Water leaks are often the first sign that restoration or repair of the commercial building envelope is needed. Determining the source of the leak is like the camel getting its nose under the tent skirt. Most of the articles here follow a story arc such as the one formed in the mind of the animal during and after discovery of the tents interior.
Construction Error Leads to Leaks
Leaks in an office building in Moorestown, NJ were caused by two conditions. The first condition was the obvious one, which was cracked mortar joints and broken brick in the single wythe wall. The other condition was hidden behind the brick.
What Went Wrong? (With these building systems and components.)
This issue from February of 2015 of the Hoffman Architects Journal of Architectural Technology details failures that occurred in a brick veneer due to expansion that the construction (design?) didn’t allow for, leaks from a plaza into an interior space due to faulty waterproofing and drainage design, how flawed construction led to the failure of a roof during Hurricane Sandy and why a curtain wall fell to the street in Manhattan.
Troubleshooting the Building Envelope
This issue from February of 2002 of the Hoffman Architects Journal of Architectural Technology describes broadly what is done by consultants who are called in to identify building envelope problems and the steps necessary to solve them which are also of a general nature. Informative cross sections of a brick veneer, profiles of types of mortar joints and a plaza drain are included.
Water Penetration Resistance of Windows: Study of Manufacturing, Building Design, Installation and Maintenance Factors
This 177 page report sponsored by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is intended “to answer the following four key questions with respect
to water penetration resistance of windows and the window to wall interface:
• What are the important leakage paths?
• What are the primary causes of these leakage paths?
• What are the key improvements that need to be made to address these leakage paths and causal factors?
• What industry sector can best address these improvements?”
Why Wall Systems Leak
This article, written in 2011 by Mark Howell and Stephen Bentz of Facility Engineering Associates describes what the building survey generally entails and how the problems that cause leaks and other envelope failures are assessed. The Dillon County Courthouse (DCC) located in Florence, South Carolina and built in 1911 is offered as a case study. Water infiltration, structural deterioration, façade distress, and leaks were pervasive problems thought to be associated with a defective roof system. Failures of the above-grade wall system were discovered.
