ASTM E241-08
(Guide)Standard Guide for Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
Standard Guide for Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Moisture degradation is frequently a significant factor that either limits the useful life of a building or necessitates costly repairs. Examples of moisture degradation include: (1) decay of wood-based materials, (2) spalling of masonry caused by freeze-thaw cycles, (3) damage to gypsum plasters by dissolution, (4) corrosion of metals, (5) damage due to expansion of materials or components (by swelling due to moisture pickup, or by expansion due to corrosion, hydration, or delayed ettringite formation), (6) spalling and degradation caused by salt migration, (7) failure of finishes, and (8) creep deformation and reduction in strength or stiffness.
Moisture accumulation within construction components or constructions may adversely affect serviceability of a building, without necessarily causing immediate and serious degradation of the construction components. Examples of such serviceability issues are: (1) indoor air quality, (2) electrical safety, (3) degradation of thermal performance of insulations, and (4) decline in physical appearance. Mold or mildew growth can influence indoor air quality and physical appearance. With some components, in particular interior surface finishes, mold or mildew growth may limit service life of the component. Moisture conditions that affect serviceability issues can frequently be expected, unless corrected, to eventually result in degradation of the building or its components. This guide does not attempt however to address serviceability issues that could be corrected by cleaning and change in building operation, and that would not require repair or replacement of components to return the building (or portions or components of the building) to serviceability.
Prevention of water-induced damage must be considered throughout the construction process including the various stages of the design process, construction, and building commissioning. It must also be considered in building operation and maintenance, and when the building i...
SCOPE
1.1 This guide concerns building design, construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance.
1.2 This guide addresses the need for systematic evaluation of factors that can result in moisture-induced damage to a building or its components. Although of great potential importance, serviceability issues which are often, but not necessarily, related to physical damage of the building or its components (for example, indoor air quality or electrical safety) are not directly addressed in this guide.
1.3 The emphasis of this guide is on low-rise buildings. Portions of this guide; in particular Sections 5, 6, and 7; may also be applicable to high-rise buildings.
1.4 This guide is not intended for direct use in codes and specifications. It does not attempt to prescribe acceptable limits of damage. Buildings intended for different uses may have different service life expectancies, and expected service lives of different components within a given building often differ. Furthermore, some building owners may be satisfied with substantially shorter service life expectancies of building components or of the entire building than other building owners. Lastly, the level of damage that renders a component unserviceable may vary with the type of component, the degree to which failure of the component is critical (for example, whether failure constitutes a life-safety hazard), and the judgement (that is, tolerance for damage) of the building owner. For the reasons stated in this paragraph, prescribing limits of damage would require listing many pages of exceptions and qualifiers and is beyond the scope of this guide.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address the safety concerns associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
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Designation:E241–08
Standard Guide for
1
Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E241; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
2
1.1 This guide concerns building design, construction, com- 2.1 ASTM Standards:
missioning, operation, and maintenance. C168 Terminology Relating to Thermal Insulation
1.2 This guide addresses the need for systematic evaluation C717 Terminology of Building Seals and Sealants
of factors that can result in moisture-induced damage to a C755 Practice for Selection of Water Vapor Retarders for
building or its components.Although of great potential impor- Thermal Insulation
tance,serviceabilityissueswhichareoften,butnotnecessarily, C1193 Guide for Use of Joint Sealants
related to physical damage of the building or its components D1079 Terminology Relating to Roofing andWaterproofing
(for example, indoor air quality or electrical safety) are not E331 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Win-
directly addressed in this guide. dows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform
1.3 The emphasis of this guide is on low-rise buildings. Static Air Pressure Difference
Portions of this guide; in particular Sections 5, 6, and 7; may E547 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Win-
also be applicable to high-rise buildings. dows, Skylights, Doors, and CurtainWalls by Cyclic Static
1.4 This guide is not intended for direct use in codes and Air Pressure Difference
specifications.Itdoesnotattempttoprescribeacceptablelimits E631 Terminology of Building Constructions
of damage. Buildings intended for different uses may have E632 Practice for Developing Accelerated Tests to Aid
different service life expectancies, and expected service lives Prediction of the Service Life of Building Components and
of different components within a given building often differ. Materials
Furthermore, some building owners may be satisfied with E1105 Test Method for Field Determination of Water Pen-
substantially shorter service life expectancies of building etration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors,
components or of the entire building than other building and Curtain Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air
owners. Lastly, the level of damage that renders a component Pressure Difference
unserviceablemayvarywiththetypeofcomponent,thedegree E1643 Practice for Selection, Design, Installation, and In-
