A brief summary of various on-site investigation services that deliver thorough, accurate, indisputable conclusions describing the building envelope's performance. Our reports sometimes include collector's-edition hand-drawn sketches and have been described as "extremely thorough" and also as "bespoke," which was probably intended to be an insult but gratefully accepted as a compliment. Our reports also include Executive Summaries for quick reference and clear, vibrant photos and illustrations to accommodate client aversions to reading.
Resolving the Classic Leak
100% Success Rate
Our investigation identifies causes, phenomena, and points of origin contributing to the leak so that definitive and lasting resolution can be achieved, rather than indiscriminate and wasteful caulk-spraying by the contractor likely responsible for the issue in the first place.
40% of HTL leak investigations in 2021 and 2022 involved new buildings occupied for less than five years.
Building Air Tightness Evaluation
New Code Adoption & Enforcement
In many cases, air flow management is the most cost-efficient control of energy exhausted to condition interior environments.
The vast majority of multistory projects constructed in the U.S. over the last two decades have received no in situ air tightness evaluations and are completely blind to its effects on energy waste, IAQ, and occupant comfort.
Helping building stakeholders manage energy costs, environmental impacts, and occupant comfort.
HTL can assist with identifying thermal bridging and other areas of concern leading to fenestration and exterior wall assemblies under-performing in the increasingly critical thermal capacity.
Our investigation and evaluation processes can provide substantive, accurate measurements of envelope thermal transmittance by measuring the enclosure's most pertinent properties (R-value and air infiltration). If the items of concern are a product of mechanical systems or use of space, then we can assist with identifying these causes as well.
Everything else closing out the envelope commissioning and turnover process.
Assistance with operable vent and doorway operation and hardware.
Review of mechanical systems for design cohesion with envelope performance.
A collage of recent investigation report selections. The illustrations and photos, anyway. Copy has been obscured to protect the anonymity of the highlighted projects. Refer to HTL case studies for more in-depth analysis, or request a copy of a full sample report here
Independent studies, industry papers, slideshows, video presentations, and other content benefiting those in the industry with the patience to read five pages, and diagrams for the developers.
Industry-wide, invalid and improperly executed ASTM E783 test data are not providing a reliably accurate accounting of the building's air-tightness on window wall and curtain wall systems comprising the majority of envelopes built this century and, consequently, building stakeholders are blind to their property's performance.
A yearly note to re-cap adventures and observations from 2022. Longform elaborations roughly equivalent to a cardboard sign stating "the envelope deficiency epidemic is nigh."
A presentation demonstrating the basic concepts, processes, and equipment utilized in ASTM E1105 and E783 testing, and accuracy impacts to identify when observing or performing ASTM E783 and ASTM E1105 tests.
Consider raising your expectations and building structures that are not defective monstrosities by augmenting your project with Chicago's very own building envelope QAQC services company.
