About Vertex Envelope Solutions
An independent building-envelope diagnostic practice led by Douglas Silva, a building-envelope technical specialist with 19 years of construction industry experience.
Vertex Envelope Solutions is led by Douglas Silva, a building-envelope technical specialist with 19 years of construction industry experience and a BSc (Hons) in Architectural Design & Technology.
His experience covers façades, external wall insulation, render systems, roofing interfaces, moisture risk, thermal performance, U-values, thermal bridging, technical specifications, detailing and remediation strategies.
His background combines practical construction experience with technical expertise in building physics, technical design and building-envelope diagnostics. Tools and software include Revit, AutoCAD, WUFI, U-value assessment software and thermal bridge analysis.
Vertex Envelope Solutions was created to provide practical independent support where the cause of a roof, façade, moisture or building-envelope problem is unclear.
Understand the problem before money is spent on the wrong repair.
Experience
- Façades
- External Wall Insulation Systems
- Render Systems
- Roofing Interfaces
- Moisture Risk
- Thermal Performance
- U-Values
- Thermal Bridging
- Technical Specifications
- Technical Detailing
- Remediation Strategies
Tools & Software
- Revit
- AutoCAD
- WUFI
- U-Value Assessment Software
- Thermal Bridge Analysis
Built on Technical Depth
Vertex Envelope Solutions is led by Douglas Silva, a building-envelope technical specialist whose experience combines practical construction knowledge with building physics and technical design expertise.
Nearly 20 Years' Construction Experience
Two decades of hands-on construction and building-envelope technical roles, combining practical site knowledge with engineering understanding.
Architectural Design & Technology Degree
BSc (Hons) in Architectural Design & Technology, providing a foundation in construction technology, detailing and building performance.
Building Envelope Diagnostics
Specialist experience investigating roof leaks, water ingress, moisture, condensation and façade defects across a wide range of building types.
Building Physics
Applied understanding of heat, air and moisture movement through building assemblies — essential for identifying root causes, not just symptoms.
Technical Specification Expertise
Experience preparing and reviewing technical specifications, construction details and system build-ups using Revit, AutoCAD and specialist analysis software.
Commercial & Industrial Experience
Practical experience across commercial and industrial buildings, including large-scale roofs, façade systems and complex building interfaces.
Diagnostic Technologies
Every investigation uses the most appropriate technique for the building — not simply the equipment available. Below is an overview of the technologies Vertex draws upon.
Dry Electronic Leak Detection
Locating invisible breaches in flat roof membranes without flooding the roof.
A high-voltage sweep across a non-conductive membrane reveals exactly where continuity is lost — pinpointing pinholes, cuts and failed seams that allow water ingress.
Wet Electronic Leak Detection
Testing membrane integrity across large roof areas in damp conditions.
A low-voltage current is passed through a thin film of water on the membrane surface. Breaches are detected where the current finds a path to earth through the defect.
Thermal Imaging
Seeing moisture, heat loss and missing insulation that are invisible to the eye.
Infrared thermography maps surface temperature differences across roofs and façades, revealing trapped moisture, thermal bridging and discontinuities in insulation.
Moisture Mapping
Understanding the full extent and pattern of moisture within a construction.
Systematic moisture readings across a surface build a map of moisture distribution, helping trace the pathway from source to visible symptom.
Drone Inspection
Safely accessing high-level roofs, façades and difficult-to-reach areas.
Aerial inspection captures high-resolution imagery of areas that would otherwise require scaffolding or rope access — reducing cost and risk during initial assessment.
Building Physics
Understanding why a defect is happening, not just where it is.
Applying principles of heat, air and moisture movement to interpret how a building is performing and why defects are occurring at specific locations.
WUFI Hygrothermal Analysis
Predicting long-term moisture behaviour within complex wall and roof build-ups.
Computer simulation of coupled heat and moisture transfer through construction assemblies, assessing whether a build-up will accumulate moisture over time under real climate conditions.
Thermal Bridge Analysis
Identifying localised heat loss at junctions, details and material transitions.
Detailed modelling of thermal bridges at construction junctions — revealing where surface temperatures drop low enough to cause condensation, mould and energy loss.
U-Value Assessment
Verifying that a construction meets thermal performance requirements.
Calculation of the rate of heat transfer through a building element, confirming whether insulation levels comply with Building Regulations and perform as intended.
Vertex does not promote specific equipment brands. Technology selection is driven by the building, the reported problem and the investigation objective — not by commercial preference.
Professional Technical Reporting
Every investigation concludes with a structured engineering report. Below is a preview of the sections you can expect.