Masonry Magazine August 2008 Page. 32
AIR BARRIERS
Rain clouds over this partially completed luxury residence in Myrtle Beach, S.C. underscore the importance of air barriers that are durable enough to act as secondary drainage planes. Though the masonry veneer isn't yet up on the second story, the walls are protected by a water based fluid-applied air and water-resistive barrier.
Photo courtesy of PROSOCO
"An air barrier allows moisture to get out in the form of vapor."
- Dave Polk, Epro Services Inc.
Addressing moisture problems
INSULATION OFTEN IS placed over an air barrier to make buildings more energy efficient, says Dave Polk, president of Epro Services Inc. in Derby, Kan. In this construction method, the air barrier has to be non-permeable to keep any moisture from passing through the masonry wall to the building's interior. "The idea is make the building water and air tight," Polk says.
When insulation is placed inside the masonry wall, the air barrier has to be permeable to allow moisture vapor to pass through it, he says. "The [goal] is to keep moisture out of the building, but if it gets in, the air barrier allows moisture to get out in the form of vapor," he says. "You want to have a permeable, or what we call 'breathable, barrier, so condensation will [pass as) vapor through it to the outside of the building."
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