Air Barriers for Exterior Walls: Selection, Trends, Challenges, and Quality Assurance
Air barriers are naturally difficult to repair due to their integration within the wall assembly and the care required to design and build exterior walls that control air, water, water vapor, and heat. To avoid expensive and time-consuming repairs, project teams need to pay special attention to air barrier design decisions at the front end of a project. The alternative can be costly—an overclad project to control air movement in an exterior wall assembly for just a two-story office building can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this webinar, we will review code requirements and air barrier options for enclosure projects, share observed trends in the industry, and highlight common mistakes in designing and constructing air barrier systems. We will also share recommended approaches for designing and testing air barrier products and systems to help stakeholders avoid problems with air infiltration once the building is in service.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After attending this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Review air barrier types, properties, and characteristics.
- Understand the advantages and disadvantages of different air barrier types and become familiar with recent trends.
- Understand common pitfalls related to the design and construction of air barrier systems and how to avoid them.
- Learn how to implement testing and QA/QC measures into your projects.
Participants will earn 1.0 AIA CES Learning Unit (LU/HSW) for attending the live webinar. Registration is free. Please note that space is limited – email events@sgh.com to join our waitlist if the session is closed when you register.
About the Speaker
Mary Arntzen has experience in designing, investigating, and rehabilitating building enclosure systems, and frequently provides construction-phase services. She serves as a project manager for various large and complex projects, often working directly with owners, architects, construction managers, and developer clients, as well as subcontractors, manufacturers, and other consultants. She is a board member for the IIBEC New England Chapter.
Mike Huhtala specializes in building science and building enclosure performance, including evaluating and resolving water infiltration and condensation problems and conducting thermal and hygrothermal analysis. He has a wide range of experience involving building enclosure condition assessment, investigation, repair design, commissioning, design peer review, and construction administration services for a variety of building types. He has published papers and presented on topics, including computer thermal simulations, condensation, fenestration systems, and commissioning.
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