Dictionary of Moisture Protection & Restoration

II. WATERPROOFING THERMAL AND MOISTURE PROTECTION MasterFormat – Division 07

Facts: 1) 95% of construction litigation is the result of water intrusion. 2) 90% of all water intrusion problems occur within 1% of the structure’s exterior surface area. 3) 95% of all water leaks are attributable to causes other than material or system failures. While individual waterproofing materials and systems continue to improve, no one is improving the necessary, and often critical, detailing that is required to transition from one building component to the next. Furthermore, we seem to move further away from the superior results achieved by applying basic waterproofing principles, such as maximizing roof slopes, to achieve desired aesthetic values instead. There is no reason that aesthetics cannot be fully integrated with sound waterproofing guidelines. It is up to the industry to acknowledge these shortcomings and to resolve water intrusion problems at the job site rather than in the courtroom.

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