Storefront Water Intrusion Testing in Las Vegas

Many commercial buildings located in Las Vegas Nevada possess storefront fenestration or glass products. These fenestration products can comprise of windows, doors, and curtain walls. The AAMA 501.2 storefront water intrusion test is generally a test of quality assurance. to be more specific, the AAMA 501.2 water intrusion test is to check the storefront window, curtainwall, or door installation as well as the product itself.  The AAMA 501.2 testing standard is designed to test installed Storefronts, Curtain Walls, and Sloped Glazing Systems.

Benefits of Storefront Door, Window, and Curtainwall Testing

• Quality assurance storefront water testing helps identify early defects
• AAMA 501.2 testing allows for repairs or replacement of defective products
• Eliminates the inconvenience of the occupant who may be subjected to water intrusion from leaking windows, doors etc…

The key benefit to having your buildings tested is to ensure against mold and the early deterioration of the building systems. Furthermore, the testing will also help to locate any damage within the glass windows and doors themselves. As a builder or building owner, locating leaking fenestration products allows the replacement of these systems before the building is occupied.  Most builders offer a warranty for water intrusion in Las Vegas, but who wants to go through that process? It is easier to have these systems replaced before anyone has to be inconvenienced.

How Much Does Storefront Water Testing Cost?

Typically storefront AAMA 501.2 water intrusion testing costs between $1100 and $2500 for each day of testing. Of course, the cost of water testing is determined by the agency administering the tests. In many cases, additional testing may be necessary such as re-testing for example. Re-testing is when the original test fails and the building components have to be tested once again after repairs have been made.

Why are these tests so costly?

Well, first of all, the tests are performed by professional water intrusion specialists here in Nevada. Testing is a niche business and for that reason, there are not a lot of individual companies who perform these tests. In Las Vegas, we have our company and in Los Angeles, we also have a BLD which serves both California and Arizona. The equipment that is used is extremely costly as it is calibrated specifically for these tests. The AAMA 501.2, the ASTM E1105, and so on… Manpower is another cost associated with the administration of these water leak tests and with that, there is insurance as well. All this factors into the overall cost of quality assurance water testing.

Of course, you can always self-test using. water hose, but this is NEVER suggested. The reason is that water hoses are extremely powerful in their delivery of water onto the product. Furthermore, water hose tests cannot be duplicated if there is a leak.

A Water Intrusion Specialist and Testing Agency Administers These Tests

Professional water intrusion testing agencies perform storefront testing. There are no official licenses or certifications which give testing agencies the power to perform testing. It really comes down to experience and know-how. Reading the standards and understanding how to administer the test is crucial and one wrong move and the testing agency may be responsible for incorrect tests.

Understanding Storefront Water Spray Rack testing and the AAMA 501.2

If you own a building in Las Vegas and want to be sure the glazing systems are watertight, you should get them tested for water intrusion. The following are the main aspects of the AAMA 501.2 storefront glazing test.

A Look at the Storefront Test:

For most commercial jobs, there is a person, usually the building, architect, or specifier who will choose a representative area as well as the products to be tested. !00 square feet of product is typical when performing storefront water testing. The testing is performed over the mullion bars in all directions where the glass meets the frame. We prefer testing be performed in the beginning phase of the construction without interior finishes like drywall so we can best see any leaking. In some cases, drywall cannot be removed by the builder so in these cases we can either use infrared thermography to look for leaks or we can remove the finishes ourselves.

What Type of Equipment is Needed For Testing?

The AAMA 4501.2 states the testing must be performed at a distance of 12″ away from the product using a spray wand and at a pressure of 30 PSI using a .75″ water hose using a special B-25 6.03 nozzle. There is only one company that produces the nozzle and they are called Monarch Manufacturing. A water gauge is needed while testing to maintain the constant water pressure.

Once the test is commenced, a 5-foot section will be chosen, and keeping the nozzle 1 foot away, the spray wand is moved forward and back for 5 minutes. While one person is applying the test from the outside there is another inside observing for potential water leaks.

Water leakage per the AAMA 501.2 Test Standard

For this water leakage field check, water leakage is defined as any uncontrolled water that appears on any normally exposed interior surfaces, that is not contained or drained back to the exterior, or that can cause damage to adjacent materials or finishes. Water contained within drained flashings, gutters, and sills is not considered water leakage. The collection of up to 15 ml (1/2 oz) of water in a five-minute test period on top of an interior stop or stool integral with the system shall not be considered water leakage.

After AAMA 501.2 Testing is Complete

If leaking is discovered it must be re-tested.  According to the AAMA 501.2 as follows;

6.4 If water leakage occurs and the source of the leakage cannot be identified, the following sequence shall be followed:

6.4.1 After allowing the wall to dry completely and working downward from the top of the area to be checked, all joints, gaskets and framing within this area shall be completely and tightly covered on the outdoor side with a waterproof adhesive masking tape. If necessary, use small amounts of sealant where the tape wraps around the framing corners and joints to ensure that the masking is complete and waterproof.

6.4.2 Starting at the bottom of the prepared area, the masking tape shall be removed from the lowest horizontal framing for a distance of not more than 1.5 m (5 ft) from one end of the frame, including the joint intersection or corner at the end. This exposed length shall be subjected to the nozzle spray as directed in Section 6.1.

6.4.3 If no water leakage occurs during the five-minute test period, this length of framing shall be considered satisfactory and shall remain uncovered. If leakage has occurred at any point, the framing shall be re-taped at such points to prevent further leakage of these points during the subsequent checking of joints and framing adjacent to or above them.

6.4.4 This process shall then be repeated on all framing, gaskets, and joint intersections within the designated area, using increments of exposed framing length not exceeding 1.5 m (5 ft) and always working upward on the wall.

Building Leak Detection located in Los Angeles and Nevada offers disinterested third-party quality assurance 501.2 testing. We use professional specialized equipment to perform all our water testing in accordance with the correct standard. Give us a call either in Los Angeles or Henderson Nevada.