Building Science: How Water Travels Through Wood and Clay Brick

In the second part of a series, building science expert Allison Bailes explains the three transport modes for water to travel through porous materials.

“Water gets into the material and moves to where it’s drier,” Bailes writes. He adds that water does so in one of these three ways: vapor diffusion, surface diffusion, or capillary flow.

When faced with potential damage from water intrusion, understanding this process makes it easier to justify even the most elaborate waterproofing practices.

Learn more about the phenomenon at Energy Vanguard.