Member Spotlight: Jack Hook
My career in construction has spanned over 22 years of combined experience in the construction, testing, and inspection industry. I began my career as a journeyman carpenter, covering everything from form, frame, finish, and trim, in both the residential and commercial markets. After a chance encounter at a fenestration testing laboratory, I decided to refocus my path on a “behind the scenes” area of the construction industry, testing windows and door at a test lab. While working at the test lab, I was lucky to have gained 10 years of specialized experience testing these building assemblies to ASTM, AAMA, FM Global, and Miami-Dade protocols, in both the lab and the field. I also grew my knowledge of the model building codes and the Florida Product Approval system.
These experiences led me to my current role of building enclosure consultant. I enjoy helping my clients, friends, and colleagues fix (but hopefully prevent) building enclosure issues. To me, there really is nothing more satisfying in the construction industry than preventing issues or providing an economical fix to a difficult enclosure problem and saving the client a lot of aggravation (and hopefully, money, too.)
When did you become a licensed field auditor?
A: I earned my certification in 2021 after many years of being in the industry. It felt like a good step forward with such an important building enclosure topic.
What inspired you to pursue the Field Auditor program with ABAA?
A: On an existing building, I was performing a blower door test and, while the building was pressurized, the amount of air leakage was quite significant. Unfavorable indoor air temperature and humidity conditions had previously been attributed to a poorly designed HVAC system and that system “needed to be upgraded” to manage the poor indoor temperature and humidity issues. As it turns out, the cause of the poor indoor conditions was due to the excessive amount of air infiltration from the hot, humid exterior air.
Name: Jack Hook
Title: Senior Project Manager
Company: Building Envelope Consultants and Scientists
City: Jacksonville, Florida
ABAA member for 3 years
How has the Field Auditor certification impacted your career or professional development?
A. The ABAA Field Auditor certification provides needed credibility to the trades. The additional training we receive and the well-defined resources of the ABAA QAP provide a path for all interested parties on the project. It eliminates some of the need to constantly justify “why we are doing this” or “why do we have to do this”.
What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your role as a Field Auditor and how has your certification helped you address them?
A. Different people have different levels of knowledge. This can cause conflicts when identifying issues and trying to relay them to the project team. If a manufacturer report says “good”, it means that there is no issue with how their products were used. That doesn’t necessarily mean the project details are “good” in terms of how the whole building will perform. Having an ABAA certification helps our voice get just a little bit louder when trying to voice these larger concerns.
What advice would you give to someone considering pursuing the Field Auditor certification with ABAA?
A. Do it. It is invaluable to understanding one of the biggest and most important elements of the building enclosure that will impact the continued building performance. Understanding the air barrier will help you at all phases of construction, from concrete slab placement to exterior wall cladding installation to the completion of the roof assembly.
In your opinion, what are the key elements of a successful air barrier audit?
A. Communication is number one. Everyone has to be on the same page. Second is understanding the building and its intended function. There may be areas of the building that need special treatment, such as a demising wall separating conditioned from unconditioned space that is not an exterior wall. Third is a proper drawing review by a competent and qualified person. This can help prevent constructability issues. Fourth, submittal review is critical. These reflect what is actually going to be constructed. And lastly, an audit by a qualified person, such as an ABAA Certified Auditor.
Describe how understanding continuity and component compatibility has improved your work quality, and the work quality of the installers.
A. Knowing where the air barrier system needs to start and stop makes it easy to provide guidance during the design and installation. The goal of an Auditor is not to point fingers, but to provide the needed guidance to ensure the project meets intended requirements. Component compatibility is huge. Understanding when a transition membrane is needed is critical. It is often something overlooked by the installer during the hustle and bustle of getting the installation completed.
Do you foresee an increased demand for improved performance and quality assurance in the air barrier/construction industry?
A. Absolutely. Energy codes are only going to get more restrictive due to concerns of global warming, energy costs related to air conditioning, etc. The US government already requires 3rd party air barrier inspections on many federal projects. I expect the commercial sector to continue their proactive approach in adopting similar requirements as they see the value and ROI by using preventative measures during construction instead of being reactive after a failure is identified. My greatest mentors said it best – “Pay now or pay later!”. Prevention truly is the best medicine.
Any additional insights about your certification experience or working in the air barrier industry?
A. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with others. It is important for what we have learned and continue to learn about air barrier systems becomes more widespread. It will help reduce energy costs and improve occupant comfort throughout the life of the buildings that you are working on.