The CSI of Building Envelopes: IBA Consultants Launches Forensic & Diagnostic Division

Boca Raton, FL, November 17, 2008 --(PR.com)-- Water leakage. Flood damage. Mold. Roofing failure. All of these problems, and many more, can occur within older buildings if its wear and tear accumulated over the years are not identified and corrected.

To provide the industry with an expert team of investigative specialists, IBA Consultants announces the formation of its new Forensic and Diagnostic Service Division. Wayne Offerman, a 35-year building construction authority, will lead the new division as a senior vice president.

“The biggest failures often start with the smallest problems,” states Offerman. “A crack turns into a leak. The leak deludes a wall’s or window’s integrity. The next thing you know it blows out in a wind storm and takes the roof along with it. In many cases, it all could have been prevented in the first place.

“Our goal is find why a problem occurred, how to fix it and how to make sure it doesn’t happen anywhere else in the building. The team I’ve assembled has the investigatory background necessary to provide an extensive report on a building’s skin to allow our clients to make the best and appropriate decision.”

In order to draw the conclusions necessary to provide its findings on existing buildings, the Forensic and Diagnostic Division will focus on the following services:

Leak investigations
Building hardening
Window, cladding and roof replacements
Pre-purchase and due diligence inspections for buyers and prospective buyers
Post-purchase building evaluation
Catastrophic failure investigations
Water leakage investigation
Moisture-related mold origination
Wall cracking
Stucco delamination
Building skin failures
Retrofit analysis
Full binding analysis
Expert testimony for architects, builders, developers and contractors

According to Mark Baker, president of IBA Consultants, the problem solving services the firm provides not only provides some peace of mind for the building’s occupants, but it can save thousands – if not millions – of dollars in the long run.

“When a building’s exterior begins to fail, immediate evaluation and repair can save time, money and potential legal liability for owners, builders, contractors and home owners associations,” states Baker. “The question for older buildings is not if it will fail, but when. Through our forensic services, we can help prolong the life of a building by identifying a problem before it becomes one.”

While the division is new, IBA has provided similar tests and evaluations for a couple of years as part of its acclaimed portfolio of consulting services. Some of the projects that the company has conducted forensic services for include The Sandpiper (Marco Island, Fla.), Cayo Largo (Puerto Rico), Fisher Island Hotel (Miami Beach) and 851 California (San Francisco).

Offerman, who previously served as vice president of consulting services, has more than 35 years of experience in commercial and residential glazing systems, sealant and waterproofing design and application in multi-family and single-family dwellings, high-rise condominiums, hotels, office buildings, airports, hospitals, schools and municipal buildings. He specializes in the evaluation and application of fenestration products related to building envelope components encompassing windows, sliding glass doors, glass curtain wall systems, storefronts, slope glazing and skylights.

With eight offices located throughout the United States, IBA Consultants (www.ibaconsultants.com) is the country’s foremost building envelope consulting firm, specializing in the identification and elimination of potential and existing wall cladding, glazing, glass, roofing, and waterproofing system failures. Founded in 1996, with more than 4,000 successful projects to its credit, IBA has earned a reputation for excellence throughout the world through a highly trained staff with world-class qualifications.

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