Masonry Magazine January 2006 Page. 38
AIR BARRIERS
A masonry wall goes up over sheathing coated with new PROSOCO R-GUARD, a fluid-applied air and moisture barrier.
Air Barrier Initiative Joint Venture Photo courtesy of PROSOCO.
TOPPING MOLD AND MAKING BUILDINGS code-compliant and energy-efficient are the linchpin of the "Air Barrier Initiative" (ABI), a joint venture between PROSOCO of Lawrence, Kan., and Sto Corp. of Atlanta.
The two national manufacturers of construction products have joined forces to get the industry up to speed on air barriers - an item architects, specifiers, contractors and distributors will hear increasingly more about over the next five to 10 years.
Correctly installed, air barriers control the movement of air through the building envelope. They ease the load on HVAC systems, making buildings more cost-effective and energy-efficient. Controlled air flow is also less likely to deposit mold-causing moisture inside building walls.
State authorities take these benefits so seriously that they've formalized air barrier codes in three states Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Minnesota. At least 20 more states have air barrier codes on the drawing.
36 Masonry January 2006 www.masoncontractors.org