SPECIFYING FOR THE STORM
Understanding exposure zones is key to how specifiers can ensure their wall and insulation designs remain compliant and protect against rainfall and weather ingress, explains Knauf Insulation.
The UK’s famously unpredictable weather has long shaped how we build. But with the Met Office reporting a measurable increase in rainfall and more intense weather events, designing for moisture resistance has never been more important. For specifiers, understanding exposure zones and how they influence wall design and insulation is key to ensuring buildings remain durable, efficient, and compliant.
Wind-driven rain can penetrate masonry walls, causing penetrating damp, damaging internal finishes, and encouraging mould growth. Its severity varies across the country and even between elevations on the same building. The Building Regulations – particularly Approved Document C – provide clear guidance on how to design for exposure and moisture control, but translating that into robust, practical wall specifications requires more than compliance alone.