“If those flashings are either missing, not installed correctly or just worn out due to age, that’s where you’ll get a leakage failure on the walls.” “You need a flashing – sometimes it’s metal and sometimes it’s a sheet membrane – that makes that transition between two different systems so you don’t have a leak there,” says Ford. Without proper flashings, it does not matter how well the rest of the envelope along that transition is constructed water will find a way. Although often overlooked, flashings are vitally important to the building envelope because they serve as a last defense for the building to fend off water penetration at transitions. One particular component key to preventing moisture leaks is a properly installed flashing. Wall vapor barrier to curtain wall transitions at the jambs, heads and fills.Roof membrane to wall vapor barrier line.Specifically, Lehr identifies the following as some of the key places where moisture leaks are most common: Usually, the most logical place to look first is the transitions between systems and materials.” “Often, you’ll have failure within a given system like in a window system, a brick veneer or stucco because the detailing within the system may have some issues. Ford, Principal and Managing Director of the Diagnostics Group at multidiscipline engineering firm Walter P. Those are the first places we look,” says David T. “You’ll find leaks between the roof and the wall and between the wall and a fenestration system. These areas provide the easiest access for water to enter from the exterior of the building. The most logical place to look for moisture leaks is at transitions between systems and materials. In buildings with many levels, be sure to pay close attention to the exterior wall at floor lines moisture leaks commonly develop in these spots. Louis-based building enclosure contractor. Various factors lead to leaks that can spread into your building, such as faulty weather and vapor barriers, the use of incompatible materials in the envelope or rushed construction, explains Sage Lehr, Engineering Manager at IWR North America, a St. Physical water penetrating the envelope typically happens through some inadequate component of construction. Moisture leaks can be a major thorn in the side of FMs because of the cost and widespread effects they can have on the entire building environment. While these issues can often be hard to track, it is important to put your best foot forward by being proactive and implementing the right practices to keep water out and regulate the air in your building.Īre you doing enough to make sure your building enclosures are properly sealed? Where to Find Moisture Leaks New buildings, on the other hand, are typically well insulatedīut have many thermal bridges that allow heat transfer. Older buildings with several levels of masonry can provide thermal masks,īut they are often not insulated. Your building envelope protects the inside of your facility from the elements, but when it fails and allows thermal and moisture leaks to appear, costs add up whether that’s through reduced energy efficiency, reduction in occupant productivity or the extensive repairs that inevitably come with these problems.

The building envelope does not include