Building Enclosure Consulting

Air flow through building enclosures is supposed to be controlled. It typically follows that all exterior assemblies such as walls, roofs, and transitions need to be practically airtight, with exception of dedicated air vents. Lack of air tightness often may indicate other deficiencies: water leaks, water vapor convection, transmission of odors, insects, insufficient noise resistance, […]

The typical thermal insulation that I see in brand new buildings in South Florida (hint: I only see sick buildings) consists of layers of paper or plastic film and aluminum film. It’s found behind the interior sheet rock. The thermal performance is very prone to field installation quality, and we saw large thermal discrepancies in […]

Although not all our work results are documented in writing, reports generally give a good example of what we do: example of a roof moisture survey report prepared for an owner. example of a leak investigation report prepared for an owner. example of a facade maintenance inspection report prepared for an owner. example of a leak investigation report accompanied with remedial work specifications. example of a […]

You may find this post beneficial, because it deals with the most popular exterior wall system in S. Florida: CBS. In this particular case, the general contractor strongly disagreed with the facts and with my diagnosis, and claimed they constructed walls in this manner for 20 years or so, at many other projects ,and it always […]

It’s not always rain leakage, we find in our investigations as facade doctors. We sometimes find no traces of water intrusion, as opposed to water condensing inside, where it can damage moisture-sensitive materials, and contribute to microbial growth i.e. mold and mildew. In such a case,

We not only conduct finite element (FEA) thermal simulations, but also validate them and investigate failed assemblies in the field by thermovision. This kind of analysis provides useful information about temperature differentials reflected from surfaces of analysed materials. In turn it can tell us about any air leakages, thermal bridging, and water content of building envelope […]

“All Good Architecture Leaks.” This phrase was quoted to Kaz by the design architect on a multi-million dollar construction job, which just experienced 15 rain water intrusions. The rainy season came early this year, and made it worthwhile to muse over some peculiar quotes from famous architects, such as Frank Lloyd Wright’s. “If the roof doesn’t leak, the architect hasn’t been creative enough.“ […]

Every now and then I get a call or email asking for clarification of a specified facade testing. It typically happens after a contractor had asked an architect to clarify the testing location to no avail, and the irritated owner got involved, while the construction of the assembly in question was already underway. After my […]

If you are reading these words, there is a chance you have one and you deserve our sympathy. We will try to help you. As all other materials on this website, this advice is directed to owners and managers of high-rise buildings, as opposed to single family residential houses. It is meant to give you […]