{"id":5223,"date":"2018-02-21T14:31:07","date_gmt":"2018-02-21T19:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/randpc.com\/blog\/?p=5223"},"modified":"2022-11-30T09:50:50","modified_gmt":"2022-11-30T14:50:50","slug":"ask-the-engineer-the-key-to-healthy-walls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/m.randpc.com\/blog\/ask-the-engineer-the-key-to-healthy-walls\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask the Engineer: The Key to Healthy Walls"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Common

Common symptoms and causes of exterior wall distress include (clockwise, upper left): efflorescence, spalls, cracks, and deteriorated mortar.<\/p><\/div>\n

A building\u2019s exterior walls protect the interior spaces from a constant barrage of the elements. Over time, however, exposure to wind, rain, snow, and sun; lack of maintenance; improper repairs; and\/or poor design and construction can lead to leaks, cracks, rust, dry rot, and ultimately failure of the wall system.<\/div>\n
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A compromised building envelope not only diminishes the quality of life for occupants, but also decreases property values and can affect a building\u2019s structural integrity or even pose a safety hazard for pedestrians.<\/div>\n
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The key to maintaining healthy walls is identifying, diagnosing, and repairing problems before they become serious.\u00a0Exterior restoration projects can be a challenging undertaking given their often hefty costs and lengthy timelines, but deferring work or attempting quick fixes can exacerbate the underlying issues and make matters even worse and even more costly to properly correct.<\/div>\n

In RAND's latest Ask the Engineer column, we discuss:<\/p>\n