How to Choose the Best Construction Tape for Vapor Barrier Seams
Over the past 40 years, a growing awareness of the importance of sustainability, reducing energy use, and creating healthy indoor spaces has prompted many changes in the building industry. To achieve these goals, contractors must aim to select methods and materials that produce tight building envelopes that will stop air and moisture infiltration.To get more news about Butyl Tape, you can visit senpinghz.com official website.
One method of achieving a tight building envelope involves continuous insulation (CI) across every structural member of the building, along with an application of an efficient vapor barrier sealed with a high-quality construction seaming tape.
Sealing the seams of the barrier with a high-performing tape helps to ensure a continuous air barrier that reduces moisture intrusion and accumulation into the wall system. CI and a properly sealed vapor barrier provide crucial components of an energy-efficient, durable, and healthy building.
With so many seam tapes on the market, choosing the best one can overwhelm builders. However, selecting the right tape makes a significant difference in energy efficiency, durability, and indoor air quality (IAQ). Today’s contractors can choose between three types of tape: asphaltic, rubber (butyl), and acrylic.
The original design of the rubber (butyl) construction seaming tape aimed to improve on asphaltic tape. The first rubber tape used natural rubber components. Today’s rubber tape, called butyl tape, uses a synthetic (elastomer) rubber. Butyl tape performs better in extreme temperatures, and it retains flexibility and durability over time compared to asphaltic tapes.
However, compared to acrylic seam tape, butyl tape can lose adhesion and discolor over time due to its intolerance to cold temperatures and UV rays.
Builders that use acrylic tape to seal the seams of a vapor barrier ensure a tight building envelope. A tightly sealed building envelope reduces energy use and moisture intrusion, which prevents the growth of mold. Mold can degrade the integrity of a building and create an unhealthy IAQ.
Contractors striving to keep up with increasing energy codes and demands for healthy indoor environments should switch to acrylic tape, like Barricade Seam Tape, for vapor barrier seams.
To meet the demands of today’s energy-efficient and healthy structures, builders must apply CI, along with an efficient vapor barrier system sealed with a high-quality construction seaming tape, like Barricade Acrylic Seam Tape. Sealing the seams of a vapor barrier system with Barricade Seam Acrylic Tape will ensure a tight continuous air barrier that reduces moisture intrusion and accumulation into the wall system. Please contact Barricade Building Products for more information on how to select the best construction tape for vapor barrier systems.