Waterproofing 101: The Science of Keeping Water Out of Buildings

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Society expects today's buildings to be watertight, which includes protection from rainwater, ground water, and water vapor. But, how exactly is this accomplished? In this video, we dive into the details of waterproofing design and construction in the context of the historical drivers of today's practices.

00:20 - Egyptians and Historic Waterproofing
00:50 - Three Types of Water Demand
02:25 - Tricky Water Vapor Elaboration
03:00 - Historical Context
03:30 - Today's Problems
03:55 - 1970's Energy Crises
04:40 - Leaky Condo Crisis ($1 billion in damages!)
06:30 - Tip #1 - Rainscreen
07:00 - Tip #2 - Slopes & Overhangs
07:30 - Tip #3 - Belt & Suspenders
08:15 - Tip #4 - Continuity
08:40 - Brilliant!

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References:
[1] K. K. Hirst, The Archaeology and History of Bitumen, ThoughtCo, 2019.
[2] J. Straube, Historical Development of the Building Enclosure, Building Science Digest, 2006.
[3] Miller Thomson LLP, Water Ingress Claims in British Columbia: Will Rainscreens and Building Envelope Professionals Prevent Another "Leaky Condo Crisis"?, 2016.