Michael J. Louis is a professional engineer and principal with Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Inc. He has more than 27 years of experience consulting on window and curtain wall systems and is an active member of ASTM Committee C24 “Building Seals and Sealants” and AAMA.
Water leakage through building walls continues to be the single largest cause for construction litigation in new buildings. The root of most water penetration problems is the lack of integration and coordination between the waterproofing elements of the various components within wall assemblies.