Air Leakage Rates in Typical Air Barrier Assemblies

Diana E. Hun, Jerald Allen Atchley, Phillip W. Childs

    Research output: Book/ReportCommissioned report

    Abstract

    Estimates for 2010 indicate that infiltration in residential buildings was responsible for 2.85 quads of energy (DOE 2014), which is about 3% of the total energy consumed in the US. One of the mechanisms being implemented to reduce this energy penalty is the use of air barriers as part of the building envelope. These technologies decrease airflow through major leakage sites such as oriented strand board (OSB) joints, and gaps around penetrations (e.g., windows, doors, pipes, electrical outlets) as indicated by Hun et al. (2014). However, most air barrier materials do not properly address leakage spots such as wall-to-roof joints and wall-to-foundation joints because these are difficult to seal, and because air barrier manufacturers usually do not provide adequate instructions for these locations. The present study focuses on characterizing typical air leakage sites in wall assemblies with air barrier materials.
    Original languageEnglish
    Place of PublicationUnited States
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2016

    Keywords

    • 32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
    • air leakage
    • air barriers

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