Building Envelope Survey

The building envelope is the single most important element of a building. It is the separation between the interior and the exterior environments and serves as the outer shell to protect the indoor environment as well as facilitating its climate control. All building envelopes must include a solid, well designed structure, a drainage plane (a way for water to exit the building envelope), an air barrier, and a thermal barrier. If any one of these components fails or is not designed properly, building damage can occur. This will not only degrade the structural integrity of the building, but also pose a risk to its occupants.

Over the last 10 years, Building Diagnostics Group has inspected over 50 million square feet of stucco facades in multi-family and commercial properties across the United States. We were asked by our peers (fellow thermographers) to write a white paper on the subject, and we presented it at the 2006 InfraMation Conference in Las Vegas. Inspection is the most effective way to evaluate the overall condition of a building. We routinely perform these services for building owners, facility owners, engineering firms, and buyers during the due diligence process of an acquisition. In a single visit to a multi-family property in Texas, we found over $3.5 million in hidden structural/sheathing damage. This particular property was part of an asset portfolio in a multi-property deal. Our client was able to negotiate the repairs based on our findings.

Typically, we can inspect 10-15 buildings in only a few days and develop an overall opinion of the condition of a building envelope. Infrared imaging is completely non-destructive and non-intrusive. This means we will not disrupt the building’s occupants during our services, nor will we cause damage to the building. In some cases, depending on our clients’ goals, we may recommend small destructive test cuts in areas that we determine to be anomalies (areas of concern). While generally not essential, these test cuts will allow us to verify the level of damage (baseline) that we identify with our infrared testing equipment. We use a baseline to properly document the entire project.

A building envelope survey should be considered prior to the end of the warranty on a new property. Recently, we conducted a survey of a new property in Florida. The multi-family luxury apartment complex consisted of 24 buildings, with 12 units per building. We found consistent evidence of water infiltration in 18 of the 24 buildings. Even though the complex was new, we successfully identified over $1 million dollars in OSB sheathing damage. As a result, our survey prompted a full blown investigation, including an engineering firm to write a remediation protocol for the necessary repairs. This project was a huge success for the owners--by placing the burden of repairs back on the original contractor, they avoided long term exposure to liability.

In 2006, our team conducted infrared building envelope surveys on 40+ high-rise condominiums to identify water damage impact from the 2004/2005 hurricane season in Florida. As a result, we were able to identify and document storm damage to the structural components of these buildings. To date, over half of these projects have resulted in positive settlements for the condominium associations.

Building diagnostics is a process of data collection concerning the conditions of suspect faults, abnormalities, and defects in a building. The process can be carried out by visual observations but is often aided by advanced technology such as infrared thermography. The end product we provide is an in-depth evaluation and prediction of the likely causes of the defects (faults) found in a building and suggestions for appropriate remedial actions. Building diagnostics is not an exact science. Very often, the final opinion is based on professional judgment. It is important that this final judgment be made only after careful, experienced consideration and the proper use of advanced technology.

Whether you are purchasing a new property, are nearing the end of your warranty period, or are about to undergo a renovation, Building Diagnostics Group can help you save thousands in hidden damages. Our service doesn’t cost--it pays!

Contact us today for more information about all of our building diagnostics services.