to which failure of the component is critical (for example, spection of Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with
whether failure constitutes a life-safety hazard), and the judge- Earth or Granular Fill Under Concrete Slabs
ment (that is, tolerance for damage) of the building owner. For E1677 Specification for an Air Barrier (AB) Material or
the reasons stated in this paragraph, prescribing limits of System for Low-Rise Framed Building Walls
damage would require listing many pages of exceptions and E1745 SpecificationforPlasticWaterVaporRetardersUsed
qualifiers and is beyond the scope of this guide. in Contact with Soil or Granular Fill under Concrete Slabs
1.5 This standard does not purport to address the safety E2112 Practice for Installation of Exterior Windows, Doors
concerns associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the and Skylights
user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health E2136 GuideforSpecifyingandEvaluatingPerformanceof
practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limita- Single Family Attached and Detached Dwellings—
tions prior to use. Durability
2.2 Other Documents:
1
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Performance
ofBuildingsandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeE06.41onAirLeakage
2
and Ventilation Performance For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
CurrenteditionapprovedJune1,2008.PublishedJuly2008.Originallyapproved contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
in 1964. Last previous edition approved in 2004 as E241 – 04. DOI: 10.1520/ Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
E0241-08. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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E241–08
ASCE/SEI 24–05 Flood Resistant Design and Construc- 3.1.2 vapor retarder (barrier), n—As defined in Terminol-
tion, American Society of Civil Engineers, Structural ogy C168, a material or system that adequately impedes the
Engineering I
...
This document is not anASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of anASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation:E241–04 Designation: E 241 – 08
Standard Guide for
1
Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 241; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This guide concerns building design, construction, commissioning, operation, and maintenance.
1.2 This guide addresses the need for systematic evaluation of factors that can result in moisture-induced damage to a building
or its components. Although of great potential importance, serviceability issues which are often, but not necessarily, related to
physical damage of the building or its components (for example, indoor air quality or electrical safety) are not directly addressed
in this guide.
1.3 The emphasis of this guide is on low-rise buildings. Portions of this guide,guide; in particular sections Sections 5, 6, and
7,; may also be applicable to high-rise buildings.
1.4 This standardguide is not intended for direct use in codes and specifications. It does not attempt to prescribe acceptable
limits of damage. Buildings intended for different uses may have different service life expectancies, and expected service lives of
different components within a given building often differ. Furthermore, some building owners may be satisfied with substantially
shorter service life expectancies of building components or of the entire building than other building owners. Lastly, the level of
damage that renders a component unserviceable may vary with the type of component, the degree to which failure of the
component is critical (for example, whether failure constitutes a life-safety hazard), and the judgement (i.e. (that is, tolerance for
damage) of the building owner. For the reasons stated in this paragraph, prescribing limits of damage would require listing many
pages of exceptions and qualifiers and is beyond the scope of this standard. guide.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address the safety problemsconcerns associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the
user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations
prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents
2
2.1 ASTM Standards:
C 168Terminology Relating to Thermal Insulating Materials Terminology Relating to Thermal Insulation
C 717 Terminology of Building Seals and Sealants
C 755 Practice for Selection of Water Vapor Retarders for Thermal Insulation
C 1193 Guide for Use of Joint Sealants
D 1079Terminology Relating to Roofing, Waterproofing, and Bituminous Materials Terminology Relating to Roofing and
Waterproofing
E 331 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform Static Air
Pressure Difference
E 547 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Windows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Cyclic Static Air
Pressure Differential Difference
E 631 Terminology of Building Constructions
E 632 Practice for Developing Accelerated Tests to Aid Prediction of the Service Life of Building Components and Materials
E 1105 Test Method for Field Determination ofWater Penetration of Installed ExteriorWindows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain
Walls, by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air Pressure Difference
E 1643 Practice for Installation of Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with Earth or Granular Fills andFill Under Concrete
Slabs
E 1677 Specification for an Air Retarder (AR)Barrier (AB) Material or System for Low-Rise Framed Building Walls
E 1745 Specification for Plastic Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with Soil or Granular Fill Underunder Concrete Slabs
1
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Building Constructions Performance of Buildings and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
E06.41 on Air Leakage and Ventilation Performance.
Current edition approved AprilJune 1, 2004.2008. Published April 2004.July 2008. Originally approved in 1964. Last previous edition approved in 20002004 as
E 241 – 004.
2
For referencedASTM standards, visit theASTM website, www.astm.org, or contactASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West
...
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