Is Halo Insulation an Air Barrier?
Halo Interra Series Can Function as an Air Barrier, While Halo Exterra Cannot.
An air barrier is a component of the building envelope system that blocks air movement between a conditioned and an unconditioned space.
As its primary goal is to stop drafts and leaks, an air barrier must succeed at keeping indoor and outdoor air fully separate. To this end, an air barrier has to be impermeable to air. Traditional house wrap, poly vapor barrier, and even painted drywall are all adequate air barriers.
Halo’s Interra is another stellar candidate. Its panels come sealed with a laminate that effectively chokes off all air AND vapor flow. With Interra, you get an air and vapor barrier, and insulation, in a single product. Keep in mind, though, that any air barrier, Interra included, must be taped at its seams and sealed around the edges and penetrations to work well.
A quality air barrier should also be durable and robust enough to withstand the effects of construction activities and other forces that may disturb it in the building’s lifetime. Interra’s integral air barrier is bonded to a GPS foam board. With a compressive strength of 10 PSI, the foam core provides the air barrier with a sturdiness that house wrap and poly vapor barrier lack on their own.
HALO® INTERRA®
Perfectly Designed For Interior Applications
Interra offers a high-performance GPS core that is laminated on both sides with a reflective film.
Halo’s Exterra panels, on the other hand, can’t be used as an air barrier. That’s because they have a perforated laminate that allows airflow.
That said, Exterra makes a great water-resistive barrier (WRB) when its seams are properly taped. A WRB is a vital part of the envelope that stops water from reaching and damaging building components inside a wall.
HALO® EXTERRA®
Perfectly Designed For Exterior Applications
Exterra offers a high-performance GPS core that is laminated on both sides with a precision-perforated film.
By using Halo’s Exterra and Interra boards in your wall assembly, you can save precious building steps. The Exterra boards give you insulation and a WRB in one, while Interra servers as interior insulation and an air barrier at the same time.
