ASTM E241-04

Standard Guide for Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings

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 , , and , may also be applicable to high-rise buildings.
1.4 This standard 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. 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.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address the safety problems 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.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 31-Mar-2004
• ICS: 91.120.30 - Waterproofing
• Technical Committee: E06 - Performance of Buildings
• Drafting Committee: E06.41 - Air Leakage and Ventilation Performance

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM E241-00e1 - Standard Guide for Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2004
• Replaced By: ASTM E241-08 - Standard Guide for Limiting Water-Induced Damage to Buildings
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2008
• Referred By: ASTM E2266-22 - Standard Guide for Design and Construction of Low-Rise Frame Building Wall Systems to Resist Water Intrusion
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2004
• Referred By: ASTM E154/E154M-08a(2019) - Standard Test Methods for Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with Earth Under Concrete Slabs, on Walls, or as Ground Cover
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2004
• Referred By: ASTM D7297-21 - Standard Practice for Evaluating Residential Indoor Air Quality Concerns
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2004
• Referred By: ASTM E1677-23 - Standard Specification for Air Barrier (AB) Material or Assemblies for Low-Rise Framed Building Walls
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2004

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation:E241–04
Standard Guide for
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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 (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
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1.1 This guide concerns building design, construction, com- 2.1 ASTM Standards:
missioning, operation, and maintenance. C 168 Terminology Relating to Thermal Insulating Materi-
1.2 This guide addresses the need for systematic evaluation als
of factors that can result in moisture-induced damage to a C 717 Terminology of Building Seals and Sealants
building or its components.Although of great potential impor- C 755 PracticeforSelectionofVaporRetardersforThermal
tance,serviceabilityissueswhichareoften,butnotnecessarily, Insulation
related to physical damage of the building or its components C 1193 Guide for Use of Joint Sealants
(for example indoor air quality or electrical safety) are not D 1079 Terminology Relating to Roofing, Waterproofing,
directly addressed in this guide. and Bituminous Materials
1.3 The emphasis of this guide is on low-rise buildings. E 331 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Win-
Portions of this guide, in particular sections 5, 6, and 7, may dows, Skylights, Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform
also be applicable to high-rise buildings. Static Air Pressure Difference
1.4 This standard is not intended for direct use in codes and E 547 Test Method for Water Penetration of Exterior Win-
specifications.Itdoesnotattempttoprescribeacceptablelimits dows, Skylights, Doors, and CurtainWalls by Cyclic Static
of damage. Buildings intended for different uses may have Air Pressure Differential
different service life expectancies, and expected service lives E 631 Terminology of Building Constructions
of different components within a given building often differ. E 632 Practice for Developing Accelerated Tests to Aid
Furthermore, some building owners may be satisfied with Prediction of the Service Life of Building Components and
substantially shorter service life expectancies of building Materials
components or of the entire building than other building E 1105 Test Method for Field Determination of Water
owners. Lastly, the level of damage that renders a component Penetration of Installed Exterior Windows, Skylights,
unserviceablemayvarywiththetypeofcomponent,thedegree Doors, and Curtain Walls by Uniform or Cyclic Static Air
to which failure of the component is critical (for example Pressure Difference
whether failure constitutes a life-safety hazard), and the judge- E 1643 Practice for Installation of Water Vapor Retarders
ment (i.e. tolerance for damage) of the building owner. For the Used in Contact with Earth or Granular Fills and Concrete
reasons stated in this paragraph, prescribing limits of damage Slabs
would require listing many pages of exceptions and qualifiers E 1677 Specification for an Air Retarder (AR) Material or
and is beyond the scope of this standard. System for Low-Rise Framed Building Walls
1.5 This standard does not purport to address the safety E 1745 Specification for Water Vapor Retarders Used in
problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the Contact with Soil or Granular Fill Under Concrete Slabs
user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health E2112 Practice for Installation of Exterior Windows,
practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limita- Doors, and Skylights
tions prior to use. 2.2 Other Documents:
ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals (1997) Chapter 22:
Thermal and moisture control in insulated assemblies -
fundamentals. Amer. Soc. of Heating Refrigerating, and
Air Conditioning Engineers, Atlanta, GA.
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This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E06 on Building
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Constructions and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E06.41 on Air For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
Leakage and Ventilation Performance. contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Current edition approved April 1, 2004. Published April 2004. Originally Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
approved in 1964. Last previous edition approved in 2000 as E 241 – 00. the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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E241–04
ASHRAE Standard 55, Thermal Environmental Conditions 3.2.1 air retarder, n—a material or system in building
for Human Occupancy constructionthati
...