| Building Envelope Analysis
Water Intrusion Inspections
Building Product Inspections
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Is it time for your home or office Building Envelope Inspection? We’ll find the Cause & Origin of strange odors, wet, or damp areas of your home or office and return your home or office to a healthy indoor environment Today!
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Take Control of Your Indoor Environment Call Microshield Today and
Schedule Your Building Envelope Inspection. (407) 383-9459
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Conducting an Indoor Environmental Assessment and Building Envelope Analysis in Central Florida differs from many other areas across the Country. We have different construction methods than those applied in the north or even the mid west. The changes are reflected in the building envelope and the way in which we address the thermal dynamics of our region.
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A building envelope is the separation between the interior and the exterior environments of a building. It serves as the outer shell to protect the indoor environment as well as to facilitate its climate control. Building envelope design is a specialized area of architectural and engineering practice that draws from all areas of building science and indoor climate control.
Building envelope design includes four major performance objectives:
Control of air includes air movement through the components of the building envelope (interstitial) itself, as well as into and out of the interior space which affects building insulation greatly.
The physical components of the envelope include the foundation, roof, walls, doors and windows. The dimensions, performance and compatibility of materials, fabrication process and details, their connections and interactions are the main factors that determine the effectiveness and durability of the building enclosure system.
Common measures of the effectiveness of a building envelope include physical protection from weather and climate (comfort), indoor air quality (hygiene and public health), durability and energy efficiency. In order to achieve these objectives, all building enclosure systems must include a solid structure, a drainage plane, an air barrier, a thermal barrier, and may include a vapor barrier.
Moisture control is essential in Florida's hot and humid climate especially during the “dog” days of summer when it rains every afternoon. The Florida summer can really test a building's envelope.
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When we conduct a building envelope inspection we often find wall design errors which inadvertently create “double vapor barriers” by their assembly of non-permeable materials. This condition may interrupt the natural drying process of a home or buildings walls creating a significant accumulation of moisture and biological growth.
The Cause and Origin of many Indoor Air Quality issues begins with a Building Envelope. Building envelope problems are some of the most common building problems encountered. Yet, they are still some of the least understood and can be some of the hardest to properly diagnose and correct.
Until you can correctly and conclusively identify the Cause and Origin of your Indoor Air Quality problem and take the necessary corrective action, the Indoor Air Quality problem will remain.
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Microshield can help you identify the cause and origin of even the most Difficult Water Intrusion and Building Envelope Failure Issues. Call Us Today (407) 383-9459
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Until you can correctly and conclusively identify the Cause and Origin of your Indoor Air Quality problem and take the necessary corrective action the Indoor Air Quality problem will remain.
The building envelope will protect you from the exterior elements and will allow you to maintain a comfortable and healthy indoor environment. If the building envelope fails you can and will have substantial indoor environmental issues when the exterior elements enter the building.
The building envelope is what separates the inside of a building from the outside. A typical building envelope consists of the foundation, exterior walls, windows, doors, and the roof. This sounds simple enough…but because of the many complex products and systems involved, the building as a whole can become quite complicated and finding the specific cause and origin of a building envelope failure impossible for many.
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Call Microshield Today and Schedule Your
Building Envelope Inspection. (407) 383-9459
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When the building envelope is damaged, compromised, or was built wrong to begin with, then issues begin to appear. The problems listed below, and many other problems, can be attributed to building envelope problem. Have you seen any of these issues in your building?
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Damp carpeting
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Wet or damp walls
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Foundation moisture
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Drafts & Cold Spots
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Premature paint failure
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Mold & Mildew issues
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New and unusual Odors
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Stains on walls and ceilings
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Rust and corrosion problems
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Recurring water problems & damage
While some building envelope problems are easy to identify, others make it difficult to accurately find the root cause. They often camouflage themselves as another issue; making detection and correction of the real problem a challenge. Not only can these issues “hide in plain sight” but many moisture related problems happen in hidden areas and are not discovered until a substantial amount of damage has been done.
To identify the not-so-obvious symptoms, particularly if the interior signs have not occurred or been identified, is when an inspectors’ knowledge and experience comes into play. It’s equally important that the inspector have a thorough knowledge of inspection methods and assessment protocols.
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Moisture Inside Your Building?
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Not all moisture related issues are caused by moisture entering the building from the exterior.
What do you do when the moisture issue is created inside your building?
Or when both interior and exterior factors are contributing to a moisture issue?
Many factors can influence how moisture moves into and out of commercial buildings. These factors include, building usage, zones, stack effect, wind, pressure differentials, and interior and exterior claddings; all of which make commercial buildings more complicated and therefore more difficult to properly diagnose than residential property.
Additional factors contributing to moisture entering the building from the exterior include building age and construction, poor building practices, improperly installed components, shoddy repairs, deferred maintenance, and environmental factors.
Combine all these considerations with internal issues such as ground water, condensation, humidity levels, air pressure differentials, and building functions; all of which contribute to moisture inside the building envelope. That makes for many, many ways for air and moisture to interact with the building and its components.
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Call Microshield Today and Schedule Your
Building Envelope Inspection. (407) 383-9459
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Building Envelope Analysis - Investigations & Assessments
Microshield provides several methods of investigation and assessment are available depending on the type of problem you are experiencing.
An investigation begins by obtaining information as much information as possible about the building and the issue. Information can come from the building owner, maintenance people, employees, as well as contractors who have worked on the issue.
Building plans, drawings, maintenance details, and other documentation are also used. By obtaining as much information as possible about the building and the issue we are better able to address your needs and help you resolve the problem.
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Visual Inspection – This is an on-site inspection of the building to assess building conditions. Oftentimes a visual inspection is performed in combination with some form of non-invasive testing. Depending on the nature or complexity of the issue, the findings of this inspection can be used to create a detailed plan of action to diagnose and determine causes.
Non-Invasive Testing – This testing is used to support the findings of the visual inspection. Electronic moisture detection equipment, moisture measurement tools, permeability testing, borescope cameras, hygrometers, plus other equipment and test methods can be used to assess the building.
Invasive Testing & Analysis – Invasive testing is used to verify findings, determine if proper components were used in construction, verify if proper installation or repair techniques were followed, and to define the extent of a problem. Examples of invasive testing include the removal of various materials and claddings, sealant testing, and water testing.
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