Why Thermal Bridging and Thermal Breaks Matter in Construction

Thermal bridging reduces the overall performance of a home. Thermal breaks are the answer to this problem. Simple in theory, but thermal bridges have been challenging high-performance home builders for decades. It affects HERS ratings. It impacts continuous insulation. It affects sale-ability. It affects home comfort. So it’s a topic worth revisiting.

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3 Steps to Seam Housewrap The Right Way

No matter where you live, you will find housewrap being used on construction sites. It’s one of the most widely applied water and air barriers in modern home building. Unfortunately, house wrap is often installed poorly — blowing in the wind, loose seams, ripped or torn sections, laid edge-to-edge, and even left with large gaps.  All of which prevents housewrap from doing it’s job, even after it’s been covered with cladding or stucco.

To get it done right and have house wrap do its intended job, Building Envelope Specialist Bill Robinson shares the three steps necessary for proper installation.

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Contractor’s Field Guide to House Wrap & Seaming

In this Field Guide to House Wrap & Seaming, we’ve gathered the most important installation and seaming tape tips to build quality, energy-efficient buildings.

We will cover building code best practices, how to install housewrap (the right way), how to prevent common house wrap problems, reasons why housewrap can still leak, and how seaming tape can make your building project airtight and moisture-proof.
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Why Seaming Tape Matters More Than Ever

In just about every climate in which we live and build, the No. 1 job of any building enclosure is environmental separation.

Keeping water, air, and heat locked in or out of buildings can make them more resource-efficient, durable, and safer for occupants.

The greatest challenge in this endeavor is maintaining the continuity of our air barriers, drainage planes, and insulation layers, particularly at penetrations, transitions, and margins of building assemblies.

The answer?

High-performance seaming tape.

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