 3D thermal modeling, the lack of a “standard” reference methodology makes it difficult for project teams to evaluate or compare performance claims from product suppliers.

As the spandrel products used today often have significantly higher thermal transmittance than fenestration products, use of a recognized reference methodology that produces consistent and comparable results can help project teams to make better-informed choices about spandrel products.

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Reference Procedure
The Reference Procedure (RP) is a voluntary procedure that may be used to determine spandrel panel U-factors for whole building energy design standard compliance.

The RP is based on ANSI/NFRC 100-2014 [E0A1] to leverage the availability of existing product simulation data, and the widespread use of industry-standard LBL THERM software by fenestration and spandrel manufacturers. The differences between the RP and this version of NFRC 100 are clearly indicated.

The reference procedure differs from NFRC 100 in three respects:

1. The reference procedure increases the panel edge distance from the 63.5 mm (2.5 in.) used for transparent glass to 152.4 mm (6 in.), a dimension found to be more accurate for spandrels.
2. The reference procedure offers three spandrel product configurations, one of which is identical to the curtain wall configuration in NFRC 100. The additional configurations address spandrels interrupted by floor slabs.
3. The reference procedure utilizes an Excel worksheet to perform area-weighting calculations in place of the LBL WINDOW software.

User Guide
The User Guide provides detailed guidance for using the Reference Procedure with THERM and the Calculation Tool, and is the best place to learn both the overview and the details of using the procedure.

Calculation Tool
The Reference Procedure uses a Microsoft Excel-based calculation tool to perform area-weighted calculations of overall product U-factors. The calculator is designed to accept project-specific or reference-standard product dimensions.

Disclaimer: Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this tool. However, RDH does not warrant its accuracy and use of the tool is at the user’s discretion. Please notify RDH of bugs or user issues by sending an email to Lorne Ricketts at [email protected].

Reference Procedure FAQ

• Who developed the Reference Procedure, User Guide, and Calculation Tool?

These resources were developed by RDH Building Science Inc. for the FGIA FENBC Region with the participation of the FENBC Technical Committee. The project was completed with the financial support of BC Housing under the Building Excellence Research and Education Grants Program. Visit the BC Housing Research Centre to learn more about the program.

• Why is there a need for a Spandrel U-factor Reference Procedure?

FGIA FENBC Region member companies found there was insufficient guidance in NFRC 100 for simulating spandrels, and particularly the narrow and interrupted spandrels that are common in large buildings today. The lack of a recognized reference methodology was identified as an impediment in evaluating competing performance claims.

The Reference Procedure was created to allow spandrel U-factor performance claims to be determined under uniform conditions to help building designers to objectively evaluate spandrel product performance claims in the same way as they can evaluate window U-factor performance claims based on NFRC 100 procedures.

The Reference Procedure identifies three spandrel conditions that correspond more closely to typical project conditions than the standard reference sizes in NFRC 100 and CSA A440.2, and provides more detailed guidance for performing area weighted calculations than is found in NFRC 100.

It is difficult to compare spandrel U-factor claims when each supplier uses a different evaluation size and methodology. Building designers rely on fenestration suppliers to provide spandrel U-factors, but NFRC 100 does not yet provide sufficient guidance to ensure that any two simulators will arrive at the same number.

• What is the intended use of the Reference Procedure?

This procedure was developed for the benefit of, and voluntary use by fenestration manufacturers and building designers. Project specifications can reference the “FENBC Reference Procedure” for the reporting of spandrel U-factors at both standard and project sizes.

U-factors simulated according to the Reference Procedure will be determined under a standard and publicly available set of conditions. It is hoped that this will give building designers greater confidence in the U-factors used for building energy models and tradeoff path calculations. The existence of a Reference Procedure will allow U-factors of products simulated under the reference conditions and sizes to be directly compared, ensuring greater transparency in the reporting of product performance claims.

• Why are there different spandrel reference sizes?

