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Building a weathertight home

Publications prepared by the Department as guidance information in accordance with section 175 of the Building Act 2004.

They are not Compliance Documents, but are intended to provide general guidance to designers, building consent authorities (BCAs), builders, etc.

 External moisture – A guide to weathertightness remediation
External moisture – A guide to weathertightness remediation [PDF 1.19 MB, 72 pages].   What sort of publication it is: Colour booklet
Who it's for: Designers, building specialists, remediation contractors, building officials, and others. It is especially relevant to consultants advising clients and owners on repair of leaky buildings.
What it contains: It outlines a process that consultants should follow when advising owners on weathertightness repair of buildings from initial identification of the problem, through organising of repair contracts to ongoing maintenance recommendations. It also highlights where specialists can assist in the remediation process, such as investigating specific causes, deciding repair strategies and analysing decayed timber.

How much it costs: Free
How to get it: Download a PDF or call 0800 242 243 for a hard copy

 Constructing cavities for wall claddings
Constructing cavities for wall claddings [PDF 2.30 MB, 24 pages].   What sort of publication it is: Colour booklet
Who it's for: Builders
What it contains: Guide to drained and vented cavity construction for timber-framed buildings, as described in the Acceptable Solution for Building Code Clause E2 External Moisture (E2/AS1).

How much it costs: Free
How to get it: Download a PDF or call 0800 242 243 for a hard copy

Timber Treatment: Summary information from NZS 3602: 2003 Timber and Wood-based Products for Use in Building
Timber Treatment: Summary information from NZS 3602: 2003 Timber and Wood-based Products for Use in Building  

What sort of publication it is: Colour booklet
Who it's for: Builders using treated timber
What it contains: This booklet is designed as a quick guide to the use of treated radiata pine and Douglas fir in buildings where buildings have been designed to the provisions of NZS 3602: 2003 (cited in B2/AS1).

The booklet helps builders use the right level of treated timber in the right place and summarises NZS 3602: 2003 Timber and Wood-based Products for Use in Building. This summary includes how to identify timber treatments and which type of treated timber needs to be used where. Eight new diagrams show examples of treated timber in houses. There is also important information on the safe handling of treated timber.

How much it costs: Free
How to get it: Download a PDF or call 0800 242 243 for a hard copy

External moisture – a guide to using the risk matrix
External moisture – a guide to using the risk matrix [PDF 1.7 MB, 56 pages].  

What sort of publication it is: Colour brochure
Who it's for: Building designers and building officials
What it contains: Guidance for using the risk matrix from E2/AS1 to assess a building design for weathertightness. The main topics it covers are:

  • the philosophy of risk assessment
  • the risk assessment process
  • a summary of key risk factors
  • some risk factors in detail (eg, number of storeys, envelope complexity, deck design
  • worked examples.

How much it costs: Free
How to get it: Download a PDF or call 0800 242 243 for a hard copy

External moisture - An introduction to weathertightness design principles
External moisture - An introduction to weathertightness design principles [PDF 2.31 MB, 48 pages].  

What sort of publication it is: Colour booklet
Who it's for: Builders and building officials
What it contains: The principles of weathertightness design that have helped shape the Acceptable Solution E2/AS1 are explained in this guidance document. The document provides a valuable summary of critical performance components for effective cladding systems. It sets out principles that act as a checklist for performance-based designs outside the Compliance Documents. Knowledge of the principles of weathertightness is considered essential for all designers and builders of small- to medium-sized buildings, for building officials, educators and those with a general interest in weathertightness such as insurers, developers and funders of building projects.

How much it costs: Free
How to get it: Download a PDF or call 0800 242 243 for a hard copy

Archived weathertightness-related publications

New weathertightness solutions - published by the Building Industry Authority in October 2004 for builders and people building or renovating a home.

Critical requirements for the assessment of 'monolithic' claddings - published by the Building Industry Authority in April 2004 for building officials.