Erosion paths cut into solid rock prove water is immensely powerful in its various forms and will eat away or destroy whatever is in its path. Without intervention, whether it takes one year, two hundred years or even ten thousand years, water can and will destroy our man-made structures. Once a problem develops, a pathway opens for intrusion. One rainy season can render a building unsuitable for human use.

We have the knowledge and tools to combat the destruction of our structures. We implement counterattacks in the design stage, during construction, and afterwards with proactive maintenance. The battle against water begins in the design phase.

Moisture resistance principles and methods are discussed in a systematic fashion, as in one building system at a time. Fundamentals are covered first including basic principles of water behavior and the multiple paths it takes while invading buildings. A thorough knowledge of how destruction begins and escalates, allows for knowledgeable decisions about the design principles and material used to stop such migration. Then, practical solutions are discussed in detail.

The discussion is needed. The physical price tag for both our structures and their occupants is too high to allow water to freely enter into our occupied spaces.

At the end of this course, the learner should have a better understanding of the following:

• A basic understanding of how water moves, migrates, and behaves
• Typical sources of excess moisture in our built environments
• Proactive prevention of unwanted moisture through planning and design
• Methods used during construction to prevent the intrusion of water
• Post-construction prevention of leakage by building envelope inspection
• Common points of failure through which water can gain entrance 
• Prevention of water intrusion through control of condensation