Building Enclosure Institute

07/07/2026

Here is another way of protection. Same neighborhood. Watchful eyes looking from a piece of plywood. My invention, I can share my coreldraw file. It also worked surprisingly well in addition to a full camera surveillance system.

07/07/2026

This is how windows in one Habitat for Humanity house under construction in Miami were observed to be protected against unauthorized entry. It worked.

06/18/2026

Fascinating example of myths and fables substituting reality, as far as building science is concerned. There are over 100 comments, some of which allege professional knowledge and experience, of which none is correct. If you want to list some of the many things wrong here, go ahead. https://www.facebook.com/share/1HcmCKUFRD/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Plumbers know one trick window companies almost never mention.

The fog inside a sealed double pane is moisture that bypassed the spacer seal. It does not mean the glass is broken. A defogging contractor (search "window defogging" + your city) drills a tiny hole on the exterior corner, runs a fan or warm air through it for 24 to 72 hours, drops in a desiccant cartridge, and caps the hole with a breather valve. The valve lets future moisture escape instead of clouding the glass again.

This will not restore the original argon or krypton gas fill, so the window loses a small amount of insulating value (roughly R-0.5 of a typical R-3.5 unit). For most homeowners that trade-off is worth it. Full IGU replacement runs $300 to $600 per pane installed; defogging runs $80 to $150 and lasts 7 to 10 years.

Skip the service if the spacer bar inside the glass shows visible cracks or warping, or if the seal failure is older than 5 years with heavy mineral staining on the inside surface. At that point the glass coating is etched and clarity will not fully return. Replacement is the right call.

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance does not endorse defogging as equivalent to replacement, but most regional glass shops will quote both and let you choose. Get both numbers before you decide. [WV20I]

05/31/2026

Rare proper way to frame an exterior wall opening in aerated block masonry construction. The reinforced concrete strengthens the masonry and provides sound substrate for anchorage of doors and windows. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1JGRCg87JL/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/24/2026

Here is an interesting video showing badly cracked masonry walls. The narrator explains the concrete floor slabs’ spans reach up to 8 meters (over 26 ft), and their maximum deflection was found 3 cm (approx. 1-1/8”). The author did not clarify whether the slab was fully loaded before the measurements, and the measurement meets the typical maximum L/250 deflection limit. (Similar to L/240 limit common in USA). It’s a good illustration of a mismatch between the chosen construction methods, and the reason why good tile setters often insist on placing a reinforcement mesh on a masonry substrate.

05/24/2026

This video shows a rare correct construction of a an aerated concrete masonry wall popular in residential developments in Eastern Europe. A reinforced pier was designed within the wall’s depth, with continuous reinforcement dowels cast in a concrete base. The masonry is protected against wicking moisture by a layer of bituminous membrane. However, the base of the structural pier needs a moisture protection layer that offers greater compression strength. A hydraulic cementitious grout is used on a clean substrate.
https://www.facebook.com/share/r/18Qhg7HgwS/?mibextid=wwXIfr

05/19/2026

Florida, Hallandale. Very efficient portable tent structure.