Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner with us
MCAA Logo
Log in Sign up Join Hi, there Account
2026 Midyear Registration is OPEN
Find a contractor Buyer's guide Partner
Log in Sign up Join Account

Product Watch: Air/Vapor Barrier Choices

Words: Chris Bupp
/Public/News/20080905082100-1.jpg" width="300" height="200" border="0" alt="The ability to make a building as airtight and energy efficient as possible is a major consideration in building envelope design.">
The ability to make a building as airtight and energy efficient as possible is a major consideration in building envelope design.
As energy costs continue to increase, the use of air/vapor barriers becomes more critical to today's design environment. The ability to make a building as airtight and energy efficient as possible is a major consideration in building envelope design.

Air/vapor barriers can come in a number of types, depending on the wall design, geographic location and intended purpose of the barrier. The other major criterion for an air/vapor barrier system is the ease of application to make the system totally continuous with no gaps or points at which air and vapor could penetrate the system. Sheet membranes have been popular in the past, due to their factory-controlled thickness and quality control. However, fluid-applied products are becoming increasingly popular today, due to ease and speed of application. CMU backup wall systems lend themselves to fluid-applied materials, while steel stud with gypsum sheathing assemblies effectively can use both sheet and fluid-applied systems.

Because of these factors, Hohmann & Barnard has introduced both sheet and fluid-applied air/vapor barriers to best handle both wall designs. Sheet membranes include TextroFlash, a 40-mil. rubberized asphalt peel-n-stick product, plus Textro Flash Green, also a 40-mil. membrane that uses a clear, pressure-sensitive, adhesive technology that includes about 45 percent post-industrial recycled content to qualify this product as being green. It can contribute toward achievement of LEED standards. Both of these sheet membrane products are non-breathable air and vapor barriers.

Fluid-applied products include Textro Flash Liquid and Textro Flash Liquid VP. Both of these products are VOC-free (Volatile Organic Compound) and HAPs-free (Hazardous Air Pollutants), making them environmentally friendly. Textro Flash Liquid is a non-breathable air/vapor barrier that is applied at a 40-mil. thickness. Textro Flash Liquid VP is a similar material but is breathable, to allow proper drainage and promote drying of the wall cavity in both directions. Both products can be spray – or brush – applied down to 25 degrees Fahrenheit and rising, and can be applied to the recommended 40-mil. thickness in one coat.
 0
GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Mentmore Towers, Fort Point, and More
September 2026

The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, UK, stands as a sweeping estate that represents the absolute peak of English masonry. Conceived with breathtaking scale and precision, the monumental complex is defined by

Justin Stengel
Masonry in the Media
Read More
The Alhambra
September 2026

High above Granada, Spain, the Alhambra offers masonry professionals something more than an architectural landmark. It is a working lesson in how relatively simple building materials, placed by skilled craftsmen and maintained over generations, can create

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More
The Wall
September 2026

There is a story around Huntley Brothers that some of our guys simply call “The Wall.” I’ve told it enough times over the years that when I start telling it to one of our younger guys, I can see a few of the older ones rolling their eyes. They’ve heard i

Kent Huntley
Chairman’s Message
Read More