What is an air barrier?

An air barrier is any material that prevents outside air from getting in, and inside air from getting out. Possible materials include siding, sheetrock, roof felt, building paper, caulking, doors, and windows. Some of these materials are better than others at blocking the flow of air.

There are times when you may want air flow, so some of the materials are controllable, such as doors and windows. These aren’t a problem, most of the time (unless you forget that they are open). The problem comes from all the gaps and openings that you can’t see. That is where the money is at!

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If it looks green, smells green and feels green, it must be green. Right? The answer, it turns out, is more of a maybe. It is common knowledge that green technology has large positive environmental impacts: large-scale energy savings, run-off reduction and heat reduction among their chief assets. But as green builders continue to define the standards and guidelines for sustainable construction practices, different levels of earth friendly products continue to circulate the market. Green roofs in particular are taking a harder look at the sustainability of their component materials.

Make it last
Brad Budde of Conwed Plastics, Minneapolis, Minn., believes the future development of sustainable green roof products lies in the hands of builders. He suggests that as companies continue to understand the commercial concerns regarding the application of sustainable and earth friendly products that the market as a whole will become more educated about their applications, benefits and uses.

His company is a leader of earth friendly, compostible packaging materials as an alternative to traditional plastic bags, as well as biodegradable plastics that don’t leave the harmful, long lasting resins of other industry plastics. “It’s a really great product that solves some of the disposal concerns for traditional plastic products,” he says.

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