exterior air barrier

In timber frame construction in Europe air barrier systems are typically realised at the interior side of the building envelope. Yet in some applications such as renovation projects it can be easier to provide the air barrier layer at the exterior. This way, the air barrier system – typically board materials in which the joints are sealed with tape – is exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The aim of the present article is to investigate the impact severe climatic conditions on the airtightness of typical taped joints.

Recently, the requirements regarding global building airtightness to reduce the exfiltration losses became more severe as result of the trend towards very low energy buildings and Passive Houses. These very strict requirements regarding airtightness are currently achieved with an interior air barrier, which is labour intensive and consequently expensive. At the same time it is observed that new wind barrier solutions - to reduce windwashing of the insulation - can have a major contribution to the global airtightness of timber frame constructions.