Hello again. The Chamberlin Man here.
Complications with building enclosures are, well, complicated. As we in the business know all too well, buildings that appear to be simple six-sided boxes are actually complex webs of intersecting systems. What makes building enclosures especially complex is that each system is distinctly different and can be produced by various manufacturers. When you stop to ponder the situation, it should come as no surprise that these systems could fail one another. The manufacturer of a water infiltration system isn’t concerned with noise reduction. So, why would we expect these systems to seamlessly overlap?
We can all agree transitions, terminations and penetrations are where most problems occur. There are thousands of technical factors that contribute to common breakdowns. Uninformed specifications and a cost–cutting economy add opportunities for more issues to be written into blueprints.
Entire organizations and consultancies have been created to support quality assurance for building enclosures. It’s certainly an area that needs all the attention it can get. Matter of fact, the majority of litigation in construction is related to water intrusion through building enclosures! I suppose that’s reason enough for us to give it a closer look, so check out this story by John Posenecker, Senior Associate and Department Manager at Building Exterior Solutions, in the Consultant’s Corner of Chamberlin’s latest newsletter.
Until next time, I'll be seeing you around. 
