Building envelope failures in southwestern BC have received much coverage in the past few years. CMHC’s Survey of Envelope Failures in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia identified the cause of the problems and provided a focus for the development of solutions for these problems.The Best Practice Guide – Wood Frame Envelopes in the Coastal Climate of British Columbia was prepared to provide design and construction guidance for new construction.
However, many moisture troubled buildings must still be rehabilitated.The fact that some of these moisture troubled buildings have been previously repaired and now require a second more extensive rehabilitation effort underscores the need for guidance with respect to effective repair and rehabilitation measures. Inconsistencies in the way consultants assess the performance problems, offer recommendations, detail and specify repairs and implement rehabilitation projects have underscored the need of a rehabilitation guide.
The Building Envelope Rehabilitation Guide reflects current best practice in design and construction, and addresses the differences between new and rehabilitation construction.The Consultant Guide is mainly for consultants. It focuses on the repair and rehabilitation of building envelopes of multi-unit wood frame buildings in the coastal climate zone of British Columbia.