Airtight & Weatherproof

Efficient, durable and airtight wall assemblies

Guide

Aerobarrier home and attic air-sealing spray

Aerobarrier is a non-toxic acrylic spray that quickly and affordably seals air leaks in attics and homes… We cannot overstate the importance of airtightness in homes and attic rooms. A proper air barrier reduces heat loss in winter, overheating in summer, and prevents moisture build up in walls which can lead to mou...

Tyvek home wrap left exposed to wind and UV rays

Weather barriers - what they do and how to install them

Weather barriers (or more accurately water-resistive barriers) keep bulk water away from vulnerable building components and allow walls to dry at the same time.… A technical guide to understanding the role weather barriers and rainscreens play in a wall, choosing the right products and installation tips for optimum ...

Problem areas of air leakage in a home and blower door test being cond

Balancing air pressure in a house: "Your house sucks." "Oh yeah? your house blows!"

Odds are that at any given time the air pressure in your house is out of balance and either drawing air in or forcing it out. Learn the causes, the effects and the solutions for air leakage.… We go on incessantly here about the importance of air barriers in home construction to reduce air leakage, but no matter how ...

Exterior air barrier membrane © Ecohome

How to install an air barrier for reduced air leakage

Air leakage is responsible for a large portion of the heat loss and moisture damage in walls.… Watch more videos The Ecohome Demo House has a vapour permeable exterior air barrier and with an ACH rate of .69 is many times more airtight than the average new home. Air leakage can be responsible for up to 1/3 of...

Interior sheathing as air & vapor barriers in wood frame construction

Interior sheathing as an air and vapour or vapor barrier

3/4 inch OSB sheathing on the interior can be an excellent air barrier and a great vapour barrier as well.… There has been a steady evolution in the way we build homes over the last couple of decades, and the old standby wall recipe of 2x6s, fiberglass insulation and polyethylene doesn't measure up anymore with buil...

Air barriers are essential to a properly functioning wall system

What is an air barrier?

Approximately 100 times more water vapour is carried into our walls by air leakage than is carried by vapour diffusion. That makes air barriers 100 times more important than vapour barriers, so why is no one talking about them?… Approximately 100 times more water vapor is carried into our walls by air leakage than i...

Vapor retarder latex primer instead of polyethylene sheet

Replacing polyethylene vapour barriers with latex paint vapor control

Vapour retarder primers can be twice as effective as the requirements laid out in our national building code regarding vapour barriers.… Vapor Barriers in walls, why polyethylene can be problematic It would probably surprise many home builders to hear what really causes moisture accumulation in walls, and what to...

The difference between air barriers and vapour barriers

The Difference between air barriers and vapour barriers

Can a house be too airtight? No it cannot. The difference between air barriers and vapour barriers is often confused. Also confused, is which one is more important.… The difference between air barriers and vapour barriers The job of a vapor barrier is to prevent vapor diffusion, and the job of an air barrier is t...

Removing radon gas from well water

High levels of radon gas in the air of your home might be coming from your water and not the floor of your basement.… It is a very wise idea to have the air of your home checked for high levels of radon gas. Health Canada has identified exposure to radon gas as the second leading cause of lung cancer after smoking, ...

Insulating crawlspaces as part of home renovation

How to insulate crawlspaces properly as part of renovating an older home

Crawlspaces are very rare as part of a new home construction nowadays in USA & Canada. If you've got one here's how to fix it.… Crawlspace insulation - be careful to get it right A crawlspace comes with all the downsides of a basement, but it is just too low a space to be functional either beyond the folded plast...

Correctly installed Triple pane south facing windows on Ecohome's Demo House

Installing doors & windows for the best performance in high efficiency homes, LEED & Passive House

Top Tips for installing windows & doors to prevent water leaks & air infiltration, helping them perform better & last longer, especially in LEED, Passive House & ZNE Homes… Why Installing Windows & Doors Correctly is so Important Window & Door openings are breaches in a building envelope that need to be carefully...

Advice

Is a vapor barrier necessary under a concrete slab with foam insulation and if so, where does the plastic vapor barrier go??
Posted by Les Poldark Aug. 17, 2019, 12:19 p.m. Air and vapour barriers 3 Responses

Mitigation of attic moisture in 1941 home
Posted by Rachel Katz June 8, 2019, 4:06 p.m. Air and vapour barriers 0 Responses

Can you also use a vapour retarder paint on the ceiling instead of using a poly vapour barrier?
Posted by Anwas Qwelten June 8, 2019, 3:56 p.m. Air and vapour barriers 2 Responses

Can I put a breathable peel and stick weather (air) barrier on the inside walls and ceiling.
Posted by Anomika Singhn Oct. 1, 2018, 9:56 p.m. Air and vapour barriers 1 Responses

Do you have a diagram showing effect of winds on the pressure inside the house? If wind is blowing from the south, is a vacumn created inside the south or north wall of the house?
Posted by Bryan Bargen June 8, 2018, 5:20 p.m. Air and vapour barriers 1 Responses

How to remove moisture/condensation from basement walls
Posted by Aaron Keating July 27, 2019, 4:51 p.m. Basements improvements 3 Responses

Insulating walkout basement made of CMU Wall with a rockwool.
Posted by Victor B June 19, 2019, 11:41 p.m. Basements improvements 5 Responses

Metal roof assembly
Posted by Kim jarrett July 12, 2019, 12:15 p.m. Roof coverings 3 Responses

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