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Managing exterior sources of liquid water, i.e. rainwater and groundwater, are one of the principal functions of the building enclosure system, and site work (refer to Information Sheets 101, and 301… Read More

Claddings made of wood, fiber cement, stucco, concrete, and masonry all absorb water to varying degrees. Once the reservoirs get wet, the stored water can migrate elsewhere and cause problems.… Read More

It is common practice to install a complete WRB on a wall assembly before attaching a deck ledger. Then, when the deck ledger is attached, structural connections at this location breech this water… Read More

Gravity is the driving force behind drainage. The “down” direction harnesses the force of gravity and the “out” direction gets the water away from the building enclosure assemblies, openings,… Read More

Window and doors are typically installed using one of two approaches: 1) barrier system installation or 2) a drained system installation. Barrier installations do not provide for forgiveness to water… Read More

“Rain is the single most important factor to control in order to construct a durable structure.”    - Dr. Joseph LstiburekDrainage planes (also referred to as “water resistive barrier… Read More

Common Advanced Framing DetailsOptimum-value engineering (OVE) framing techniques were developed under a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative in the 1960's to cut the cost of houses by… Read More

Keeping soil gas (radon, water vapor, herbicides, termiticides, methane, etc.) out of foundations cannot be done by building hole-free foundations because hole-free foundations cannot be built. Soil… Read More

Water managed foundation systems prevent the build-up of water against foundation walls, thereby eliminating hydrostatic pressure. No pressure, no force to push water through a hole.Groundwater… Read More

Joseph Lstiburek's classic list of building practices not recommended for hot-humid climates. This list was first posted on Building Science Corporation's website in 1997.10. Vented Attics and Vented… Read More