Your job is to find the leak and propose a solution in the most efficient way possible with precision and accuracy. The most difficult part of this process is knowing how to manage the information you collect.

For example, absorptive veneer is less of a concern if proper moisture control has been incorporated into the design with a moisture retarder and through-wall flashing. You need to identify thermal variation in infrared imaging as either air stratification or moisture intrusion with visual confirmation and/or moisture readings. Moisture readings may indicate minimal condensation in metal framing studs but may not be the source of the leak. Water testing and destructive or disruptive removal generally are fail-safe ways of finding out what you are dealing with but may not always be the best choice for customers under certain circumstances such as packaging and food processing facilities where quality control is paramount.

My personal experience brings a few case studies to mind. In one instance, our team was called to solve a leak issue on an inverted roof membrane assembly system with concrete pavers and pedestals. The leak had persisted for more than five years and cost the customer more than $20,000 in service calls and repairs. After two site visits and roughly $3,000 in investigative services, we isolated the leak to a punctured membrane that would cost less than $500 to repair.

In another case, a commercial property manager had not paid a series of service invoices because the roof was under warranty and he believed the roof system was to blame for a persistent leak. A water test proved the source of entry was a deficient goose neck vent more than 30 feet away that would pond inside a right angle of the fabricated metal, overflow onto a metal truss and travel through three fire walls via a V-shaped channel at the top of the truss, drip onto metal stud framing and overflow onto the floor during sustained rain.

These examples show where the realms of theoretical knowledge and practical experience collide, sometimes with devastating effects. Meaning, in theory, if water is coming in from above it must be the roof, right? But practically speaking, the enclosure system must work together as a whole to function properly and often it is the transition points that fail.

I’ve had customers tell me: “There’s no way it’s my chimney leaking; it must be the roof because the stains are on my ceiling.” In theory, this statement makes sense. But practically speaking, if your chimney has voids in the mortar joints and no through-wall flashing, it’s typically the chimney to blame more than the roof but you still must address both. Testing can help demonstrate this to customers.

Communicating these concepts is painstaking work. Unfortunately, it’s the customer who tends to suffer the most. This is why some companies opt for due diligence investigations on existing buildings before beginning successive phases of construction. That way, in measured steps, skilled inspectors can visually assess the situation, recommend testing and then make the best recommendations for repairs or replacement to follow.

For example, a thorough investigative infrared contract in the tens of thousands of dollars makes far more sense than errant claims regarding preexisting moisture intrusion. These debates sometimes happen in reroofing projects. An owner might claim the contractor installed wet polyisocyanurate when the base layers were wet all along. This kind of argument could halt production and cost hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars in lost revenue and investigative and legal fees. If considered upfront, it could be investigated and verified for a fraction of the overall roofing budget.

Communication is key

Moisture intrusion investigation information must be presented using qualitative and quantitative analysis so all parties involved can act on that information quickly and decisively. But it primarily is the marriage of theory and practicality, combining the carefully considered technical requirements set forth by a designer to be executed using the invaluable experience of a skilled installer. Bridging this gap may be a challenge, but it is necessary industry professionals learn from frequent, repetitive mistakes using investigative processes and reporting.

We should be humbled by the challenges we face in solving difficult problems in our industry while sharing what we learn along the way. Ernest Hemingway wrote: “There are some things which cannot be learned quickly, and time, which is all we have, must be paid heavily for their acquiring. They are the very simplest things and because it takes a man’s life to know them the little new that each man gets from life is very costly and the only heritage he has to leave.”

Original Source Information https://www.professionalroofing.net/Articles/Diagnosing-persistent-leaks--10-01-2021/4955