Moisture management
- 1 Air quality standards
- 2 Smoking ban
- 3 Ventilation effectiveness
- 4 VOC reduction
- 5 Air filtration
- 6 Microbe and mold control
- 7 Construction pollution management
- 8 Healthy entrance
- 9 Cleaning protocol
- 10 Pesticide management
- 11 Fundamental material safety
- 12 Moisture management
- 13 Air flush
- 14 Air infiltration management
- 15 Increased ventilation
- 16 Humidity control
- 17 Direct source ventilation
- 18 Air quality monitoring and feedback
- 19 Operable windows
- 20 Outdoor air systems
- 21 Displacement ventilation
- 22 Pest control
- 23 Advanced air purification
- 24 Combustion minimization
- 25 Toxic material reduction
- 26 Enhanced material safety
- 27 Antimicrobial surfaces
- 28 Cleanable environment
- 29 Cleaning equipment
12. Moisture management
Good design principles and strategies to mitigate water damage help preserve good indoor air quality. Moisture enters buildings and building assemblies in four ways: bulk water, capillary water, air-transported moisture and vapor diffusion. In addition to preventing wetting from all four channels, managing moisture is also about promoting drying potential.
This feature requires actions for each type of moisture movement. Properly managing moisture can reduce the health risks of pests, mold and bacterial loads.
Part 1: Bulk Water – Exterior Management
The following requirement is met:
a) A continuous drainage plane—weather-resistive barrier (WRB) integrated with flashing systems at penetrations—is constructed interior to the exterior cladding.
Part 2: Interior Bulk Water Damage Management
To prevent leaks and water damage, one of the following is installed:
a) Manual shut-off (governed or activated per use) or automatic shut-off at point-of-connection for all hard-piped fixtures.
b) Building wide plumbing leak detection system.
Part 3: Capillary Water Management
To prevent the wicking of porous building materials, one of the following capillary break methods is used:
a) Free-draining spaces (such as between exterior claddings or WRBs in wall assemblies).
b) Non-porous materials (such as closed-cell foams, waterproofing membranes and metal) are used between porous materials, such as “sill sealer” between concrete foundation walls and mud sills of above-grade walls.
Part 4: Wetting by Convection and Condensation
To mitigate wetting through convection and conduction, the following requirement is met for all assemblies (particular attention is taken to ensure that common thermal bypasses at penetrations and unintended air pathways are sealed):
a) Continuous air barrier.
Part 5: Dedicated Drying Potential of Assemblies
This requirement is met by one of the following methods:
a) Qualitative vapor profile analysis.
b) WUFI analyses of the exterior building assemblies.
Respiratory
Immune
Lymphatic
Integumentary
Applicability Matrix
| Core & Shell | New Construction | WELL Interiors | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Bulk Water – Exterior Management | P | P | O |
| Part 2: Interior Bulk Water Damage Management | P | P | O |
| Part 3: Capillary Water Management | P | P | O |
| Part 4: Wetting by Convection and Condensation | P | P | O |
| Part 5: Dedicated Drying Potential of Assemblies | P | - | - |
| Commercial Kitchen | Education | Multifamily Residential | Retail | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1: Bulk Water – Exterior Management | P | - | P | O |
| Part 2: Interior Bulk Water Damage Management | P | - | P | O |
| Part 3: Capillary Water Management | P | - | P | O |
| Part 4: Wetting by Convection and Condensation | P | - | P | O |
| Part 5: Dedicated Drying Potential of Assemblies | - | - | - | - |