The standard reference sizes in NFRC 100 and CSA A440.2 do not reflect the most common spandrel conditions encountered in window wall products which typically have a narrower face height. Spandrels for window wall products are interrupted by floor slabs, a condition that NFRC 100 does not address.

• How does the Reference Procedure differ from NFRC 100?

The objective of the Reference Procedure differs from the objective of NFRC fenestration product simulations. The Reference Procedure limits itself to the concerns of building designers who require effective overall U-factors for opaque walls. The NFRC approach includes the determination of two additional properties that are significant for fenestration assemblies: Solar Heat Gain Coefficient and Condensation Resistance.

The Reference Procedure is based on NFRC 100, but provides two additional spandrel configurations in addition to the NFRC 100 Spandrel Panel model size. The Reference Procedure also provides additional guidance on matters known to influence spandrel performance and that are not currently addressed in NFRC 100.

NFRC recognizes the need for additional guidance, and while detailed guidance is not presently available, they have initiated a Spandrel Validation Task Group, of which RDH Building Science Inc. is a member. The Reference Procedure, User Guide and Calculation Tool have been shared with this task group.

The introduction of the NAFS standard in the 2012 BC Building Code has changed how we specify fenestration performance in BC. Together with the NAFS standard it mandated use of CSA A440S1-09, the Canadian Supplement to NAFS, instructing Code users to use the Supplement to determine the appropriate fenestration performance grades (design pressure and water penetration resistance) for a particular building’s location and terrain.

Most users of the Code are not aware of the limitations of the supplement, however, nor are they aware that its definitions of open and rough terrain do not correspond to those in the Code. In addition, the Part 5 code language that refers to NAFS and the Supplement, taken from the 2010 NBCC, does not reflect the role played by professional engineers in ensuring fenestration systems meet the Code’s structural requirements under BC Letters of Assurance.

To rectify these issues the Technical Committee of the Fenestration Association of BC issued this technical bulletin on January 27, 2014. In addition to correcting terrain definitions, it addresses the appropriate use and limitations of the Canadian Supplement. It concludes with recommendations for using the Supplement on Part 9 and Part 3 buildings. The Part 3 recommendations are particularly relevant to architects who are directed by the Code to use the Supplement to determine fenestration performance grades.

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First introduced in the industry guide Best Practices for Window and Door Replacement in Wood-Frame Buildings, these rain exposure nomographs are based on those in CSA A440.4-07, Window, door and skylight installation. Bulletin B13-06 from the BC Building and Safety Standards Branch, dated September, 10, 2013, recognizes the nomograph approach as “an acceptable method to determine whether a door is protected. A door deemed to have a Low exposure at the sill using the CSA nomograph method above may use a door with a Limited Water rating.“

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The Window Safety Task Force (WSTF) was formed in 1997 to promote greater awareness of window safety. The task force is comprised of members representing FGIA and the Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) in cooperation with the National Safety Council (NSC) and other organizations, as well as manufacturers of windows, doors and screens. Window Safety Week, recognized the first full week of April, is intended to heighten awareness about what actions homeowners can take to establish window safety as a year-round priority.

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Western Canadian companies involved with the fenestration industry, including (but not limited to):

• Manufacturers, Fabricators and Suppliers
• Door Prehangers
• Renovation Companies
• Distributors and Wholesalers
• Contract Glazing Companies and Subcontractors
• Architects, Specifiers, Engineers and Consultants

Golf tournaments, banquet dinners, luncheons, parties…to name just a few! We provide ample opportunity (both formal and informal) to have fun, network and make industry friends throughout the year.

Please note that the determination of those who can attend FGIA FENBC Region events is event-specific. FGIA staff will communicate if the event is open to the public or member exclusive.

Please refer to our Member Directory for a listing of FGIA FENBC Region members.

Becoming a member is easy! Review the different levels of membership and apply here.

FGIA welcomes sponsorships! Learn about how event sponsorship can benefit your company here.