Building Science
Mold and moisture problems happen for a reason, and Building-Wright understands those reasons.
With decades of building science expertise behind us, we understand how buildings work in real life with all the complexities of energy, air, and moisture flows—not just how they’re supposed to work on paper.
If you have a building performance problem or think you might have one, Peter can provide confirmation, diagnosis, and options for mitigation. It’s our job to show you how to make the problem go away and prevent it from happening again. Or if you’re still in design, we can review your plans to make sure moisture problems never arise.
Building-Wright will review your project documentation, visit the building as necessary to understand the problem, and make recommendations to solve it. Unlike fly-by-night consultants who prescribe the same cookie-cutter solutions again and again (whether or not they work), we take extensive measurements and perform tests to confirm that we’ve correctly identified the problem, and we tell you exactly what to expect once it’s remediated. If more extensive services such as ongoing monitoring or staff training are called for, we will include that in our recommendations and offer supporting resources.
How can we help you?
- Building owners: Protect your assets by correctly diagnosing and remediating building science problems.
- Designers: Get the assurance that your building will provide the comfort, durability, and healthy indoor environment that you’ve promised.
- Builders and Homeowners: Get a second opinion on your plans and feel assured that you’re making a wise investment.
“When building my [LEED Gold] home on the coast of New Hampshire, I worked with an excellent team of consultants, but no one knew how to address the condensation issues that many coastal homes face. I was referred to Peter, who came up with the moisture management details for our wall assemblies. He has a firm understanding of building science… and it was honestly a lot of fun working with him.”
Charlie R., Homeowner, Rye Beach, NH
Published Blog Arcitles:
Conducting a Building Science/Building Performance Design Review
I get asked this quite a bit: when should I involve a building performance consultant in the architectural design process? The answer is: the moment design involves building performance— Efficiency
Using Building Science to Conduct a Building Assessment
COVID-19 & Curriculum Development For several years, our local Sustainable Energy Outreach Network (SEON) has been developing a High Performance Building Associate certificate program (http://www.seon.info/hpb-overview/ ). In early March 2020,
The Jigsaw Approach, Revisited
Back in October 2016, I started my Building Science Puzzles on GBA with this blog: Building Science Puzzles: The Jigsaw Approach. In that post I explained six steps for solving
Beauty goes more than skin-deep for high performance buildings. I work with architects and builders to achieve designs and materials that result in buildings tuned to their climate and site, successfully managing the elements for durable enclosures, comfortable and safe interiors. Click here to learn more.
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, then using building science to make sure that what we do to them makes them work better, not worse. Click here to learn more.
Since completing my Master’s Thesis in 1993, a big part of my life has been technical writing related to building performance. From blogs to investigation summaries, from building product installation manuals to multi-year government project reports, I have honed my writing to be clear, concise, accurate. Click here to learn more.
I have developed curriculum for and taught building performance to high school trade students, graduate students in architecture and environmental management, and every type of building professionals you can imagine: engineers, architects, construction managers, code officials, trade contractors, and even a few bankers along the way. I tailor my materials to the length of the course and keep engagement high no matter who the participants are. Click here to learn more.
Most testing done in the building industry is done in labs under carefully prescribed and controlled environments, having NOTHING to do with what takes place in the real world. I work with building industry professionals and product manufacturers to develop field service life prediction testing under jobsite conditions. It’s testing where the rubber hits the road. Click here to learn more.
