Moisture Management
Moisture management in buildings requires detailed thinking about all the ways water moves through them. The most neglected of these is probably air leaks. The design and construction of the building enclosure determines how well the building performs in relation to water—and for how long. The whole team—from architect to structural and mechanical engineers to construction managers and subcontractors—should be educated about and held accountable for moisture risks.
Moisture Management
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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Go with the Flows: The Promise and Peril of Hygrothermal Modeling
Feature
Tools modeling heat and moisture flows in building envelopes, such as WUFI, offer vital information for architects and engineers-but their misuse can do harm.
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What Makes the Building Envelope Green? BuildingGreen’s Guide to Thermal & Moisture Protection Products
Feature
From insulation to flashing tape to cladding, we look at the attributes of the greenest building envelope products.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Dry-Bulb? Wet-Bulb? What's the Difference?
Explainer
Dry-bulb and wet-bulb thermometers measure two different types of heat. Understanding them is crucial to understanding building science.
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Basics of the Psychrometric Chart
Explainer
In high-performance buildings, we have to manage energy and moisture with equal intensity. The psychrometric chart shows us how.
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How "Smart" Vapor Retarders Work
Explainer
Vapor retarders are supposed to keep our buildings dry, but they sometimes keep them wet instead. Enter the "smart" vapor retarder.
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How Active Dehumidification Works
Explainer
Whether you choose a refrigerant-based or a desiccant-based system, dehumidifiers use energy and produce waste heat.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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TerraClad Rainscreen Cladding
Product Review
Boston Valley uses high-efficiency kilns to make this handsome recycled-content terra cotta rainscreen.
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Smaller Copper Particles, Smaller Environmental Impact for Treated Wood
Product Review
With its MicroPro treated wood, Osmose is one of several companies making innovations in copper preservative techniques. MicroPro's use of tiny copper particles offers environmental benefits when compared with conventional copper treatment.
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Lime Stucco from American Clay Enterprises
Product Review
American Clay Enterprises, known for its popular natural earth plaster, has introduced a setting lime stucco to the national market.
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HydroGap Drainable Housewrap Doubles as Air Barrier
Product Review
HydroGap housewrap creates a free-draining air space without fussy rainscreen detailing-and serves as an air and weather barrier too.
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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Resilience SOS: How to Save Kids’ Minds, Lungs, and Housing
News Analysis
Global heating is already making today’s children more vulnerable, a new EPA report reveals. Adaptation measures are needed to protect them.
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How to Use the Right Tools to Design for Climate Change
News Analysis
Weather files that help designers plan for climate change will soon be readily available. ASHRAE design conditions still lag.
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ICC Offers Floodplain Inspector Certification
News Brief
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Making Better Concrete: Guidelines to Using Fly Ash for Higher Quality, Eco-Friendly Structures
News Brief
This guide, by Bruce King, Ph.D., covers all the basics of specifying and working with flyash concrete.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Stickiness Explained! Making Building Tapes and Membranes Stay Put
Blog Post
When you use tape to seal a seam or flash a sill, you need peel-and-stick performance—not “stick-and-peel.”
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Sustainable Sealants: The Challenges of Predicting Service Life
Blog Post
Caulk joint sealants can be a major deciding factor in how long your building envelope lasts. Is there a better way to predict how long the sealants last?
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Sealing Without Stickum: Gaskets Make a Place for Themselves
Blog Post
Compressible gaskets keep air and water barriers continuous without liquid sealants or adhesive tapes. But they don’t all last equally well.
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Adhesives and Sealants: Performance First, but Materials Matter
Blog Post
Exterior adhesives and sealants are formulated for performance, but some contain chemicals that pose risks to unprotected workers or the environment.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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Just For Fun
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