In fact, condo associations, HOAs, property managers, and building owners are increasingly dealing with leaks and moisture problems in relatively new multifamily buildings. These problems can sometimes be traced back to how the building envelope was originally designed, installed, or integrated during construction.
For property owners in Boston and throughout the Greater Boston area, understanding the building envelope—and recognizing the warning signs of a problem—can help prevent a small leak from becoming a much larger restoration project.
What Is a Building Envelope?
It can include:
• Exterior walls and facades
• Windows and doors
• Flashing
• Waterproofing membranes
• Vapor barriers
• Sealants
• Roofing transitions
• Decks and balconies
• Exterior trim and siding
• Other exterior penetrations and connections
These components are supposed to work together to manage water, air, moisture, and temperature.
When one part of that system is improperly installed, damaged, or poorly integrated with another component, water can find a way into the building.
Why Can Newer Buildings Have Envelope Problems?
For example, improperly installed windows, missing or incorrectly installed flashing, poorly integrated waterproofing membranes, premature sealant failure, or improperly detailed balcony and deck penetrations can allow water to enter the wall assembly.
The problem may not become obvious immediately.
A building could be occupied for years before repeated rain, wind-driven storms, seasonal movement, or Massachusetts freeze-thaw cycles expose the underlying problem.
Common Warning Signs of a Building Envelope Problem
• Water stains around windows or ceilings
• Bubbling paint or soft drywall
• Musty odors
• Mold growth
• Swollen trim or flooring
• Recurring leaks after storms
• Staining or efflorescence on masonry
• Cracked or separating sealant joints
• Rot around decks, balconies, or exterior trim
• Leaks that appear in one location but seem to originate somewhere else
A visible leak is not necessarily the location where water entered the building.
In fact, water can travel through an exterior wall assembly before eventually appearing inside a condo or commercial space.
Why Spot Repairs May Not Solve the Problem
Adding caulk around a window or replacing a small section of trim may temporarily stop visible water. However, if the underlying problem is related to flashing, waterproofing, or another component behind the exterior surface, the leak can return.
A proper building envelope investigation looks at how the entire exterior system is functioning, rather than simply treating the location where water happens to appear.
Building Envelope Restoration in Boston
Abacus Builders’ Envelope Restoration Division works with HOAs, condo associations, property managers, and building owners throughout Boston Metro and MetroWest.
The team approaches envelope problems as a general contractor with experience working on the entire exterior system, rather than focusing on only one component such as windows, roofing, or sealants.
Abacus’s Envelope Restoration services include window and door flashing integration, historic masonry and repointing, exterior trim and siding restoration, and roof and balcony waterproofing, with additional restoration services addressing specific envelope failures.
With 25 years in Boston, more than 2,300 completed projects, and a 100% in-house team, Abacus Builders has experience building, repairing, and restoring exterior building systems.
If a newer Boston-area building is experiencing recurring leaks or unexplained moisture problems, the issue may not be the age of the building. It may be a problem within the building envelope that needs to be properly identified and corrected.