Why Air Sealing Matters
Reducing the amount of air that leaks in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, improve durability, increase overall comfort, and create a healthier indoor environment. AeroBarrier makes that easy.
Air leakage is one of the most important energy-efficiency measures.
It’s not surprising that all high performance building certification programs have air sealing requirements. Homes with high air leakage rates need to compensate with larger HVAC equipment to keep the home comfortable. That HVAC equipment has to run longer to continually heat/cool the air leaking into or out of the house. Think about a sieve being filled at a sink. If the holes in the sieve are large, the faucet has to run more to keep water in the sieve. If we could make the holes in the building envelope smaller we could keep more of the heated/cooled air inside.
Moving beyond HVAC, air leakage is the method in which up to 98% of water vapor moves into a building. This unwanted moisture can cause building failures which can result in significant repair costs. Homes with high air leakage also let in more dust, allergens, and pollutants resulting in poor indoor air quality.
Why Does That Matter?
Because Air Leakage…
- Is typically the largest driver of energy use in the home, comprising 30% – 70% of energy wasted on heating and cooling
- It is usually the biggest contributing factor for drafts, hot/cold spots, and other comfort issues in a home
- Often the largest contributor to moisture problems, especially mold and mildew
Affordable Airtightness
Air sealing is vital to an efficient, durable, and healthy home. By preventing air leakage through cracks, gaps, and openings homeowners have more control over their living environment. AeroBarrier, a computer-controlled, air sealing technology is transforming the way builders seal the home by simplifying the process, removing the guesswork and guaranteeing the results in one application. Through a unique approach to air sealing, AeroBarrier simultaneously measures and seals building envelope leaks, allowing builders to dial-in the precise level of leakage and performance quickly and easily.
AeroBarrier’s proprietary process creates an atomized sealant that is applied while the home is pressurized, creating an environment where sealant particles find and seal gaps, cracks, and opening as small as a human hair. Unlike traditional air sealing techniques, AeroBarrier finds and seals only areas where air leakage occurs, identifying and sealing gaps and cracks both visible and hidden throughout the structure. This approach removes all guess work while reducing time spent sealing and eliminating wasted traditional sealing materials. The result, the AeroBarrier application is simple: a more consistently sealed home where even the smallest openings are addressed, resulting in a better seal, no rework, and guaranteed results.
AeroBarrier is the only technology available today to cost effectively and consistently deliver the benefits of a well-sealed home.
The average person spends 87% of their life indoors and will take over 20,000 breaths per day. Adding AeroBarrier to your next build will:
Improve Indoor Air Quality
Seal out allergens and pollutants to create a healthier indoor environment for occupants
Cut Down on Outside Noise
Reduce up to 40% in outside noise from neighbors and traffic
Protect Against Pests and Insects
Seal holes and gaps to defend against pests and critters
Prevent Moisture Intrusion
Reduce the conditions that can lead to moisture problems, especially mold and mildew
Experience Dramatic Savings
Occupants can see savings of up to 1/3 on heating and cooling costs
Enjoy a More Comfortable Home
Fewer drafts and more consistent room to room comfort
“There aren’t any climates and there aren’t any buildings that will not benefit from moisture management through air-sealing.”
Peter Yost – Founder of Building-Wright and Technical Director of Green Building Advisor
Manage Vapor Diffusion With AeroBarrier
Water vapor diffusion is the movement of water vapor through vapor-permeable materials. Vapor diffusion happens through a solid material even when the material has no holes. A typical example of vapor diffusion happens when a material, such as gypsum drywall installed on a wall, separates two zones. If the air on one side of the drywall is very damp, and the air on the other side of the drywall is very dry, diffusion will occur. The drywall will absorb moisture on the damp side and then evaporate it through the dry side.
AeroBarrier’s guaranteed results remove the air leakage by which the vapor would be transported, stopping diffusion in its tracks.
Building Science Corporation paper RR-0412: Insulations, Sheathings and Vapor Retarders, displays the potential water intrusion from just a small air leak can be up to 90 times greater than the water that would normally diffuse through gypsum board into the enclosure.
If you are interested using AeroBarrier on your next project, please call our office at 1-800-916-5895 or contact us online.