NIST Clearing House for Infiltration Modeling Purposes (CHIMP) Infiltration is the unintended and uncontrolled air leaking into a building through intentional and unintentional openings. While infiltration has been used to fulfill outdoor air requirements in buildings, it is not generally accepted as a “best practice” anymore. But how much infiltration can you expect in a […]

 Case Study on ICF Panel Waterproofing Failures This is a case study on Construction Defects in a $1.3 million new home built with insulated concrete forms (aka ICF panels). ICF is becoming increasingly popular for custom homes and DIYers, but many details are hard to find, and many trades are unfamiliar with their unique requirements. […]

Building Enclosure Commissioning (BECx) As the construction industry evolves, Building Envelope Commissioning (BECx) is emerging as a crucial practice that building owners increasingly recognize for its value across new construction, retrofits, and existing buildings. With rising expectations for weathertightness and energy efficiency, the role of the building envelope in overall performance, operational costs, and occupant […]

Development of Non-Destructive /Non-Invasive Techniques for Assessing Building Envelope Performance: Air Leakage & High Moisture Assessing the performance of building envelopes is becoming more important, especially when retrofitting existing buildings. Using non-destructive methods for these assessments is ideal because they are usually quicker and cheaper than destructive means. In this presentation we will discuss available […]

Sealing Joints in the Building Envelope Joint failure is one of the most common—and costly—causes of moisture intrusion in buildings. This seminar addresses the often-overlooked disconnect between architects selecting joint sealants and engineers calculating joint movement. When the selected sealant’s movement capability isn’t aligned with actual joint movement, failure is inevitable. In Sealing the Building […]