Compact wooden roofs with smart vapour barriers – effect of wooden joists on drying of built-in moisture

Abstract

The application of a smart vapour barrier in compact wood frame roofs has been investigated. The study was performed using a laboratory setup for small roof elements, exposed to a typical Nordic summer climate and a high level of built-in moisture. The concept of this study was to investigate how various types of wooden joists and their hygroscopic properties influenced the inward drying and moisture distribution within the elements. The results were compared to previous studies with similar roof elements without wooden joists. The results showed that the type and size of wooden joist influenced both the drying speed and the moisture level and distribution within the elements.