Engawa Residence

Large roof eaves help protect many of the home’s exterior envelope elements.

A double-layer bentonite sub-slab waterproofing system was used to protect the basement floors against the site’s high water-table.

PL:BECS provided detailed hand sketches of complex flashing configurations to assist the contractor in executing these properly.

Deeply-recessed stainless steel sub-threshold flashings were used under floating door thresholds.

The site’s high water-table required careful detailing of multi-layered waterproofing at vulnerable pipe penetrations through sub-grade walls.

Seattle, Washington
Client: Sullivan Conard Architects
Dates of Service: 2006-2009 

Project Summary: This new home’s basic design included broad protective roof eaves, limiting infiltration risk in many locations.  However, its basement was submerged several feet into the site’s very high water-table, reflecting the waterfront home’s close proximity to the adjacent lake.  Weather-exposed exterior decks over living spaces, complex roof and flashing configurations, and the home’s unhindered exposure to winds off the lake posed additional dangers.  

PL:BECS Services: PL:BECS provided services in two phases.
In the first phase, PL:BECS consulted to the architect in the selection and detailed design of all exterior envelope systems, including sub-slab and sub-grade wall waterproofing, wood wall cladding systems, wood windows and doors, cedar shingle sloped roofs and single-ply low-slope roofs, deck waterproofing, and related flashing assemblies.
Subsequently, PL:BECS worked closely with the general contractor, Krekow-Jennings, to assure that all new exterior elements were properly installed.  Services included site visits to examine in-progress installation of the various exterior elements, preparation of reports, mock-up installations and field-testing of windows, mock-up installations of typical flashings, assistance with specific product selections, and similar tasks.