Masonry Magazine September 2006 Page. 36
AIR BARRIERS
"Must Have" Air Barrier Features
AIR BARRIERS come in a variety of types - liquid and solid; vapor-permeable and vapor impermeable (vapor barriers); mechanically fastened and adhesive-backed - to name just a few! Some are both air and moisture barriers. They stop liquid water as well as air from leaking into walls. That can be important, in case water gets into the air space between the masonry veneer and the sheathing or CMU backup. One thing they've all got in common-they're all battling to get on your project!
QUALITY MASONRY TOOLS
KING BRICK HOO
CIRCLE 154 ON READER SERVICE CARD
Take the Grunt out of Grouting!!!
Grout Grunt™ "Scoop, Pass, Pour"
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www.groutgrunt.com or call 877.266.6432
CIRCLE 239 ON READER SERVICE CARD
Comparison of potential moisture contributed by air leaks, versus vapor diffusion over one year.
Air Leakage
228 gallons (863 L), which equals 45.6 five-gallon pails
Vapor Diffusion
Less than 6 ounces (0.18L)
Extrapolation of data from: Preventing Indoor Air quality Problems in Educational facilities; Guidelines for hot, humid climates by CH2MHill in cooperation with Disney Development Company.
Air leakage vs. vapor diffusion
Recent studies have shown air infiltration/exfiltration to be a significant potential source of moisture accumulation in walls, and/or high humidity levels in interior spaces. Water vapor diffusion, on the other hand, has been shown to be a much less significant potential source of moisture than it was once thought to be. The above diagram illustrates the difference.