Product Brochure

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The ideal road map for mitigating these challenges is to start by incorporating higher standards in product choice
and selection for your projects. A great first-step is to focus on the management of air and moisture flow through
the building envelope. Smart vapor retarders are able to address both air flow and manage the moisture profile of
the exterior wall cavity. This helps to minimize and limit the risk of moisture-based building issues while adding no
additional labor. A simple solution that can payoff big. Property owners are even willing to consider upgrades like this
when presented as an option as they want to minimize their risks as well.
By offering advanced solutions, you are enhancing the value of your business to your customers. Some builders have
even seen a 50% reduction or more in callbacks simply by incorporating higher-standards into their construction
methods 2004 Harvard Study, Norberg-Bohm and White.
Managing Air: Selecting the Right
Air Barrier Approach
A leaky structure can compromise an entire building envelope, and air tightness has
a tremendous effect on every other performance aspect of the building envelope:
thermal comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy efficiency.
The two primary functions of these materials are:
1. To provide a vapor-permeable layer that allows moisture trapped in the wall to escape.
2. To be an energy-efficient air barrier that stops air infiltration and exfiltration through
the wall.
Exterior air barriers have the additional challenge of providing a weather barrier
behind the exterior cladding while protecting the sheathing. This is why relying on
them to also provide air tightness is not advisable.
If an exterior housewrap is left exposed on a job site for longer than its UV rating
permits, it is susceptible to material degradation that could result in tears and holes.
In many instances, the housewrap is treated as an exterior air barrier; however, critical
details that can affect performance are often missed — such as missing tape at
seams or overlapping corners.
Most of these issues can be overcome by the builder, superintendent or project manager with proper planning and
attention to detail; however, it is impossible to monitor the job site all the time. There are a few strategies — such as the
airtight drywall approach or a simple caulk and seal, for example — that the insulation contractor can employ to ensure
that the insulation installed performs as intended. But there is only one solution that actually addresses both the need for air
tightness and active moisture management in one application: installing a smart vapor retarder as a continuous air barrier.
The Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) requires the following characteristics to be considered when
considering exterior air barriers:
Air Resistance

limited account of the impact of seams and penetrations that are critical to their function as an air barrier system.


tightness at the interior air control layer.
Air TighTness is Key!

Leaky cracks and joints will
invariably cause uncomfortable
drafts.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
Excellent air quality in buildings
can only be achieved by
exchanging indoor air with fresh
outdoor air at regular intervals;
this ventilation efficiency can’t
be guaranteed without good air
tightness.

Even small leaks add up to
significant energy costs.