From Duarbility & Design-Building-Envelope 101’s Simple Lesson No 1: ‘Think Like a Raindrop’

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“Think like a raindrop.”

Ray Wetherholt

That’s advice for design professionals from Washington State-based building-envelope consultant Ray Wetherholt, PE, RRC, RWC, of Wetherholt and Associates, Kirkland and Olympia. Since founding his business in 1984, Ray has made a specialty of helping to create building envelopes that resist water intrusion, and fixing those that don’t.

Water is good at getting into walls, he says. When it does, depending on the way the building envelope is constructed, nasty problems can result.

Mold, and the litigation it brings, is one of the most widely known problems. Water also can warp, decay and rust building-envelope components; delaminate paint; and deposit ugly stains on interior and exterior walls.

But if you look at water intrusion from water’s point of view, Ray says, it will help you navigate a building-envelope landscape that is constantly changing and evolving.

Since water follows gravity, it’s wise to employ water-shedding designs that let water do what it wants to do—flow downhill. Don’t depend on laps that buck water or interrupt the water flow. Don’t build flat shelves, or try to catch water flowing down a wall.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER AND READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT DURABILITY & DESIGN