Air Barrier Systems
Air Barriers are integral components within the building envelope. The building envelope is defined as the system that separates the conditioned (heated or cooled) space inside the building from the unconditioned area outside of the building. This physical separator should not only resist air movement but also resist water, noise, heat and light with the noise and light generally considered the secondary reasons for these systems. The word “system” has been used purposefully as none of the materials that are used as an Air Barrier are stand alone products. Building Science has taught us that we need to view our buildings as a whole and stop isolating the components or systems from each other. For an air barrier to be effective it must be thought of as a component in a larger system that is tied in to all of the other systems or components of the building as well.
Water vapour permeance or “perm rating” is a measurement indicating the amount of vapour that will escape or diffuse through a membrane. There are three classes of air barriers, Class I (impermeable) - perm rating of less than 0.1, Class II (semi-impermeable) - perm rating between 0.1 and 1 and Class III (permeable) - perm rating between 1 and 10.
As this segment of the market is becoming better understood we have increased our inventory to satisfy this greater demand. Our warehouses stock the most popular products utilised in these systems and are readily available for pick up or delivery.
Sheet Applied Permeable
Sheet applied or more commonly known as “peel and stick” membranes are typically used for smooth substrates without a lot of penetrations or detail work. Permeable sheet membranes are considered Class III with a perm rating between 1 and 10.
Sheet Applied Impermeable
Sheet applied or more commonly known as “peel and stick” membranes are typically used for smooth substrates without a lot of penetrations or detail work. Impermeable sheet membranes are considered Class I with a perm rating less than 0.1.
Fluid Applied Permeable
Fluid applied air barriers are ideal for irregular substrates or applications with a large number of penetrations or detail work. They are also used to tie in penetrations in conjunction with sheet applied air barriers. Permeable fluid applied membranes are considered Class III with a perm rating between 1 and 10.
Fluid Applied Impermeable
Fluid applied air barriers are ideal for irregular substrates or applications with a large number of penetrations or detail work. They are also used to tie in penetrations in conjunction with sheet applied air vapour barriers. Impermeable fluid applied membranes are considered Class I with a perm rating less than 0.1.
Tools and Accessories
As mentioned previously, air barriers are always part of a system approach to any building envelope. The systems employ a variety of primers, termination mastics, protection and application tools among other ancillary items to properly apply these systems or products. The right tool or accessory can not only make the job go faster it will also likely ensure the performance of the system will be up to the specification parameters.