Air Barriers

Traditional building wraps commonly used today claim to protect your structure from air leakage and moisture infiltration but typically fall short on the job. They are applied in sheets that overlap, are stapled or nailed in place, and many times are blown loose or torn and damaged during the construction process, well before the exterior masonry veneer or siding can be applied. Holes, tears, and non-continuous films provide entry points for air and moisture to enter the structure causing energy loss, moisture damage, and ill health effects from the potential of hazardous mold growth. Once these imperfections are covered up, the damage can progress unseen until the cost of repair is thousands of dollars more than applying the correct barrier the first time.

HouseGuard™ offers two quality air barrier products for this application. On masonry block structures, a low cost alternative is the TruDamp™ membrane which offers a damproofing product exceeding the requirements of ASTM D-1227, which has been polymer modified to provide a durable elastomeric film to both seal and waterproof the inner cavity wall prior to brick veneer or exterior siding application.

Comfort Dry® LC and Comfort Dry® WB, HouseGuard’s newest additions to its waterproofing line offer extremely durable, tough, weather tight, and elastomeric alternatives. Comfort Dry WB provides the highest level of performance with extended exterior durability, film toughness, and a hydrostatic pressure resistance which exceeds 100psi when applied at waterproofing film thickness of 60 mils dry. While higher in cost, the Comfort Dry® product performance far exceeds that of normal damproofing and wrap type products. They can be applied at film thicknesses of 10-20 mils dry to provide uniform, monolithic, and very durable vapor/moisture barrier systems which can be left exposed to the sun UV and weather for extended periods without damage during the construction process. If their films are punctured or damaged, they can be over coated and repaired easily before the final veneer or siding is applied. Their pigmentable films can even be applied to the exterior of tilt up construction or masonry walls to provide moisture and waterproofing barriers which double as finished surface decorative coatings. For more information regarding each specific product, select one of the links to the product information pdf below.