Testing the Boundaries: Quality Control Options for Air Barrier Installation

Air barriers separate conditioned air from unconditioned air, improving energy efficiency and limiting the risk of unintended moisture migration via airflow that may result in condensation within wall assemblies. But, as with any system, the performance of the air barrier depends on the quality of the design and installation. The industry has started to place a greater emphasis on quality installation of air barriers, including iterative evolution of more stringent requirements in the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Developing industry guidelines and standards provide additional performance testing procedures that can be used to further evaluate installed air barrier materials and assemblies beyond code requirements. Examples of such quality control measures include visual inspection, air leakage testing, and adhesion testing. Results may vary depending on the specific procedure selected, and different tests yield different types of results (i.e., qualitative vs quantitative). Test methodology, manufacturer recommendations, industry standards, and the component(s) being evaluated all influence the appropriate evaluation criteria. The variety of available options complicates the assessment and selection of quality control measures that are most beneficial to meet project goals. This presentation will discuss air barrier quality control options and test procedures, highlight appropriate applications and limitations of procedures discussed, and describe methods to evaluate test criteria and results to maximize benefits and achieve project-specific goals.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss code requirements and additional industry standards for air barrier quality control procedures and the importance of such measures.
2. Compare the advantages and limitations of various quality control tests and procedures for air barrier materials and assemblies.
3.  Evaluate appropriate test criteria for a variety of air barrier quality control tests.
4. Learn to assess and select suitable air barrier quality control methods for a project based on the project-specific goals.

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