Building Envelope Retrofits

Seal Your Structure. Improve Efficiency. Protect What Matters.

In Central Texas, the exterior shell of your home or building—known as the building envelope—is your first and most important defense against heat, humidity, moisture, and energy loss. When this barrier is compromised, your HVAC system works harder, your indoor comfort suffers, and your energy bills skyrocket.

At Texas Retrofits by Pinnelli Builders, we specialize in building envelope retrofits that fortify your property from the outside in. Whether you’re renovating an older home or upgrading a commercial building. As an experienced general contractor, we provide an expert assessment to enhance the critical components that make up your structure’s envelope. This includes stopping or reducing the air infiltration and the vapor/thermal drive into the building.

What is the Building Envelope?

The building envelope includes all the elements that separate the conditioned (indoor) space from the unconditioned (outdoor) environment. Elements are brought into the condition space thru air-infiltration and vapor/thermal drive.

Building Envelope Assessments

Our full diagnostic service evaluates your structure’s performance, identifies inefficiencies, and prioritizes cost-effective improvements.

Our Building Envelope Retrofit Services Include:

Window and Doors

We identify air-infiltration and thermal drives by using blower door testing and thermal imaging, then seal penetrations around windows, doors, light fixtures, and plumbing to stop energy loss at the source.

Air infiltration into the condition space is reduced by replacing/adding weatherstripping and caulking.  For glass in windows and doors, we can apply a thermal insulated film to reduce the thermal drive.  If needed, we can have our team spec out and install new window and doors.

Attic Spaces

We like to un-vent attic spaces, also known as a closed attic.  An attic that is sealed off from the outside does not let the extreme weather conditions in (ie, heat and humidity).  This means the attic is air-sealed and insulated at the roofline, essentially bringing the building envelope/thermal boundary from the attic floor to roofline.  HVAC equipment can know perform in a condition space like your living conditions instead of a 130 degree attic in the summer time.

When the budget does not allow to close off an attic, we can make sure that there is proper ventilation and insulation in attic.  Radiant barriers can be installed the underside of the roofline.

Crawlspace

We prefer to un-vent crawlspaces, much like attics.   A crawlspace that is sealed off from the outside do does not let the extreme weather conditions in (ie, heat and humidity).  By installing a vapor barrier on the crawlspace moisture laden soil floors and the vertical underpinning of the house, we stop the vapor drive from the soil and exterior walls.  By moving the insulation from the attic floor to the underpinning walls, we stop the thermal drive at the exterior walls.

This retrofit of the crawlspace area brings the crawlspace into the envelope of the house.  With this system, HVAC equipment can know perform in a condition space like your living conditions instead of a hot, humid and/or very damp crawlspace.

Exterior Walls

We can evaluate and provide a plan to reduce the vapor/thermal drive in your exterior walls by improving the moisture and insulation barriers in the exterior wall.

Why Building Envelope Retrofits Matter

Improving the building envelope isn’t just about comfort—it’s about long-term savings, better health, and lasting structural protection.

Benefits include:

• Reduce heating and cooling bills

• Improve indoor comfort in every season

• Prevent mold, rot, and humidity damage

• Boost HVAC performance and lifespan

• Increase home or building resale value

• Reduce environmental impact and energy waste

Ideal for Homes, Offices, and Light Commercial Spaces

From historic homes with drafty attics to small offices with outdated insulation, our building envelope solutions are scalable, efficient, and fully customized. We serve property owners, real estate investors, and facility managers throughout Austin and Central Texas.

Is Your Building Envelope Costing You Money?

If your space feels drafty, your HVAC runs constantly, or your energy bills keep climbing—your building envelope may be the culprit. Texas Retrofits by Pinnelli Builders can help you take control.

Let’s start with a performance assessment and build from there.