Air and Vapor Barriers for Roofs

In 2012, the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) introduced the continuous air barrier requirement for new commercial construction. This meant that air and vapor barriers were now required for walls, and they must be tied to both the roofing assembly and the foundation. For years, many architects and designers only utilized an air and vapor barrier on the roof deck for high-humidity occupancies, such as swimming pools or food processing facilities. But the new requirement meant taking a hard look at the needs of all buildings and what a roof assembly could do for the building envelope.

A single-ply membrane, as stated in the IECC and as tested utilizing the ASTM E2178 standard, qualifies as an air barrier and can satisfy the requirement for an air barrier on any given project. So why would you consider adding an additional air and vapor barrier to the roofing assembly?

There are a couple of very simple reasons:

Reason 1: Air Intrusion. While a properly installed roofing system will not allow air leakage (e.g., conditioned indoor air from exiting the building thermal envelope), it does allow air movement within the roof assembly. As the single-ply roof membrane is on the top of the assembly, indoor conditioned air can infiltrate into the roofing system and travel into the layers of insulation or cover boards. Why is this an issue? See Reason 2…

Reason 2: Moisture Migration. Adding a deck-level air and vapor barrier is a great solution to prevent air intrusion and moisture migration. This also allows the wall air and vapor barrier to be tied together at the deck level, which allows the roof to be replaced more easily in the future. The contractor will not be modifying the continuous air barrier when re-roofing, as the roof is no longer that barrier.

1. VapAir Seal MD for steel deck construction, direct to deck;
2. VapAir Seal 725TR for Concrete Decks;
3. VapAir Seal Flashing Foam for sealing around penetrations such as pipes;

Go to the Air and Vapor Barriers Product Page on the Carlisle SynTec website for more information, specifications, and details.

Contact Craig Tyler at [email protected] with further questions.