2 of 5 · replaces the stucco child

Air, Vapor, and Water-Resistive Barriers

The layer nobody sees and every energy code now asks about.

OUTWEST1995

Five Colorado yards.
One outfit.

What we supply

Dryvit AWB (Air Weather Barrier)Supplied as part of a compatible Dryvit EIFS and wall system.

ExoAir fluid-applied barriersRolled or sprayed, seals to itself at every lap and penetration. Vapor-permeable versions where the wall needs to dry outward.

ExoAir self-adhered membraneSheet-applied, for large flat areas and for cold-weather work where fluid will not cure.

Transition membranes and flashingWindow and door openings, deck-to-wall, foundation-to-wall. Where the barrier meets something else is where it fails.

Primers and detail sealantCompatible by design — the reason to buy the system rather than the parts.

By orderWe are not going to tell you this is on the shelf, because it is not. It is priced and ordered against your spec, and you get the lead time before you commit rather than after. Send the wall section.

Air barrier, water barrier, vapor barrier

Three jobs, often one product, and constantly confused. An air barrier stops air moving through the wall — that is the one the energy code tests. A water-resistive barrier stops liquid water getting in. A vapor barrier or retarder controls diffusion, and in Colorado it goes on the warm side. Most modern fluid-applied products are air and water barriers and are deliberately vapor-permeable, so the wall can dry outward. Putting an impermeable layer on the cold side of a Colorado wall traps moisture in the assembly.

Compatibility matters more here than anywhere

The barrier has to be compatible with the sealant at the window, the membrane at the foundation, and whatever the cladding is fastened with. Tremco publishes compatibility tables for exactly this reason. Send the wall section and we will check it before you buy, not after.

Manufacturers

Tremco · Dryvit

Common questions

Ask the counter.

How many square feet per pail?+

Depends on the product, the substrate, and the mil thickness the spec calls for. Send the wall area and the spec section and we will count pails.

Can I use house wrap instead?+

On a residential job, sometimes. On a commercial wall with a continuous air barrier requirement, no — the spec will name a tested assembly.

Does it go on before or after the continuous insulation?+

Usually the barrier goes on the sheathing, then the continuous insulation, then the cladding. The wall section decides.

The branch makes the call

Send the list.
We check the load.

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