Mitigating Moisture Of all the environmental factors that can impact indoor comfort and health in a multifamily unit or building, moisture is by far the most hazardous. In addition to rotting away structural and finish materials, usually from the inside out, chronic and unchecked moisture infiltration can lead to mold growth, high humidity levels, and unhealthy indoor air.
In Seattle, housing industry enthusiasm for higher-density, multifamily development driven by growth management and affordable housing initiatives has been suppressed somewhat by latent defects caused by moisture infiltration and subsequent lawsuits against builders. “Litigation [regarding construction defects] is out of control here,” says Diane Glenn, owner of The Construction Consultants in nearby Bellevue, Wash., which offers independent on-site inspection services to builders. “You need to have a perfect system.”
The good news, she says, is that a greater variety of products, materials, and assemblies now exist to help builders with the burden of managing moisture without necessarily sacrificing marketability or aesthetic appeal. She points to a new exterior cladding system that holds the finish away from the wall structure, creating a drainage plane to shed water that inevitably intrudes the cladding material, as well as refinements to existing solutions that help flash against, shed, vent, or otherwise block and drain moisture from the surface and behind the exterior finishes and openings—all of which are within the purview of an LBM dealer’s inventory of windows and doors, roofing and siding, and sealants.
The disconnect, she says, is similar to what multifamily builders experience in trying to suppress sound transmission: the substandard application of those solutions in the field. “It’s mostly a training issue,” says Glenn, a factor she interprets to be a by-product of a local shortage of skilled labor, as well as the burdens of a complex housing project. “The project manager or superintendent is trying to run everything, and he can’t watch every detail.”
Though she doesn’t necessarily advocate that dealer reps transform into on-site trainers, she does see a role for the supply chain in helping ensure proper installation. “Dealers have a responsibility to represent the product, which means getting out in the field and knowing enough to answer questions,” says Glenn.
And while she’s generally satisfied with the level of detail provided by manufacturers in their printed installation instructions (which she defers to in the absence of an engineer or architect’s detail drawings), she says dealers can do well by making those instructions available on site to workers, superintendents, and building inspectors to help ensure proper installation.
She also expects dealers to know the nuances among moisture barrier solutions to make sure what’s ordered is what’s delivered to the job. “Some suppliers will send a different product than what’s been specified [on the plans] or on the order,” wrongly thinking that something in stock is an adequate alternative, Glenn says. “There are differences, and the supplier should know them.”
Enabling Affordability If there’s one challenge in the multi-family housing realm that dealers might assume is out of their depth or control, it’s helping developers like Greer navigate the political and financial landscape of subsidized rental projects.
But while Greer admits that just getting a development off the ground is the hardest part of his job, he also says negotiating with subcontractors and suppliers is critical to making his numbers work. “We work together to find ways to do things differently or specify alternative products that lower construction costs,” he says.
That’s even more challenging given Greer’s desire (and oftentimes need) to build something that local politicians and existing residents will accept within the fabric of their neighborhoods. “In the end, even though the project is affordable, I’m competing with market-rate housing as far as the community is concerned,” he says. “We do the very best we can to be the nicest product in the area.”
To that end, Greer looks for value in the products he specifies. “I may not be able to afford Moen [plumbing fixtures], but I [still] need something reliable and attractive,” he says, offering dealers an opportunity to present options to Greer’s project architect or general contractor that meet that demand. “If I can step up the finishes, improve the street appeal, and lower the maintenance, I’ve done the best I can.” A significant roadblock (as if Greer and his peers need another) is the volatile price spikes of basic building materials such as gypsum, OSB, and concrete, which impacts all types of housing construction. “For market-rate and affordable projects, it’s a challenging time to make these deals work.”
But it’s a challenge, along with all of the others facing the multifamily market, in which dealers can play a profitable role in helping their pro customers overcome. —Rich Binsacca is a contributing editor for PROSALES.
Editor’s Note For more insight into multifamily and other sectors of the building industry, subscribe to NAHB’s HousingEconomics service (annually $995 for members, $1,195 for non-members); go to www.housingeconomics.com for more information. Or visit Hanley Wood Market Intelligence at www.hanleywood.com/hwmi for free and paid market reports.
