It’s Not Raining—Where is the Water Coming From? Moisture Movement in Building Enclosures

This was initially presented at the 2021 International Convention and Trade Show. 

Water damage is the number one cause resulting in lawsuits against builders. In the spring, the roof leaks, but it has not rained for months. Where is the water coming from? I used high-permeable materials in the building construction, so why do I have moisture problems? I have been constructing buildings for decades; I never had a moisture problem in the past, so why am I getting them now? This presentation shows the ways that moisture moves in the building and why moisture problems are showing up in today’s construction. The energy and moisture transport calculator is used to provide some of the answers to these questions.

Laverne Dalgleish

Laverne Dalgleish has spent most of his life in the construction business. As the executive director of the Air Barrier Association of America, he has been involved in all their research projects, starting with a major one to show the energy savings of airtight buildings. Dalgleish is the coordinator for developing material specifications for air and water-resistive barriers and test methods to determine the material properties. As the developer of ABAA’s Site Quality Assurance Program, he saw the problems caused by water intrusion and poor wo