Located in Burlington, NC, Alamance Insulation has been proudly serving the Triad area for over 20 years. We provide quality gutters and insulation for our clients across central North Carolina, including Greensboro, Burlington, Mebane, Hillsborough, and High Point, NC. Whether you need installation or repairs done, we offer a variety of gutter, insulation, and moisture barrier services that will ensure the safety of your home and the comfort of your loved ones.
Are you wondering what an air barrier is, and why you might need air barriers in your home instead of vapor barriers? Or, maybe you need air barriers in addition to vapor barriers? Air barriers are designed to stop the flow of air and to stop the moisture in the air from moving. While a vapor barrier only works to prevent moisture from moving through your home, it may be more important to have air barriers installed to prevent this from happening. The amount of moisture carried by air is 50-100 times greater than that carried by vapor diffusion. This means that you need high-quality air barriers in your home!
Sometimes vapor barriers may also create a build-up of mold and/or rot, whereas permeable air barriers make sure that moisture is evaporated within a home’s wall system. So what exactly is an air barrier? The 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) defines an air barrier as one or more materials joined in a continuous manner to restrict or prevent the passage of air through the building thermal envelope and its assemblies.
The purpose of an effective air barrier is to regular the climate of your building inside by stopping the transfer of air and moisture between the inside and outside of said building. An air barrier should also resist air pressure differences. When warm vapor touches the cool interior walls, the vapor then turns to liquid by condensation; this is why it’s essential to stop air transporting moisture to the interior of a wall assembly. Air barriers minimize or restrict heat loss and gains through conduction, convection, and radiation.
An effective and high-quality air barrier will be durable throughout the expected lifetime of a home. It will also be continuously effective over the entire building enclosure. It should be impermeable to air flow, and it should also be strong enough to resist any forces that may act on it during and after construction.
For all your insulation installation and repair needs, or even just to speak to a professional about your air barriers or vapor barriers, contact Alamance Insulation and Gutters today! You won’t regret it.