There are many types of air barrier products to consider when designing your exterior wall cladding system. Knowing the desired performance of your wall system and construction methods are key, and narrowing down your selection to a few products depends on various factors.
The two primary categories of air barriers are sheet air barriers and fluid-applied air barriers. Both types are generally suitable underneath most cladding configurations; however, substrate conditions and other factors may determine that one type of air barrier is more appropriate than the other. Developing a set of design and installation parameters such as the following will help you make a decision when selecting an air barrier.