Vapor Permeable or Non Vapor Permeable Air Barriers

When it comes to building construction, you only get one chance to get it right when choosing a vapor permeable or non vapor permeable air barrier. Construction experts have relied on air barriers from Henry Company for more than 30 years, and you can too. Whether you design your structure with one of our vapor permeable or non vapor permeable air barriers , each delivers high performance. Henry air barriers are tested to the highest standards and have a long track record of success. They are well-known by design professionals and installers. Henry air barriers help you acheive a tight building envelope, which reduces energy consumption, mitigates moisture infiltration and enables the HVAC system to better control the indoor environment.

Permeable Air Barriers

Permeable air barriers resist the passage or air and bulk water, yet they allow ready passage of water vapor directly through the material. Permeable air barriers are intended to allow underlying layers to dry. Design professionals select permeable air barriers more often than non permeable air barriers. While many wall assemblies benefit from the vapor permeability feature, many do not. Sometimes, a non vapor permeable air barrier is a better choice.

Non Vapor Permeable Air Barriers

Non vapor permeable air barriers block air and bulk water while allowing virtually no passage of water vapor through the material. In the case of acrylic coatings and adhered sheets, non vapor permeable air barriers tend to be more water resistant than their vapor permeable counterparts. Wall assemblies in certain climate zones and building usage benefit from non vapor permeable air barriers.

Henry can Help with your Air Barrier Selection

Understanding whether to use a vapor permeable or non vapor permeable air barrier is of critical importance for the function and longevity your building. To inform this choice, it is critical to understand the wetting and drying behavior of the wall assembly, given the climate and building use. Quoting our esteemed colleague John Straub, BSC “Understand dew point location, as trapped moisture can lead to serious problems”. Henry experts are equipped and available to assist you in your decisions.

Why Choose Air Barriers from Henry?

Henry has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing air barriers and supporting their installation. The company offers a broad product portfolio of air barriers to suit your needs:

• Fluid applied vapor permeable and non-vapor permeable air barrier membranes
• Self-adhered vapor permeable and and non-vapor permeable air barrier membranes in a variety of roll widths, allowing for a great deal of application flexibility
• Compatible self-adhered and liquid flashings
• Compatible adhesives and primers

A Henry professional will be more than happy to go over all the details to make sure you choose the proper air barrier for your specific application. If you would like more information on the Henry Company vapor permeable air barriers or non vapor permeable air barriers, please feel free to get in touch. You can use our convenient online form to request or schedule a meeting now.