ABAA Library

AIR BARRIERS AND AIR LEAKAGE

A. Air Barriers

1. Air Barriers - November 2004
   The purpose of air barriers.
    
2. The air barrier defined - 1986
   This article explains what an air barrier consists of and why some fail. Case studies of actual air barrier failures and corrective measures taken to correct the problem.
    
3. Air leakage control - 1986
   What is meant by an effective air barrier and why is it necessary? How can we design, build, and confirm the existence of an effective air barrier? Please read on to find the answers.
    
4. Design Considerations for an Air Barrier System - November 11, 2000
   The types of problems caused by air leakage through a building envelope and the concepts of air flow and pressure difference explained.
    
5. Air Barrier Materials and Systems: What is the Difference? Is There a Difference? - November 2004
   This article highlights commonalities and differences of air barrier materials and air barrier systems, and introduces the challenge of integrating notions of durability in the design.
    
6. Specifying A Higher Standard for your Air Barrier: A Program To Provide Quality Assurance For The On-Site Application Of Air Barrier Systems – Part 1 - 2006
   This is the first of three articles on how to incorporate quality assurance into the construction of wall air barrier assemblies.
    
7. Specifying A Higher Standard for your Air Barrier: A Program To Provide Quality Assurance For The On-Site Application Of Air Barrier Systems – Part 2 - 2006
   This is the second article that further looks into site quality assurance programs for air barrier installations within wall assemblies for both the Canadian and U.S. markets. This article takes a look at the mechanics of the program, benefits and costs.
    
8. Specifying A Higher Standard for your Air Barrier: A Program To Provide Quality Assurance For The On-Site Application Of Air Barrier Systems – Part 3 - 2007
   Part 3 in a 3 part series of improving quality and building durability.
    
9. Translating the Science of Air Barriers into Practice - August 2004
   Lack of proper attention to various details during installation can result in air barrier system failure thereby leading to potential disastrous consequences as outlined in this article.
    
10. Air Barrier Systems in Buildings
    This paper reviews the problems created by infiltration and exfiltration in buildings, and the design considerations of an air barrier system to control the problem.
     
11. A Method of Evaluating Air Barrier Systems and Materials - December 2000
    This article explains the purpose and characteristics of the air barrier system in the building envelope as defined by the National Building Code of Canada.
     
12. NIST Study – Investigation of the Impact of Commercial Building Envelope Airtightness on HVAC Energy Use
    This report presents the results of a cost effectiveness study conducted and show that the age old estimate by US Department of Energy was accurate. The study shows that it is cost effective to install a air barrier system in every building and that the saving in energy use for heating and cooling a building ranges from 30-40% in heating climates and 10-15% in cooling climates.
     
13. NIST Summary #1
     
14. NIST Summary #2
     
15. Commissioning the Air Barrier System
    Reproduced with permission from the ASHRAE Journal (Vol. 47, No. 3, March 2005)
     
16. The Impact of Airtightness on System Design
    © (2001), American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (www.ashrae.org). Reprinted by permission from ASHRAE Journal, (December), (2001). This article may not be copied nor distributed in either paper or digital form without ASHRAE’s permission.
     
17. Understanding Air Barriers
     

B. Air and Vapor Barriers

1. Air Barriers vs. Vapor Barriers - 2000
   The key to moisture control is the control of air transported moisture as outlined in this article.
    
2. The difference between a vapour barrier and an air barrier - July 1985
   Explanation given as to the difference between the vapour barrier and the air barrier.
    
3. Air & Vapor Barriers for Southern Buildings
   Investigations of building envelope problems have led many building science consultants to conclude that air leakage is the leading cause of moisture problems in exterior building envelopes. Those problems are addressed here.
    

C. Building Science

1. Air leakage in buildings - November 1961
   The importance of controlling air movement is discussed in this paper.
    
2. Control of air leakage is important - December 1965
   Analysis of many common complaints has been shown that a great many building problems occur because of air leakage. It is not difficult to control, but it does require special attention throughout the design and construction phase as this article explains.
    
3. Guidelines For Delivering Effective Air Barrier Systems - 2001
   This article presents a methodology to help both designers and installers deliver an air barrier system that meets the requirements and the recommendations of the National Building Code of Canada.
    
4. Structural Requirements for Air Barriers - 1991
   The air barrier needs to resist the damaging effects of wind, stack effect and must be taken into account in the buildings design. This is explained fully in this article.
    
5. Air barrier systems: Construction Applications - 1986
   Various air barrier systems discussed in this article.
    
6. Air Flow Control in Buildings
    
7. The Building Enclosure
    
8. Pressures in Buildings
    
9. The Perfect Wall
    
10. Building Science Insight 002: The Hollow Building
     

D. In The Building Envelope

1. Air tightness of Commercial and Institutional Buildings: Blowing Holes in the Myth of Tight Buildings - December 1998
   This paper presents the air tightness data that are available for commercial buildings, and the limited conclusions that can be drawn from this data.