How Builders Are Boosting Their Build with Air Sealing
Air Sealing Professionals’ Scott Stevens shares insights from the field at IBSx Show
As part of AeroBarrier’s presentations during IBSx, Scott Stevens provided his firsthand experience with AeroBarrier’s air sealing technology and how builders will benefit from adding this technology to their build.
Stevens of Air Sealing Professionals is based in Toronto, Canada, and has been using AeroBarrier since 2018. His company has sealed everything from single residences and townhomes to five-story, multi-family projects. And he presented several reasons builders should consider changing their approach to air sealing.
Flip the Script on Codes: “Houses are only getting tighter and tighter,” says Stevens. “AeroBarrier’s ability to consistently dial in airtightness ensures builders will always be ahead of codes.” And as codes evolve, failure to pass inspection increases:
- Labor and Material Costs
- Cost of Re-Certification and Delay in Handing Off to Owners
“As houses get tighter and tighter, AeroBarrier ensures builders are always ahead of code requirements.”
—Scott Stevens
Cost-Effective: Builders across the nation are increasing the quality of their homes while improving indoor air quality and saving energy using AeroBarrier. And most importantly, these benefits are realized with a cost-effective process that can be applied by large national developers and small custom builders.
Simplify Build, Increase Accountability: With multiple trades impacting a building’s airtightness, they all tend to avoid taking responsibility for air sealing if it fails inspection. But by eliminating unreliable, inconsistent manual air sealing, your contractor can own the process and superintendents can schedule around it.
Net-Zero Becoming Standard: With a growing movement to make all new homes net zero by 2030, conserving energy is a critical design goal. By increasing air tightness, builders are able to resize mechanical systems and more easily add renewable energy sources to the project.
Ongoing Efficacy Testing
As part of the presentation, Stevens walked through one of his first AeroBarrier projects, a single residence home from April of 2018, and how he’s retesting the seal’s efficacy over time.
- Before AeroBarrier: 5.23 ACH50
- After AeroBarrier: 2.39 ACH50
- 2019 Retest: 2.24 ACH50 after some windows had been replaced
- 2021 Retest: A second retest is scheduled for June 2021. And Stevens predicts it will be well within the same range.
For the rest of Steven’s presentation, watch the full-length webinar below.