1.1 This guide concerns building design, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance.

This guide addresses the need for systematic evaluation of factors that can result in moisture-induced damage to a building or its components. Although of great potential importance, serviceability issues which are often, but not necessarily, related to physical damage of the building or its components (for example indoor air quality of electrical safety) are not directly addressed in this guide.

1.3 The emphasis of this guide is on low-rise buildings. Portions of this guide, in particular sections 5, 6, and 7, may also be applicable to high-rise buildings.

1.4 This standard is not intended for direct use in codes and specifications. It does not attempt to prescribe acceptable limits of damage. Buildings intended for different uses may have different service life expectancies, and expected service lives of different components within a given building often differ. Furthermore, some building owners may be satisfied with substantially shorter service life expectancies of building components or of the entire building than other building owners. Lastly, the level of damage that renders a component unservicable may vary with the type of component, the degree to which failure of the component is critical (for example whether failure constitutes a life-safety hazard), and the judgement (i.e. tolerance for damage) of the building owner. For the reasons stated in this paragraph, prescribing limits of damage would require listing many pages of exceptions and qualifiers and is beyond the scope of this standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address the safety problems associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.