West End Lofts is a 144,000 SF multifamily building in Traverse City, four levels of wood-framed residential over a parking podium, with mixed cladding of metal panel, fiber cement, and brick. The enclosure had been complete since 2023, but water was showing up at the first-floor retail and at two second-floor balconies above it, all at the west end of the north elevation. With the building occupied and the source not obvious from the outside, the work was to replicate the leak and find where it actually originated.

The investigation centered on a site visit built around water testing: spray nozzle and spray rack methods adapted from AAMA standards, run against the balconies and retail space to reproduce the reported infiltration. Borescope and infrared cameras supported the visual work, with small interior openings kept under four inches where drywall access was needed. A findings report with repair recommendations followed within four business days.