Preparation is everything when it comes to construction—especially for air and vapor barrier (AVB) systems. The quality of the substrate directly impacts the success of waterproofing and AVB installation, yet this crucial step often falls to other trades or is dictated by design specifications.

This session will explore key substrate requirements, field best practices, and specification standards to ensure smooth, high-quality installations. Learn how to assess and confirm proper surface preparation, reducing rework and ensuring long-term performance.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand what specification sections will translate to proper substrate preparation for the waterproofing and air and vapor retarder installation.
• Learn the complexities of substrate materials and their installation techniques to provide the best substrate for the next in-sequence material installation needs.
• Evaluate different waterproofing and air & vapor retarder systems and determine a list of substrate attributes necessary for proper installation and discussion with the General Contractor to set proper and timely expectations.
• Be able to evaluate each substrate for preparation compliance and be able to clearly identify and express concerns before the start of the installation.

Presentation by Corey Zussman, AECOM Hunt Construction