Building Assessments/Investigations

Getting new buildings to work right is easy compared to understanding and then changing existing buildings, especially ones you know are not working right. I have a system for assessing old buildings and then use building science principles to make sure that what we do to them makes them work better, not worse.

What sort of projects do I get called in to do assess or investigate?

• A homeowner has battled mold in downstairs closets for years. Various inspectors and contractors have taken a crack at the problem but never really cracked the nut. One of them eventually recommended giving me a call, and I cracked it; click here to learn how: “Pete’s Puzzle: Mold in Certain Closets.”
• A library built in 1910 has a front entrance pair of spiral staircases with relatively new paint sloughing off. Tracking moisture in historic mass walls is tricky and the Advisory Board ended up calling me to work through the plans, the energy retrofit, and a history of roof leaks and moisture in the basement.
  

  

• A high-end timberframe builder struggles with condensation and mold problems even as they strenuously air seal where the timbers move from inside to outside the building. This builder is close enough for me to visit and assess a couple of recent projects as well as train his team in building science.
• A builder in the mid-Atlantic tackles an attached indoor pool for the first time. He really wants to make sure his assemblies and mechanical systems work for high humidity conditions. We work remotely using screenshare meetings to go over details of construction.
• An elderly couple builds a new home to accommodate one of them with chemical sensitivities, zoning the home’s HVAC in such a way that she has a safe haven. But the separation between these spaces is not working. This project was about fully understanding the building enclosure AND the mechanical systems.
• A couple looking to buy an existing home comes to one of my “How (Older) Homes Work events (see https://www.meetup.com/Western-Mass-Green-Consortium-WMGC/events/257588187/ and http://oakhillpto.org/?p=30031 ). I work with them to assess homes they are considering and they pick a home with better moisture management built in.

How can I help you better understand your building?  Contact me.

Clients include:
– Jason Cooper Management
– Sheldon Pennoyer
– Ann Edminster
“There are very few US building professionals who understand real, on-the-ground, residential building science the way Peter does. He’s at the top of my go-to list even though he’s 3,000 miles away, because he knows construction and knows how to effectively address different regional climates and building practices. If you’ve got a problem, he’ll solve it. If you want to make sure you don’t create a problem in retrofitting or new construction, he’ll steer you clear.”