Code changes mean big business opportunity for contractors
Formerly a decades-long Canadian phenomenon, the air barrier system concept has been picking up steam over the last five years in the United States, mainly as a result of increasing demand for more energy efficient buildings, and because air barriers have been proven to work in hundreds of installed projects.
Is there a business opportunity here for insulation contractors? The answer is a resounding yes. If you’re willing to take some extra training – available through systems suppliers like BASF Polyurethane Foam Enterprises, as well as the Air Barrier Association and Spray Polyurethane Foam Association – there is a wealth of opportunity to explore in the air barrier industry.
The winds of Code change are blowing in the favor of the air barrier and, for the first time, continuous air barrier systems will be required by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) under Addendum z to Standard 90.1-2004, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.
This proposed new standard has been in public review since November 2005 and should be adopted in 2006. Although previous ASHRAE standards contained performance requirements for fenestration and door products, this is the first ASHRAE standard to establish performance requirements for air leakage of the opaque building envelope.
Why the change? A ground-breaking report, Investigation of the Impact of Commercial Building Envelope Airtightness on HVAC Energy Use– performed in part to provide input to ASHRAE 90.1 Envelope Subcommittee in its consideration of potential energy savings and cost effectiveness of an air barrier requirement and issued in June 2005 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – confirmed that air barrier systems can reduce air leakage by up to 83 percent and energy consumption by up to 40 percent.
Why do the HVAC engineers of ASHRAE care about air leakage? Because insulation alone is not enough. Without an effective, continuous air barrier system, conditioned air escapes through the building envelope, and the HVAC system has to work harder to keep the indoor environment comfortable. And as the NIST report proved, a hard-working HVAC means higher energy bills.
That’s where the business opportunity for the entrepreneurial contractor comes in. Massachusetts, Michigan and Wisconsin already mandate air barriers as part of their Commercial Energy Codes. Many additional states are using the current ASHRAE 90.1 standard in lieu of developing their own State Commercial Energy Codes. When ASHRAE 90.1-2004 is adopted, these states can be expected to upgrade their Codes to the new standard, including the air barrier requirement. Within a few years, most new construction projects in the United States – with the exception of low-rise residential buildings – will have to have a continuous air barrier to meet Code.
What makes an air barrier?
Air barrier systems must be constructed of materials with an air permeance rating of less than 0.004 cfm/ft2 (0.2 L/sm2 at 75 Pa) and must be continuous throughout the building envelope with interconnected, flexible joints[i]. The air barrier must be able to withstand positive and negative air pressures without displacement and must be durable enough to last the life of the building.
Of course, all penetrations in the air barrier must be sealed or the assembly itself becomes leaky, which defeats the purpose of installing the system in the first place.
The Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) has published Master Specifications for several different air barrier materials and systems that meet the performance requirements of state and model Energy Codes on its website: www.airbarrier.org.
One of the most frequently specified ABBA-approved air barrier materials is closed-cell spray-applied polyurethane foam, for example, the WALLTITE® Insulating Air Barrier System from BASF Polyurethane Foam Enterprises LLC. This is because in addition to providing an air permeance rating of less than 0.001 L/s/m2 at an application thickness of 1.5 inches, the material also offers an effective insulation R-value of over 6 per inch and in many states also qualifies as a vapor barrier. Spray-applied polyurethane foam is a two-component product manufactured on site but engineered in the molecular level to meet required performance criteria for every code and climate.
Just like its roofing-formulation cousin, the spray-applied polyurethane air barrier is seamless, conforms to any shape, fully-adheres to the wall system and requires no fasteners, thereby eliminating thermal bridging and condensing surfaces while also increasing installation speed and reducing labor costs. Qualified SPF roofing contractors already have a lot of the tools and experience they need to learn and be successful with SPF air barrier applications quickly.
It should be noted, however, that only closed-cell formulations like the WALLTITE system offer these benefits. Most open-cell foams used as insulation systems have not been tested for air permeance and, therefore, do not qualify as air barrier systems. One open-cell foam manufacturer’s product requires an application of 5.5 inches (its maximum allowable thickness) to pass the minimum requirements to qualify as an air barrier.
Getting started
The first step to air barrier success is to learn as much as possible about the industry, materials and Code requirements of the systems. The Air Barrier Association of America offers training courses and seminars across the country that provide the required skill sets to deal with all manner of air barrier assemblies.
ABAA accredited contractors are recognized as elite members of the building enclosure industry. The average contract value for ABAA jobs in 2004 was $136,666.00, whereas the largest contract value for ABAA jobs in 2004 was $593,250.00[ii].
ABBA also provides training programs for architects, specifiers and engineers, as well as third-party quality control inspections to ensure correct installation of the systems.
[i] Commissioning the Air Barrier System, Anis, Wagdy, AIA , ASHRAE, ASHRAE Journal, March 2005.
[ii] Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA), www.airbarrier.org
