"air barrier"

air barrier / Green Building & Sustainable Home Renovation Information & Advice

Air and vapour barriers

How to install an air barrier for reduced air leakage - video

...barrier is to prevent vapor diffusion (walls absorbing humidity from the air), and the job of an air barrier is to stop air leakage through individual holes. A wall system should have one vapor barrier, but it can have many air barriers. A vapor barrier can act as a very effective air barrier, but an air barrier does n...

Air and vapour barriers

What is an air barrier?

...air leakage than is carried by vapor diffusion. That makes air barriers 100 times more important than vapour barriers, so why is no one talking about them? We don't talk about air barriers because we are too busy talking about vapor barriers. An air barrier is not something you walk into a building supply store and buy...

Air and vapour barriers

Interior sheathing as an air and vapor barrier

...air and vapor permeance. By moving the sheathing to the inside, you are simply letting it live up to its full potential as an air barrier and vapor barrier, and eliminating the need to install a separate product to do that job. One of the benefits of OSB as an air barrier is that it is solid. A polyethylene or foil air...

Air and vapour barriers

Aerobarrier home and attic air-sealing spray

...air sealing homes in the Ecohome Green Building Guide and these pages here: Air barriers and air sealing a home during construction or renovation All about Passive House construction Learn the difference between air barriers and vapor barriers, its important! DIY video- how to install a peel and stick air barr...

Healthy indoor air quality

Why you should never Install air-con in a home with a vapor barrier

...barrier + air-con = damp moldy walls So here's a little known fact that most HVAC installers won't tell a potential new client for central air; Polyethylene vapor barriers in combination with air conditioning in homes can rot walls because of the condensation they may cause. This is why if you have a newer home with a ...

Insulation and soundproofing

Does a home need a radiant barrier in walls and ceilings? When is it worth it?

...air bubbles as insulation), and some rigid insulation boards such as polyisocyanurate have them attached on one side to act as a radiant barrier, a vapor barrier, and when taped and not punctured, an air barrier as well. The intention of a foil radiant barrier is primarily to reduce cooling costs by mitigating solar he...

HRV and ERV

DIY Lunos HRV air exchanger installation video

...air is directed to a centralized core for a heat exchange before being exhausted from the house. Lunos is a decentralized system with a series of self-contained units, each with their own ceramic heat exchange core. They work in pairs blowing in opposite directions to maintain air pressure, and reversing directions eve...

Air and vapour barriers

Choosing the right house wrap / weather barrier, which is best?

...barriers are often intended to act as an air barrier as well, but the most common installation techniques (staples, nails and hastily installed tape) mean it is a rare case when they actually do a good job at air sealing. Manufacturers will rightly claim their products are a suitable choice for an air barrier, and they...

Radon in Homes - Mitigation

How to install vapor and radon barriers below slab floors

...barrier, we used a 10 mil barrier and a radon evacuation stack to lower radon gas levels in homes, research shows (see below) that thicker membranes offer more effective protection. In this video we are installing a 10 mil vapour barrier but we would probably use a thick vapor barrier like this one in future as the co...

Concept and design

Building science for LEED v4 wall design made easy - video

...air barrier from the assault it would normally receive from wiring and other penetrations when we rely on an interior polyethylene as an air and vapor barrier. See our pages on vapor and air movement & the difference between air & vapor barriers to get a better idea of how this works, and why it makes so much s...

Wall assemblies - renovation

Green home improvements: an energy-saving pyramid scheme that actually works!

...air out of your home and the hot air in can save a fortune in electricity costs for running aircon. The best bit? This tip is for free! Caulking: Air leaks account for an enormous amount of heat loss in a home, and can lead to condensation and mold in walls in cold climates. In a really leaky house, a tube of caulking...