The building envelope is designed to keep the outside elements, like rain and snow, from entering the interior. But sometimes, despite the best efforts in design and construction, water can find its way in. This is called water intrusion, and it can come from a variety of sources like leaks in the roof, cracks in the foundation, or improperly sealed windows.
Roof (or Plaza Slab): For a roof to successfully keep water out of a building, the bulk water should be shed quickly and efficiently from the roof surface or the drainage layer within a plaza or green roof. Ponding, which is standing water 48 hours after precipitation (rain) is unacceptable. Standing water can break down asphaltic and polymeric roofing material. Water can also freeze and erode embedded gravel UV protective surface. Standing water can also find its way through the smallest of imperfections within the roofing system. For these reasons, ponding also voids roofing warranties. The secondary barrier is the actual roofing material itself. And the tertiary water management layer is the building's HVAC system that deals with what little moisture enters the building.
Exterior Walls: For a wall to successfully keep water out of a building, the bulk water should be shed quickly and efficiently from the outer wall cladding. Water that penetrates the cladding should be drained and evaporated within a secondary drainage plane backed up by a water-resistant barrier. And the fourth water management layer is the building's HVAC system that deals with what little moisture enters the building.
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Schedule Your Building Envelope and Water Intrusion Inspection Today
No one likes surprises. Having a building envelope inspection and report done only to realize during the restoration that the budget you were given isn’t enough to complete the project can create unnecessary problems and possibly damage reputations.
We take a very holistic and thorough approach to building envelope inspection, forensic investigation, reporting, and estimating of repair costs. Innovative Engineering’s staff includes engineers with expertise in both structural and building envelope engineering. They also have relationships with reputable restoration contractors with real-time pricing. If you or others have tried unsuccessful to solve water intrusion issues, contact IEI. Chances are they have dealt with similar conditions. If not, they have the education, certifications, experience, and a quiver full of specialized diagnosis tools to diagnose and solve the water intrusion issue.