Authored By: Sam Myers

As building codes and owner expectations evolve, more commercial buildings across the United States are being designed to meet standards that reduce air leakage through the building enclosure. Some states are adding air tightness and testing requires to their building codes. There are also several third-party standards that require tighter building enclosures such as LEED and the Army Corps of Engineers.  The presence of a tighter building enclosure allows for lower utility bills, provides the ability to size mechanicals correctly, improves indoor air quality and reduces issues due to moisture brought in by outside air. According to the Building Envelope Technology Access Centre in Canada, most warranty callbacks for commercial new construction are due to moisture. These issues include shrinkage (nail pops and cracked concrete), water intrusion from poor grading, cracks and bad flashing details, interior finish damage from stains and joint movement,