knowledge zone - Stijn Van den Eeden

A FREE lunchtime webinar on flat roof durability and the building physics behind warm roof construction. Learn why flat roofs fail, how vapour barriers go wrong, and what better design looks like in practice. Includes live Q&A. Earn CPD and LBP points.

Description

Do warm roofs last? The building physics of flat roof durability

Why flat roofs fail and the design decisions that change the outcome

Flat roofs are among the most failure-prone elements in New Zealand construction and the reasons are well understood in building science, even if they are not well understood on site. Stijn Van den Eeden draws on 25 years of global experience and a Master's in Building Physics to work through the full picture: roof typologies, how heat and moisture interact across different systems, where vapour barriers fail, and what the pathology of real failures looks like. This is a technically rich session with direct practical application for anyone involved in the design or delivery of flat roof construction.

 

 WHAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT

  • How warm, cold, and inverted flat roof typologies differ and the specific moisture and durability risks each one carries
  • Why vapour barriers are so frequently mis-specified or poorly detailed and what getting them right actually looks like
  • How interstitial condensation develops and what a proper diagnostic approach involves
  • Real pathology examples including double vapour barriers, concrete dry-out failures, and membrane adhesion problems
  • What safety nets such as compartmentation, moisture sensors, IR imaging, and electronic leak detection add to a project and when to use them

 We’ll wrap up with a hosted Q&A, giving you the chance to dig into key takeaways and clarify your own projects. 

 

SPEAKER

Stijn holds a Master's in Building Physics from KU Leuven and has spent 25 years working on building envelopes across five continents before settling in New Zealand 15 years ago. At Babbage he leads the external envelope team and has been at the forefront of off-site modular façade construction in New Zealand, including the Auckland City Mission project. He brings rare depth in both building physics and real-world delivery.

 

 HOST

Jon Davies - Technical Sales Support and Education Training Manager at Pro Clima NZ

Jon brings a depth of knowledge from years of industry training and on-site experience. He guides the session with thoughtful questions, facilitates engaging discussion, and helps uncover practical insights that matter on the job.

 

Earn CPD and LBP points | Register now

 

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