Moisture: the bane of all buildings (also breathability, sweatability, and vapour), with Valentina Marincioni (UCL) and Toby Cambray (Greengauge)

Zero Ambitions Podcast

We are joined by Valentina Marincioni (UCL, UKCMB) and returning guest Toby Cambray (Greengauge) to talk about the bane of all buildings: moisture.

Recently, they they’ve produced a simple explainer video about "breathability" in buildings for the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings. Given Jeff's proclivity for referring to the 'sweatability' of buildings this seemed like a perfect opportunity to have Toby back and meet his colleague Valentina.

We got into the subject of moisture in some depth, discussed the key terms (vapour diffusion, hygroscopicity, and capillary action), why this all matters, what’s important to understand and how it’s easily misunderstood and easily miscommunicated.

We also play the audio from the video.

Notes from the show

• Buildings Don't Breathe, the video that led to the conversation
• Toby on LinkedIn
• Valentina on LinkedIn
• The UKCMB website and the tools and guidance they host there
• The recent Historic England paper on vapour control layers
• The paper about 4 Cs (context, coherence, capacity, and caution) framework for the development of moisture standards in the UK (available free via BSI)
• Toby's appearance on the House Planning Help podcast talking about all things WUFI
• The Greengauge consultancy website (Toby's consultancy, with others, too)

**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**
We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.

• Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)
• Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sorts
• Subscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)
• Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon Upfront
• Join ACAN
• Join the AECB
• Join the IGBC
• Check out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women

**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**