We were recently contacted by a commercial property manager who owns a ten-year-old shopping plaza. Some of the tenants were experiencing stained ceiling tiles, water dripping down storefront windows, roof leaks, wet carpet and other frustrating issues.
We were asked to identify the source of the issues.
This week we performed Building Diagnostics at the shopping plaza following ASTM E2128, ASTM E1105, and ASTM E1186. Spray racks, pressure testing devices, infrared thermography, nuclear devices and other technologies were utilized to track down the source(s).
After a couple long days of testing with five of our most experienced commercial technicians, we were able to identify the issues.
It appears that the designer/builder assumed the facade would be the drainage plane for this building. So, proper flashing, drainage, etc. were not utilized to drain the wall system. In some cases, mortar was used to seal where dissimilar materials met and in other areas the “proper sealants” had failed.
In addition, some parapet details were missed, allowing air and water intrusion into the roof assembly.
While this will not be an easy or inexpensive fix, the owner can now eliminate the water intrusion and prevent further damage to the building.