EEBA Water Management Guide

by Joseph W. Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng.; Energy & Environmental Building Association, Minneapolis, MN, 2002. Available from EEBA, 952-881-1098,

www.eeba.org. Spiral-bound, 42 pages, $18 ($15 members).

EEBA Water Management Guide is a clear, concise booklet about preventing rain and groundwater entry into houses and light-commercial buildings. Author Joe Lstiburek is unparalleled at presenting information directly and clearly. This simple guide is perhaps his best effort to date. He takes a specific, yet extremely important aspect of building science—water management—and lays out both the science and the details in a manner that can be fully digested in just 20 minutes.

Some may be put off by Lstiburek’s overly simplistic, repetitive, and sometimes condescending style—“Slope everything away from the building. Slope the garage slab, the patio, the stoop, and the walkway. Slope everything.” But this style drives home the underlying principles in a way that won’t leave anyone confused. The illustrations by Stephanie Finegan of Building Science Corporation are superb; color and shading help to clarify what’s being shown. About half of the booklet consists of well-captioned construction details.

Well worth the price. We recommend the

EEBA Water Management Guide to anyone involved in residential and light-commercial construction.

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AW