The Big Disconnect: Roof to Wall Connections for your Air Barrier

As more states, jurisdictions and the design community require air barriers, the issue of connecting the wall air barrier assembly to other building assemblies, such as below grade, window systems and roofs need to be completely understood in order to design and construct a functioning building enclosure. One of the most often missed or not well executed details is the connection between the wall air barrier and roof assembly. With a myriad of roof systems, wall configurations and the growing number of wall air barrier products, it can be difficult to navigate the process in regards to what systems work best with each other and the chemical compatibility of these systems. This presentation will focus on things to consider from a design standpoint, along with practical approaches to ensuring a robust connection is constructed and executed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand why the roof/wall air barrier intersection is critical to building performance in regards to moisture management and air leakage control and common design and field errors
2. Become aware of compatibility issues related to wall and roof air barrier components for the myriad of air barrier and roofing assemblies that exist on the market today
3. Identify pre-construction coordination items to review and allocation of responsibilities to sub-trades for proper execution of connection
4. Review requirements for detailing the roof/wall interface and the sequence of construction for most common roof/wall air barrier connections

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Melissa Payne, BECxP, CxA+BE, CDT

Melissa I. Payne focuses on offering building enclosure third-party services. She founded Midwest Enclosure Consulting in September 2022 to offer owners, design, and construction teams expertise in building science, building envelope solutions, forensic investigations, as well as building performance assessments and construction onsite inspections.
Ms. Payne joined Tremco CPG Inc. on November 1, 2018, as a Construction Management Specialist. She then managed the Enclosure System Solutions Team and administered the MyTEAM Leak-Free Warranty Processes and Services till April 25, 2023, at which time the company decided these services would no longer be offered under Tremco CPG, Inc.
Prior to joining Tremco, she provided building enclosure commissioning and consulting service and conducted forensic investigations on a multitude of projects while at Miller Engineering, P.C. Prior to developing and heading the building enclosure division at Miller, she served as the Owner’s Representative on both capital and non-cap construction and restoration projects for City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri, a municipal utility company.

Ms. Payne possesses a strong foundation in industry standards related to building envelope commissioning processes, commissioning authority, building science, construction observation, performance testing, project management, and general construction of building envelope systems, including institutional, schools, higher education, government, healthcare,
hospitality, and industrial projects. Her owner representative, third-party consulting experience, forensic work, commissioning provider background, and manufacturer internal consultant involvement give her an all-enveloping perspective of the design and construction industry. Currently, she works with owners, architects, engineers, designers, construction managers/general contractors, and enclosure trades to promote the integrity and performance of building enclosures. She is known for bringing collaboration to the design and construction process. She focuses on bridging the gap in design and construction with design review services, development of project-specific details, construction observation, and documentation, and focuses on mitigating risks as they relate to the design and construction of the building enclosure system.