Zonda - Resource Library

PVC wall cladding is a superior option for interior surfaces in a wide variety of applications, including healthcare, hospitality, commercial and public facilities, and more. It’s a lightweight, customizable, sustainable solution that outperforms other cladding options. This course will explore different types of interior wall cladding and explain the benefits of PVC, including an active antimicrobial panel system. Learners will also explore specific applications for interior PVC cladding and review installation best practices to ensure a successful project.

Time-honored material offers a bold new expression of architectural excellence. Read why slate is an ideal cladding solution for numerous applications. In an industry and design environment where so many materials ask architects, contractors and owners to make difficult sustainability, performance and aesthetic decisions, consider how the simplicity and elegance of a reimagined building material presents a way forward with minimal compromise.

Innovative integrated weather barrier systems that combine structural oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing with an air- and water-resistive barrier not only result in a high-performance building envelope, but they also allow project teams to find efficiencies in design and construction. This course will discuss the components of integrated weather-resistive barrier (WRBs) sheathings, important design details you must be aware of to meet stringent building codes, and how these products can extend a building’s lifecycle and maximize its energy efficiency. We will also examine a new time and labor study that demonstrates how an integrated air- and water-resistive barrier sheathing system can be installed more efficiently than a typical building wrap over OSB sheathing and how this system results in a more energy-efficient structure.

As the aesthetics and reliability of manufactured stone veneer (MSV) has improved, the market for this exterior cladding has increased exponentially. In the last five years, manufactured stone has consistently appeared at the top of our annual Cost vs. Value report as a remodeling project with one of the highest ROI. And it’s increasingly common on homes and light commercial offices, hotels.

However, with the increasing market opportunity comes increased risk for contractors installing it. Like any exterior cladding, manufactured stone must be installed over a drainage plane that directs water down and out, away from the wall. How is this done for MSV? What does code require and what changing developments will affect building practices?

Brick is a resilient and sustainable material used in high-performance buildings, a key aspect of sustainable design. Sustainable design considers the health and well-being of building occupants and the concept of resilience, which is to withstand extreme weather events, then quickly repair and re-occupy.

The learning objectives explore the age old material, which has gained traction in resilient design and discusses how buildings constructed of the material provide occupant comfort in terms of thermal, acoustic, and non-VOC emissions.

Biophilic design has solidified itself as a staple of modern building design, quickly moving from a trend to an established design principle. An increasing number of building owners and tenants are interested in incorporating biophilic design into their commercial spaces, and because biophilic design IS the future of design, architects and designers are stepping up to meet the need. This course will help architects and designers understand the core concepts of biophilic design and why it’s an essential component of the current interior built environment, as well as the future of commercial spaces.

A high-performance building enclosure, such as one clad with EIFS with Drainage, provides protection against the elements, contributes to energy efficiency, and is a means to protect the health and well-being of occupants.

This course will cover the performance and design benefits of modern EIFS with Drainage systems, explaining how they have evolved from the first EIFS barrier system into a single-source solution for exterior wall cladding that provides a number of benefits, including Continuous Insulation, compared to other cladding products. EIFS with Drainage also offers unparalleled design flexibility and adaptability.

This course will compare and contrast methods of preventing fire, smoke, and sound passage within/between wall assemblies. We'll explore different types of structural movement that may occur and the impact to building components and their connections over time. Next, we will examine how movement impacts interior finishes and identify solutions, and the steps that must be taken to prevent damage from movement to building components. By the end of the course, the learner will be able to make more informed decisions in the marketplace of fire and sound rated solutions designed for wall joints.

This On Demand CEU is a recorded presentation from a previously live webinar event. Buildings must be designed to stand up to their natural environment, including high winds, heavy rain events, and freeze / thaw cycles. Increasingly, building systems must also have a positive impact on a building in case of a catastrophic event, such as potential natural disasters. Wood-plastic composite cladding is a great alternative for constructing resilient and sustainable commercial buildings.

The material is highly durable with performance attributes that equate to a longer-lasting, more resilient product than alternative cladding materials. This course will cover the principles of resilient design, the importance of material durability and high performance when specifying resilient materials, and how wood-plastic composite cladding contributes to resilient building design.

Building materials face deterioration from a variety of threats, the most serious and persistent being water and moisture. When installing masonry (e.g., manufactured stone veneer) or metal building systems, there are many common installation mistakes that can lead to failure, including neglecting to follow moisture management best practices to prevent water intrusion. This course will examine the importance of moisture management in the building envelope and common mistakes to avoid when specifying and installing wall assemblies. We will take a holistic view of water management and how it can impact the building envelope, whether that is manufactured stone veneer, metal, or another material.