Design Professionals

An air barrier system is a system of building assemblies within the building enclosure—designed, installed and integrated in such a manner as to stop the uncontrolled flow of air into and out of the building enclosure.

Why use an air barrier system?

• Reduces building enclosure moisture problems
• Improves indoor air quality
• Reduces building heating and cooling costs
• Reduces greenhouse gas production
• Improves acoustical isolation
• Isolates the indoor environment
• Results in sustainable, durable buildings

Keep in mind that:

• Agencies of the US Government require them on federally funded building projects.
• Several states now include air barrier requirements in their building codes.
• The US Department of Energy has stated that up to 40% of the energy used to heat and cool a building is due to uncontrolled air leakage.
• The US Department of Energy has instituted a program with a goal to reduce building energy consumption by 25% by the year 2010 and by 50% by the year 2020.

Air Barrier Materials

Air barrier materials are defined by their air permeance. To be defined as a air barrier material the air permeance must be equal to or less than 0.02L/(s•m²) @ 75Pa (0.004 cfm/ft²  @ 1.57 psf) when tested in accordance with ASTM E2178. Keep in mind that air permeance is the amount of air that migrates through materials and not through holes or gaps.

The ASTM E2178 has provisions to test rigid materials, flexible materials and fluid applied materials. When flexible materials are tested, a screen is used to provide support. When fluid applied materials are tested, CMU is used to provide a rough substrate.

Air Barrier Details

A number of general details were developed when the State of Massachusetts adopted air barriers in their current energy code. The details provide a number of wall systems and provides general guidance into some of the design considerations: http://www.mass.gov/bbrs/energy.htm.

Want to learn more about air barriers, their use in construction, cost benefits and design guidelines ? Check out our technical library and air barrier materials page.

• Technical Documents
• Learn more about air barrier materials, components, systems & assemblies

ABAA Specifications

ABAA has developed a number of guide specifications to assist designers in properly specifying air barriers in your building project.

Combined Air & Vapor Barrier Specifications

• Surface Adhered
• Liquid Applied
• Spray Polyurethane Foam

Vapor Transfusable Air Barrier Material Systems

• Vapor Permeable Fluid Applied

Multi Component Air Barrier System

• Board Stock

ABAA Quality Assurance Program

The ABAA Quality Assurance Program was developed specifically for the professional building enclosure community. The program consists of 9 components all working together to provide you with the highest level of confidence that the air barrier will be installed correctly and to high industry standards. ABAA's QAP is modeled after the standards laid out in the ISO 9000 program.

Learn more about the ABAA Quality Assurance program

Why Specify the ABAA Quality Assurance Program ?

The ABAA on-site quality assurance program is a comprehensive program to increase the level of quality on your opaque air barrier wall installation. Learn about the benefits of specifying the ABAA QAP program and how you can do it !

Download Why Specify ABAA brochure

Look-Up Service

Need to find an accredited ABAA contractor in your area? Looking for a manufacturer or distributor of a specific product? Design Professionals with experience in air barriers across the country? Use our online Look-Up Service to locate someone closest to you.

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