Dispelling the Myths about Building Enclosure Warranties

Building Envelope System Warranties are becoming more sought after and bring some real value to a building owner – they help manage risk and obtain peace of mind. What constitutes a building enclosure system warranty? Can such a warranty be attained under one umbrella of coverage? Our industry understands how critical it is to ensure building enclosure protection from water, air, and thermal intrusion, at every level, and at every transition, but is our industry ready for shift in practices to make this a reality for building owners? In a world aiming to minimize financial exposure, system warranties are a good option. But are they really that simple to specify and implement? Join us to learn more about building enclosure system warranties, the value they bring, what they are, how to specify them, and what to look out for during the build process.

Learning Objectives:

1.  Explain the scale and causes of building enclosure failures as a billion-dollar annual issue and describe why performance specifications – defining performance, functional, and technical requirements – are essential to reducing these failures.
2.  Identify and interpret key contract terms, conditions, and warranties, and analyze how they assign responsibilities among parties and outline remedies in cases of claims or breaches.
3.  Differentiate between full system warranties, component warranties, and workmanship warranties, and evaluate how full building envelope warranties align with Building Code compliance and the performance expectations of components that are moderately difficult to access or replace.
4. Distinguish the coverage terms of various whole building envelope warranties and apply this understanding to appropriately incorporate warranty requirements into project specifications

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Melissa Payne, BECxP, CxA+BE, CDT, Owner, Midwest Enclosure Consulting, LLC

Melissa I. Payne is the founder of Midwest Enclosure Consulting (est. 2022), providing third-party building enclosure consulting, forensic investigations, performance assessments, and onsite inspections. She previously led Tremco CPG’s Enclosure System Solutions Team and administered the MyTEAM Leak-Free Warranty program, and before that managed building enclosure commissioning and consulting services at Miller Engineering after serving as an Owner’s Representative for City Utilities of Springfield.With broad experience in building science, commissioning, construction observation, and detail development across multiple building types, Ms. Payne is known for improving collaboration and reducing risk in design and construction. A nationally recognized speaker, she is an active member of SWMO-CSI, ICC, NIBS, BEC-OR (Past Chair), BETEC, ABAA, and IIBEC, and is a published author in Interface magazine.

Corey Zussman, AIA, NCARB, ALA, CABS, QA/QC Vice President, AECOM Hunt

As a forensic architect registered in several states, Corey Zussman has practiced in the construction industry for more than 30 years. He specializes in the building envelope, restoration, preservation, life safety, and interior finishes. While working on over 2000 projects, Corey conducts constructability reviews, pre-installation meetings, comprehensive envelope meetings, and construction observations. He has also become known for providing educational opportunities throughout the industry and has produced more than 200 “lessons learned” papers. Topics include building envelope and life safety concerns, enabling Corey to proactively address issues during design review, pre-construction, and construction. In addition, he has over 15 industry articles about building envelope, life safety, and interior topics. He is also a frequent presenter at local and national conferences and associations with over 60 AIA accredited presentations.

Amy Baker, AIA, LEED AP, Specifications Writer, Amy Baker Architect

Amy Baker is a Registered Architect and Specifications Consultant with over 20 years of experience in commercial construction. She specializes in the technical development of projects with a passion for enclosure detailing, building science, codes, and specifications. Amy is pleased to serve on the Board of Directors for the Building Enclosure Council (BEC-GD), the Detroit Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI), Specification Consultants in Independent Practice (SCIP), and the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA). She is also on RIB SpecLink’s Product Innovation Advisory Board, where she contributes ideas for improving the functionality of one of the leading spec writing platforms in North America. Amy holds two degrees from Lawrence Technological University, where she has been recognized as the university’s 26th Distinguished Architecture Award Recipient.