Designation: D7053/D7053M − 17Standard Guide forDetermining and Evaluating Causes of Water Leakage ofLow-Sloped Roofs 1This standard is issued under the f i xed designation D7053/D7053M; the number immediately following the designation indicates theyear of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of lastreapproval. A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1. Scope1.1 This guide describes methods for determining andevaluating causes of water leakage in low-sloped roofs. Forthis purpose, water penetration is considered leakage andtherefore problematic, is causing or is likely to cause prematuredeterioration of the roof, building or its contents, or isadversely affecting the performance of other components of thebuilding. A roof is considered an assembly including themembrane, insulation, vapor retarder (if required), deck, andstructural components.1.1.1 This guide excludes moisture-related problems inroofs caused by condensation.N OTE 1—Condensation—Moisture-related problems in roof systemsmay be caused by condensation of humid air originating from within thebuilding and be incorrectly attributed to leakage from rain water. Theprotocol for an investigation of dampness due to condensation and iscomplicated, requires special expertise, and is beyond the scope of thisguide. For information regarding condensation problems as they relate toroofs, refer to ASTM MNL 18, 2 ASTM MNL 40, 3 and ASHRAEHandbook 2005 Fundamentals. 41.2 Investigative techniques discussed in this guide may beintrusive, disruptive, or destructive. It is the responsibility ofthe investigator to establish the limitations of use, to anticipateand advise of the destructive nature of some procedures, and toplan for repairing and selective reconstruction as necessary.1.3 This guide does not address steep-sloped roofs, standingor f l at seam metal roofs, or architectural standing seam metalroofs.1.4 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound unitsare to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated ineach system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, eachsystem shall be used independently of the other. Combiningvalues from the two systems may result in non-conformancewith the standard.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards: 5C1153 Practice for Location of Wet Insulation in Roof i ngSystems Using Infrared ImagingD1079 Terminology Relating to Roof i ng and Waterproof i ngD7186 Practice for Quality Assurance Observation of RoofConstruction and Repair3. Terminology3.1 Refer to Terminology D1079.3.2 Def i nitions of Terms Specif i c to This Standard:3.2.1 condensation—the conversion of water vapor to liquidas the temperature drops or atmospheric pressure rises.3.2.2 water leakage—the passage of (liquid) water througha material or system designed to prevent the passage of water.4. Signif i cance and Use4.1 This guide is intended to provide building professionalswith a methodology for evaluating water leakage throughlow-sloped roofs. It addresses the service history of a roof, thevarious components of a roof, and the interaction betweenthese components and adjacent construction. It is not intendedas a construction quality control procedure, as specif i ed inPractice D7186, nor as a preconstruction qualif i cation proce-dure. It is intended for evaluating water leakage through alow-sloped roof.4.1.1 Qualif i cations—Use of this guide requires a back-ground as an architect, engineer, roof/waterproof i ng consultant,roof i ng contractor, or related profession with an understandingin building construction and the expertise in the design,installation, and maintenance of low-sloped roofs.1 This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D08 on Roof i ng andWaterproof i ng and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D08.20 on Roof i ngMembrane Systems.Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2017. Published January 2017. Originallyapproved in 2007. Last previous version approved in 2011 as D7053/D7053M – 11.DOI: 10.1520/D7053_D7053M-17.2 Treschel, H. R., ed., Manual on Moisture Control in Buildings, MNL18,ASTMInternational, 1994.3 Treschel, H. R., ed., Moisture Analysis and Condensation Control in BuildingEnvelopes, MNL 40, ASTM International, 2003.4 ASHRAE Handbook 2005 Fundamentals, available from American Society ofHeating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE), 1791Tullie Circle, NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, http://www.ashrae.org.5 For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United StatesThis international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for theDevelopment of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.1 Copyright by ASTM Int'l (all rights reserved); Fri Oct 6 22:02:17 EDT 2017Downloaded/printed byUniversity of Edinburgh (University of Edinburgh) pursuant to License Agreement. No further reproductions authorized.
