CoatingsPro Magazine

JUL 2016

CoatingsPro offers an in-depth look at coatings based on case studies, successful business operation, new products, industry news, and the safe and profitable use of coatings and equipment.

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66 JULY 2016 COATINGSPROMAG.COM Industry Insight T he world of air barriers has changed signifcantly over the past 15 years in regard to products and processes addressing air leakage rates in new construction. W hat was once a small and upstart industry in the U.S. market has exploded with increased awareness of building science, the importance of air leakage and moisture manage- ment, and the air barrier requirements in codes, such as the International Energy Conservation Codes (IECC) and American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHR AE). Both IECC and ASHR AE Standard 90.1 are the most adopted model codes for energy at a state or municipal level, and a signif- cant number of states are considering adopting these codes right now. Changes in Latitudes Over the past few years, we have seen quite a few new products avail- able on the market specifc to both fuid-applied air barriers and sprayed polyurethane foams. Probably the most signifcant has been the increase in diferent types of liquid membranes in their chemistry and makeup and the number of manufacturers now producing materials that are vapor permeable. Te vast majority of air barrier manufacturers now provide both permeable and non-permeable systems, and we have seen the design community increase its use of these types of systems, too. On the sprayed polyurethane foam side of things, changes have been made in blowing agents with less global warming potential. Tese have been in response to the ever increas- ing pressures of green building rating system requirements and requests from the architectural community in regard to the global warming potential of past blowing agents. Concerning code adoption, there are various states considering IECC 2015 and/or ASHR AE 90.1 as they work their way through the code adoption process. Tese processes take some time, but we have seen more political will with adopting the latest version of model codes. More Opportunities A s increased attention to control l ing bui ld ing a ir lea k age continues to g row, specif ic to bot h a ir bar r iers and moisture management strateg ies, t here seems to be a shif t to more projects requir ing bui ld ing envelope commissioning and whole bui ld ing a ir-tightness testing. More scr utiny is being used dur ing t he constr uction process to ensure t hat t he appl ica- tions of t he mater ia ls are e xecuted cor rect ly w it h increased site obser va- tion and qua l itative and quantitative testing. Air Barrier Association of America (ABA A) has recently published a new test standard for whole building air-tightness and submitted it as a work item with ASTM International. You are now and will be seeing in the future more requirements for whole building air leakage testing. As more states adopt air barrier requirements for new construction, there may be a continued expansion of the opportunities for contractors who apply these ty pes of materials. With existing buildings, the majority are nowhere close to the air leakage targets of new buildings, so work on air sealing w ith spray foams or coatings to address discontinuities in the air barrier system w ill be a major opportunity for those involved in providing these ty pes of ser vices. It also seems that material technology will continue to evolve at a faster pace with improved materi- als that demonstrate a high level of durability. A signifcant amount of research is being done on the big question of " how long will these materi- als last?" As air barrier materials are typically placed in the wall assembly where they are inaccessible for repairs after construction, unless you remove cladding or interior fnishes, a demand to show actual performance and durability characteristics of materials will be something that architects look for when making material selections. Do It Right the First Time Te future looks bright for liquid-ap- plied air barrier applicators. Training and education will become key for contractors as most times, they only have one chance to do it right! CP Photo courtesy of Air Barrier Association of America By Ryan Dalgleish, Management Team for Air Barrier Association of America The Present and Future of Air Barriers

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