Fill out the Air Sealing Checklist for your project. The checklist allows you to identify sealing tasks, specify the sealing material to be used and assign the task to a worker or subcontractors. Refer to the plans as you complete the checklist. Locate each item, determine the type of sealing, the timing, and the responsible trade. You’ll need to decide about specific construction details as you go along. You can use the details presented in Chapter 3 or devise your own solutions. |
Priority Groups |
The first section of the checklist allows you to identify building materials and products that affect air leakage. These include windows, doors, combustion appliances and recessed lights. The rest of the checklist is dedicated to sealing tasks. Common tasks are listed, along with extra space to add items particular for your project.
The list is arranged by the typical construction sequence. Leakage sites tend to fall naturally into three stages. Those sealed before insulation and those sealed after drywall. Some tasks could fall into one stage or another depending on the sealing method you choose. Using this checklist as a guide, you could easily develop your own. |
|
Group A |
The first stage includes tasks that must be done during framing. For example, putting a gasket under the rim joist can only be done just before the rim is set. Sometimes the actual sealing work is not necessary at this time, but an extra line of blocking or some other detail can make it easier to do later.
The second stage requires attention before the insulators or some other building trade makes it difficult or impossible to do the sealing work. An examples in this group is a tub enclosures on an exterior wall.
The third stage waits until after the drywall has been placed on the walls and ceilings. You would obviously wait until after drywall to seal the joint between the drywall and the subfloor.
Within each stage, air sealing tasks are grouped by importance. Group A consists of the major structural openings in the building envelope and other complicating framing features. These items are large enough that they typically show up on a good set of building plans. It’s sometimes a good idea to number the item on the plan or section so that it can be referenced in either a secondary list or a set of detail sheets.
Group A Examples:
- On the plans and sections, locate the gaps and joints in the materials that will make up the air-barrier surface of the EB (exterior walls, floors, and ceilings). One obvious location is the joint between different building elements, such as gypsum wallboard and plywood subfloor. Drywall joints are usually taped and finished, which forms an adequate seal. However, sheets of plywood subfloor aren’t normally sealed, so they need attention.
- Partition Intersections - Find and indicate on the plans and sections all intersections of the interior partitions with the EB. These intersections can be circled on the drawings with a contrasting color. You need to know the configuration of the particular intersection and all the places it occurs. Remember that not all partitions show up on the sections. Hopefully, enough have been drawn to show typical conditions. You’ll probably find several kinds of intersections:
- Interior wall to exterior wall
- Interior wall to exterior ceiling
- Balcony half-wall to exterior wall
- Interior wall to exterior roof/ceiling assemblies in split levels
- Interior second floor assembly to exterior wall in two-story and basement homes
|
Group B |
The items in Group B do not always show up on the building plans in their actual locations. Often it’s assumed that they will be installed according to codes. Even so, it’s important to consider the number and types of these penetrations. Now is the time to decide how the chimneys, flues and plumbing stacks will be sealed. Often it’s possible to minimize the number of penetrations in the EB by consulting the appropriate subcontractor or by considering alternate placement of equipment.
Group B Example:
For example, you might ask the following questions:
Is it possible to get most of the ductwork inside the heated envelope?
Can recessed lighting in an exterior ceiling be replaced with well-designed surface-mounted fixtures? Or can they be placed in a soffit inside the air barrier.
Can the medicine cabinet be moved to an interior wall?
|
Group C |
Group C items tend to be the smaller holes in the house. Typically, these items also are only schematically indicated on the drawings, if at all. For example, plumbing runs are rarely shown. However, the same decisions need to be made for these items as those made for the other penetrations.
Group C Example:
Seal electrical boxes on outside walls and pipes and wires that run through the wall plates of exterior ceilings or floors. Remember that holes in the exterior framing, where wire and water-supply pipes run, do not need to be sealed. They are a concern only when the holes occur at the connection between inside and outside, that is through the EB.
|
Back to Analysis and Planning Page
|
|
|
|
© 1993 Iris Communications, Inc. |
|
|
