Moisture Management

Gargoyle, Château d'Amboise, France


Photo: Ben Aveling. License: CC BY-SA 3.0

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.


    Loading...
  • Antimicrobial Chemicals in Buildings: Hygiene or Harm?

    Feature Article

    Carpets, door handles, and a myriad of other building products now contain pesticides targeting fungi and bacteria, offering potential benefit to the indoor environment, but also raising health concerns. This article asks whether antimicrobial products live up to their marketing claims and whether relying on them is a sound path to a hygienic environment.

  • Treated Wood in Transition: Less Toxic Options in Preserved and Protected Wood

    Feature Article

    Following the recent phaseout of CCA, the dominant wood preservative of the last 30 years, the treated wood industry is in major transition. Some current wood treatment technologies present familiar environmental problems, while less-toxic alternatives are just entering the market.

Quick Takes

Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.


    Loading...
  • Choosing Between an ERV and an HRV

    Primer

    Don't get fooled into buying a more expensive and complex system if what you really need is a dehumidifier.

  • How Active Dehumidification Works

    Primer

    Whether you choose a refrigerant-based or a desiccant-based system, dehumidifiers use energy and produce waste heat.

  • How "Smart" Vapor Retarders Work

    Primer

    Vapor retarders are supposed to keep our buildings dry, but they sometimes keep them wet instead. Enter the "smart" vapor retarder.

  • Basics of the Psychrometric Chart

    Primer

    In high-performance buildings, we have to manage energy and moisture with equal intensity. The psychrometric chart shows us how.

Product Guidance

Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.


In The News

We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.


Perspective

Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.


Learning Resources

Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.


  • Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
  • Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
  • You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.

Just For Fun

Something weird happens every April at BuildingGreen...


  • Check if your spelling is correct, or try removing filters.
  • Remove quotes around phrases to match each word individually: "blue drop" will match less than blue drop.
  • You can require or exclude terms using + and -: big +blue drop will require a match on blue while big blue -drop will exclude results that contain drop.