It May Rain But There Is No Need For Moisture Related Problems To Pour In
For those of us who are not native speakers, the English language provides a rich variety of quirky idioms, and one of my favourites is ‘it never rains but it pours.’ Why? Because it’s not only an interesting way of expressing the way problems can multiply and accelerate, it also seems to echo the British obsession with the country’s wet climate.
For those of us who are not native speakers, the English language provides a rich variety of quirky idioms, and one of my favourites is ‘it never rains but it pours.’ Why? Because it’s not only an interesting way of expressing the way problems can multiply and accelerate, it also seems to echo the British obsession with the country’s wet climate. And with good reason. Rain, wind and high humidity are every day concerns in the UK. Consequently, for those of us who work in the built environment sector, an obsession with climate is not just a topic for small talk, but an occupational hazard too.
Moisture-related problems account for around 90% of building failures in the UK, despite advances in construction practices. Indeed, some of these issues have even been exacerbated by practices designed to reduce heat loss and improve building comfort. This is because it is impossible to prevent moisture from penetrating the structure due to wet weather conditions and high variable humidity during the cold winter months and, without careful specification of the building fabric, that moisture can become trapped. Once it’s trapped, if there is no provision made for moisture to back dry into the building’s interior during periods of low relative humidity, it can cause issues with damp, mould and rot within the building envelope over time. And once those problems have begun, it never rains, but it pours!
So how can we stop moisture-related issues from happening in the first place? At Pro Clima, we have developed humidity-variable airtightness membranes that address the big built environment concerns of reducing heat lost and supporting energy efficient design, while ensuring that moisture trapped in the building envelope during construction does not become locked in for good.
We call this technology Hydrosafe and we are so evangelical about it that I will be touring the UK this autumn as part of a seminar tour with our UK distributor, Ecological Building Systems, to explain how it works and why it benefits the long term durability and service life of structures. My presentations will sit alongside a number of other talks on all aspects of airtightness, building comfort and protecting buildings from structural damage, along with practical product demonstrates and a round table discussion. It’s all part of our celebrations for BBA approval of our Intello Plus airtightness membrane, which uses hydrosafe technology to ensure trapped moisture can gradually disperse from the building envelope, while providing excellent airtightness performance.
If you’d like to know more about how our hydrosafe technology can help protect buildings that have been exposed to high humidity levels during their construction phase, why don’t you join us in London, Swindon, Belfast, Glasgow or Birmingham? We look forward to seeing you at one of the five fantastic venues on the tour.
