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AIA Practice Report, 2024
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Anyone dealt with vapor retarder placement on a CLT roof assembly in CZ6? ASHRAE 90.1 is silent on the specific membrane position when you're above the deck.
We ran into this on the Eastside Branch Library. The answer depends on whether your CLT is exposed interior. If so, vapor retarder goes above the CLT — the wood acts as a reservoir and you can't trap moisture below it.
Agree with R.K. Also check with your CLT supplier — Freres and StructureCraft both have tested assemblies for this. The hygrothermal modeling matters more than the code language here.
Had an energy consultant run WUFI on three configurations. Happy to share the study — the delta between positions is significant in CZ6A vs 6B.
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“I was 6 months into sole practice, no senior to call, and a contractor was pushing back on my waterproofing spec. I had no one to reality-check against.”
“Posted in #07-thermal-moisture at 9 PM. By morning I had two PEs and a building envelope consultant who had fought the exact same battle — with the submittal language that won it.”
Priya Nair
Sole Practitioner, Austin
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Project Architect, Philadelphia
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Project Architect, Denver
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