Overview
ISO 22185-2:2024 - Diagnosing moisture damage in buildings and implementing countermeasures: Part 2: Assessment of conditions describes practical methods to diagnose and assess conditions that can lead to moisture damage affecting a building’s energy performance and durability. The standard covers both qualitative (visual, tactile, odour, sound, occupant surveys, risk assessment) and quantitative approaches (measurements and modelling). It spans basic site inspection techniques through more advanced instrumental measurements and hygrothermal or airflow models. The document notes that these methods improve condition assessment but do not guarantee discovery of every moisture issue.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Structured site inspection process: client inquiry, visual and sensory inspection, identification of moisture indicators (discoloration, wetting, mould, efflorescence), cause estimation, follow-up inspections, and countermeasure proposals.
- Qualitative evaluation: visual inspection points (building elements, rooms, external/internal views), tactile checks, odour and sound diagnostics, and occupant surveys.
- Instrumental measurements:
- Relative humidity (RH) and temperature
- Capillary pressure (psychrometer, tensiometer)
- Moisture content (electrical resistance and capacitance)
- Surface temperature imaging (infrared camera)
- Mechanical property checks (ultrasonic)
- Deformation monitoring, air transport of moisture, ventilation rate proxies (CO), and airborne mould concentration
- Modelling approaches:
- Steady-state calculations
- Non-steady hygrothermal models for porous materials
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to incorporate airflow
- Biological models for mould growth
- Models for salt crystallization and corrosion (rust)
- Informative annexes: guidance on moisture meters, sample mould-growth models, and salt crystallization examples.
- Important note: the standard defines diagnostic criteria and methods but explicitly states it may not reveal all moisture damage conditions.
Applications and who should use it
ISO 22185-2:2024 is practical for:
- Building inspectors and forensic assessors
- Architects and building envelope engineers
- Facility and asset managers
- Remediation and renovation contractors
- Indoor air quality specialists and hygienists
- Researchers developing hygrothermal or mould-growth models
Use cases include pre- and post-remediation assessments, building condition surveys, failure analysis, and informing countermeasure design.
Related standards
- ISO 22185 series (Part 1: classification/definitions; Part 3: framework for investigation and countermeasures - under preparation)
- ISO 16000-18 referenced for microorganism-related surface colour changes
Keywords: ISO 22185-2:2024, diagnosing moisture damage, moisture assessment in buildings, hygrothermal modelling, moisture meters, mould growth assessment, building durability.