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Water-Management Strategies for Building Durable Homes

From foundations to roofs, nearly every part of a house requires paying attention to moisture control for a longer-lasting home.

Understanding and planning for moisture control is a hot topic these days as builders and homeowners look to do things right the first time to avoid time-consuming and costly repairs down the road. To help you sort through all the opinions, products, and information out there, we’ve compiled some of our best pieces on water management from experts in the field. For more articles and videos on managing moisture, check out the Water Management chapter of the Insulation Project Guide and the Waterproofing chapter of the Roofing Project Guide.

 

 

  • How-To 1
    Vapor movement illustration
    Vapor: Pressure, Permeance, and Permeability

    High-performance builder Ben Bogie presents a few mental visuals to help understand that elusive moisture menace.

  • Tools & Materials 2
    Water-Resistive Barriers

    The water-impermeable layer beneath the siding protects walls from rain and snow, and often functions as a building's air barrier.

  • Tools & Materials 3
    DuPont-Tyvek-HomeWrap
    Nine Water-Resistive Barriers Worth Knowing About

    A look at some of the most time-tested, well-known brands and some of the newest products to hit the market.

  • How-To 4
    Delta MS plastic membrane
    Dampproofing and Waterproofing for Foundation Walls

    The easiest and most economical place to waterproof a basement or crawlspace is on the outside, but there are reliable interior solutions too.

  • 5
    Understanding Rainscreens

    These construction details can improve the durability of exterior walls by allowing rain and moist air to escape from behind your home's siding.

  • 6
    Choosing Roofing Underlayment

    Building paper is still widely used, but waterproof shingle underlayment is a popular choice for valleys and other leak-prone areas.

  • How-To 7
    Roof for Shingling
    Preparing the Valley of a Roof for Shingling

    Proper preparation goes a long way toward preventing leaks.

  • How-To 8
    Edge Flashing for Roofs

    Roofing contractor Dyami Plotke explains the best way to install rake and eave flashing.

  • How-To 9
    Installing Step Flashing to Prevent Roof Leaks

    The first rule of roof flashing is that water runs downhill; the second rule is that the first rule isn't without exceptions.

  • 10
    Installing Chimney Flashing

    Counterflashing overlaps base flashing to repel water along the chimney/roof line.

  • How-To 11
    vent pipe flashing
    Vent Flashing Done Right

    Back up roof vent boots with flashing, counterflashing, and proper shingling to prevent leaks.

  • How-To 12
    Install Your Own Seamless Gutters

    Looking to save money? Have custom lengths of aluminum gutters rolled out on site, and get out the ladders.

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    The design and structure of the house is quite important and is a matter of much concern
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