Forensic Assessment of High-Rise, Mid-Rise, and Multi-Story Buildings
A Florida building envelope investigation is required when water intrusion, cracking, or concealed moisture begins affecting
high-rise, mid-rise, and multi-story buildings. Florida buildings rarely fail because of a single leak — they fail because the
building envelope stops functioning as a system.
Wind-driven rain, coastal pressure, high humidity, and construction-era detailing deficiencies combine to force water into assemblies never designed
to remain dry under Florida conditions.
Foundation Waterproofing 101, LLC performs forensic building envelope investigations to determine how, where, and why moisture is entering
buildings — and why prior repairs often fail to resolve the problem.
Why Building Envelope Failures Are Common in Florida
Moisture migration and pressure-driven water intrusion mechanisms observed in Florida buildings align with published building science research and recurring
field conditions associated with wind exposure, coastal pressure differentials, and detailing deficiencies at façade transitions.
Reference:
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Seasonal wind-driven rain events
- Coastal and storm-related pressure differentials
- High ambient humidity and vapor drive
- Thermal expansion and contraction
- Aging stucco, EIFS, and coating systems
- Repeated repainting without corrective detailing
These forces routinely overwhelm improperly designed or deteriorated architectural features, flashing terminations, and cracked exterior walls —
particularly on primary wind-exposed elevations.
What Is a Building Envelope Investigation?
Our findings are evaluated in the context of applicable
Florida Building Code (FBC)
requirements, construction-era standards, and documented field conditions.
A building envelope investigation evaluates the entire exterior moisture barrier system, not just visible damage.
- Exterior wall assemblies
- Architectural bands, bump-outs, and projections
- Windows, penetrations, and transitions
- Flashing and drip edge geometry
- Exterior cracking and coating integrity
- Concealed wall cavities and inter-floor moisture migration
The objective is to identify failure mechanisms, not cosmetic symptoms.
How We Determine the Source (Not Just the Symptom)
Florida leakage conditions frequently involve multiple pathways and connected cavities. Our process focuses on cause-and-effect documentation:
correlating interior symptoms with exterior defect locations, identifying probable pathways, and confirming mechanisms through targeted field verification.
When appropriate, we use controlled water testing, moisture mapping, and selective intrusive verification to document concealed conditions and explain why
localized or surface-only repairs often do not stop continued intrusion.
Florida Licensed Specialists in Forensic Building Envelope Investigation
Foundation Waterproofing 101, LLC is a Florida Licensed Specialty Contractor specializing in forensic building envelope investigations, water intrusion analysis,
and moisture-related structural failure. Founded in Florida in approximately 2016, our firm has spent nearly a decade evaluating how water behaves within buildings
under real-world Florida wind, humidity, and coastal exposure conditions.
Our investigations are frequently performed with the understanding that findings may be relied upon for insurance review, engineering coordination, or potential litigation.
As such, our assessments emphasize cause-and-effect documentation, photographic evidence, moisture data, and clear identification of failure mechanisms — not speculative conclusions
or surface-level observations.
We routinely prepare formal written reports suitable for:
- Attorney review and dispute resolution
- Insurance and claim support
- Engineering evaluation and coordination
- HOA and ownership decision-making
- Capital planning and repair justification
Our role is to document what is occurring, why it is occurring, and what technical conditions must be corrected to stop continued moisture intrusion —
independent of any specific contractor or repair scope.
Florida Licensure & Professional Credentials
Foundation Waterproofing 101, LLC operates as a Florida Licensed Specialty Contractor under:
Florida Specialty Contractor License: CGC1539326 —
Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR)
All forensic inspections, site condition assessments, and building envelope evaluations are performed under applicable Florida licensure and documented in formal written reports.
For projects requiring licensed engineering analysis, stamped design, or code-based calculations, we coordinate with and reference our affiliated engineering firm,
Foundation Masters, a Florida licensed engineering firm providing structural and waterproofing-related engineering services.
Common Florida Building Envelope Failures We Document
Wind-Driven Rain Intrusion
Rain is routinely forced laterally and upward into cracks, joints, and improperly terminated assemblies — bypassing surface coatings entirely under pressure.
Architectural Band & Bump-Out Failures
- Lack of positive slope
- Water trapping and inward redirection
- Connected wall cavities across floors
- Concealed multi-unit moisture pathways
Exterior Cracking
Cracking commonly results from differential movement, thermal cycling, shrinkage, or substrate failure. Even hairline cracks can admit water under pressure.
Improper or Missing Flashing
- Reverse-lapped flashing
- Embedded metal without drip edges
- Face-sealed terminations
- Corroded flashing concealed beneath coatings
Saturated Wall Cavities
- Fully saturated framing
- Wet insulation and sheathing
- Vertical and lateral moisture migration
- Conditions supporting microbial growth
High-Rise and Multi-Story Building Risks
Wind-driven rain exposure and façade performance issues in high-rise buildings are consistent with
FEMA Building Science guidance
related to exterior wall systems and pressure-driven moisture intrusion.
- Wind pressure increases with elevation
- Architectural elements span multiple floors
- Moisture migrates vertically and laterally
- Partial or floor-by-floor repairs commonly fail
When architectural features connect multiple units, localized repairs rarely stop water movement.
Florida Service Areas
When to Schedule a Building Envelope Investigation
- Recurring paint or coating failure
- Interior moisture with no visible leak source
- Mold-related unit shutdowns
- Repeated unsuccessful repairs
- Exterior cracking that continues to reappear
Schedule a Florida Building Envelope Investigation
We don’t guess.
We test.
We document.
We explain why your building is failing — and what actually stops it.