Fortifiber

Designing for Moisture Control
A number of practical strategies help architects and builders design effectively for moisture control. These strategies depend on building materials that possess the proper moisture management characteristics:

Preventing External Water Intrusion
The most important moisture control strategy is to prevent building assemblies (walls and floors) from getting wet due to external water sources. In most climates, the typical external source of water is rainfall. Strategies to control water intrusion from rainfall blend the right building design with the proper combination of building materials.

Controlling Internal Moisture Sources
Building assemblies must be prevented from getting wet due to moisture from internal sources. The building's construction and selection of building materials should allow building assemblies to breathe. Built-up moisture can then be eliminated before causing any damage.

Allowing Building Assemblies to Dry Out
Intelligent design assumes that the building assemblies will get wet, so they need to be able to dry out before damage occurs. This requires a design — implemented with the appropriate building materials — that provides the opportunity for building assemblies to do this.

Effective moisture control requires that individual building materials operate together as a complete system. This is one of the most important factors in the successful long-term performance of building assemblies.

Our Approach to Moisture Control Systems
The Fortifiber Building Systems Group designs building materials to operate as integral parts in a complete Moisture Control System. This systems orientation is reflected in the many things we do, including:

• Ongoing work with building scientists to develop new materials that offer increased protection from water intrusion and moisture.
• Rigorous laboratory and field testing, which ensure complete compatibility between our various elements in our Moisture Control Systems — Weather-Resistive Barrier product line, flashing products and underslab vapor retarders.
• The development of unique products that increase the effectiveness of our Moisture Control Systems, such as Moistop Tape®, Moistop® Sealant and The Boot™.

This approach results in building materials that prove to be incredibly effective in protecting walls and flooring systems against water intrusion and moisture. It is one of the reasons we point to more than sixty years of proven performance in the field, and why our customers have continued to specify the use of our products — year after year — in over five million homes and commercial buildings.

57454-857