A Building's Single Biggest Enemy...But the Second is Just As Bad...!
Maybe they're tied?
The single biggest enemy of buildings? Humidity and water. The second biggest? People doing the wrong things to try to mitigate it. I've seen it time and time and time again.
A lot of what I do is forensic/diagnostic in nature: trying to piece together a picture of what's happening, so we can begin to come up with solutions.
In old houses, problems can be developing unseen for decades, and/or people attempt fixes that make it worse.
A basic understanding of physics (statics/dynamics and thermodynamics) goes a really, really long way toward being able to solve mysteries. When you understand the principles, you can start to understand how they manifest out in the wild.
And also...patience. Take your time to mull the problem, to let the problem make itself known to you. Moving too fast, or being too sure of yourself, can be disastrous. Buildings are *incredibly* complex, even the "simple" ones!
The building *will* tell you what's wrong, you just have to ask it the right questions and keep your eyes and ears open.
And...beware the old adage "when you're carrying a hammer, every problem looks like a nail." If you call the guy who makes his living by coating the inside walls of basements, he'll tell you that's what will solve your water intrusion problem. But, he's not looking at the bigger picture, at the building as a *system.*
I love helping people solve mysteries, but honestly, most people aren't willing to take the time to do things right. They'll even pay more money for a quick fix because it "sounds good" then listen to folks who think about this stuff the right way.
People expect that I should know instantly what's going on (sometimes I do, but most of the time I need to see it a couple times, do some thinking, etc) and they expect that I have the solution exactly right immediately.
Most of these tough issues (like my HVAC post the other day) aren't like changing a tire on a car, where the problem and the solution are obvious. We may only be able to see symptoms of the real problem, and we may not be able to get further vital info without ripping out tons of finish materials.
So we rely on experience, understanding the concepts of physics, and careful observation of what we *can* see - as well as patience and understanding from our clients as we work to get to the bottom of whatever is going on.
It ain't easy, but I love it.
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