Image by wonderferret via Flickr
I have read a book a couple of days ago about controlling water leaks through the details of your design and I want to share with you the ideas presented on the book.
This is the first part of four. Check the other parts here:
Waterproofing through Design Solutions Part 2
Waterproofing through Design Solutions Part 3
Waterproofing through Design Solutions Part 4
There are three concurrent conditions that enable water to leak or enter inside a building.
- There is an opening through a building assembly
- Water is present at that opening
- There is a force to move that water through the opening
What does this mean for architects and architectural detailers?
Well, in order for your building to be water tight you should:
- Block out and remove openings on building assemblies
- Keep water away from those openings
- Neutralize the forces that can move water through the opening
What can be considered as openings?
Roofing has opening under every connections. Walls have openings through the termination of the window frames and door frames. Holes and cracks can occur over time on building units as it deteriorates and grow old.
Sealants and gaskets can be used to block out those openings, but using them as a sole solution will not be reliable enough over time, as they deteriorate and will eventually give way. They will, however, be very useful as key components to an overall waterproofing design.
How would you keep water away from the openings and how would you neutralize the forces that may push water through the opening?
The forces that are being mentioned here include: gravity, surface tension, capillary action, momentum, and air pressure differentials.
- Gravity may pull water towards an opening.
- Surface tension is a characteristic of water which enables it to cling onto an underside of a surface which may run through an opening.
- Capillary action is another characteristic of water which enables it to find its way through small openings and cracks.
- Momentum can be driven by strong wind loads or gravity.
- Air pressure differentials between the outside and the inside of a building may force water to enter an opening through capillary action.
- Wash
- Overlap
- Overhang and Drip
- Drain and Weep
- Cold Roof
- Foundation Drainage
- Capillary Break
- Labyrinth
- Rainscreen Assembly
- Upstand
Some of these details we already know of and have already been using on our designs and some are details that we are aware of but have no idea of the concepts involved with deriving the design. Although they may sound and look simple, combining some of these details would make the entire building completely waterproof.
On the next part of this topic, I will show you what these architectural details look like and how they are applied to an architectural design.
...continue to part 2
References:
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