With as many ways as there are to construct a wall system, there are an equal number of ways to try to keep that wall dry. But as we race to waterproof our wall assemblies, we may be inadvertently making it easier for moisture-related issues to fester. After all, no matter how tightly we construct our buildings, water is inevitably going to find its way in. There’s no such thing as a “waterproof” wall.
What we can affect is how to properly manage moisture within a wall cavity. The walls that will last the longest are the ones that have been designed to realistically manage moisture and dry out, not those designed to achieve the unachievable goal of completely locking out all moisture. Choices for managing moisture are expanding, driven by advances in technology, evolving building codes, and a growing customer concern with mold prevention, indoor air quality and energy efficiency—among many other factors.