Water gets trapped in buildings. Bob Kelly says the answer is to design assemblies that can dry, control pressure, and verify details.
Kelly has spent about a decade opening parapets, roof-to-wall connections, and stucco-over-frame assemblies. He keeps finding the same cause: trapped moisture with nowhere to go.
In Chicago masonry buildings, hidden water often appears behind roof membranes at parapet connections. In newer, tighter homes, small air leaks and pressure imbalances can push moisture into assemblies that cannot dry.
Wickright uses venting and moisture-smart membranes.
Modern homes use spray foam, better windows, and robust WRBs. That improves energy performance, but it also raises the stakes. Air leaks, pressure misbalances, and incomplete sealing can drive moisture into the envelope.
Kelly says factory builds reduce moisture exposure, improve quality control, and lower the risk from poor site sequencing. Offsite construction gives durable envelopes a better starting point.
Wickright continues Chicago-area remediation and has launched Wet Building Solutions to help owners prioritize fixes.
A vented layer, such as a dimple or corrugated mat, separates the roof membrane from masonry. That lets vapor rise and exhaust instead of trapping behind the membrane.
Use them where continuous coverage is needed, where detailing is complex, or where positive HVAC pressure may push interior moisture outward.