Prevents moisture or air quality problems

Henry Company’s BlueskinVP house wrap is a water-resistive, vapor-permeable, air barrier membrane that contains a permeable adhesive layer, so it does not require mechanical attachment. BlueskinVP can seal a building envelope while providing a continuous drainage plane, meeting ASTM E2357 for air barrier assemblies as well as AC38 for water-resistive barriers. BlueskinVP is available as BlueskinVP 100 for residential construction and BlueskinVP 160 for commercial applications.

FlexFix is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. FlexFix is hand-tearable and the manufacturer claims it will adhere in temperatures from 0ºF–210ºF. FlexFix is available in 3" and 48mm widths in black and silver.

Intertape AC 698 is a zero-VOC, oriented-polypropylene tape with acrylic sealant for use on flexible ducts. AC 698 hand-tears and Intertape claims it will adhere in temperatures up to 210ºF. AC 698 is available in black, clear, silver, and red.

The Rainscreen Clip system includes hidden fasteners that create a gap behind wood cladding to allow ventilation, as is typical for a rainscreen system. The clips are painted marine-grade aluminum, and screwed in place into pre-drilled, rot-resistant furring boards. Manufacturer Wood Haven offers a variety of species of lumber in various colors and widths, and also offers matching trim and corner boards. FSC-certified wood is available on request.

The FloLogic automatic water shutoff system connects to a single point on the plumbing bringing water into a home, where it monitors water flow and detects changes that could indicate a burst pipe or other issue. FloLogic comes pre-programmed with "home" and "away" settings—which can be custom-programmed—allowing water to flow for certain amounts of time; if the flow exceeds that limit, the system's shutoff valve stops water from entering the home and an alarm is sounded. FloLogic can be connected to a home security system, includes a manual override, and can run on backup battery power for up to a week in the case of a power outage.

Huber’s Zip System consists of a sheathing with a built-in water-resistive barrier, eliminating the need for house wrap and speeding installation. When used with the company’s seam tape, the Zip System has an air leakage rate of 0.037 L/s•m2 @ 75 Pascal per ASTM E2357 (below the ABAA standard of 0.2 L/s•m2 @ 75 Pascal) and can contribute to an airtight building assembly while allowing vapor permeability, thus reducing the risk of moisture damage. Available for roofs and walls, this sheathing incorporates Huber’s PS2-rated AdvanTech floor panels, which are made with low-emitting no-added formaldehyde (NAUF) resins (a combination of phenol formaldehyde and MDI). The green outer skin is Kraft paper impregnated with phenol formaldehyde resin, which forms a thermoset polymer coating . Available in 7/16"-thick 4'x8', 4'x9', and 4'x10' panels and ½"-thick 4'x8' panels, Zip sheathing comes with a 30-year warranty.

Manufactured by Lunos and sold in the United States by Four Seven Five, the Lunos e² through-wall fans provide ductless, continuous heat recovery ventilation using ceramic regenerative heat exchangers. Installed through 12" thick or greater exterior walls using a 6" opening, they are wired in groups of two or four so that while one fan exhausts, the other supplies air. Heat/cold is absorbed in one direction and the airflow is reversed every 70 seconds, balancing the heating/cooling with filtered fresh air, according to the company. Intended for Passive House or super-insulated homes, one pair covers 500–600 ft2 (8' ceilings). These units also work well in retrofit applications.

Diamond-Furr lath attachment is a system of preformed steel brackets that allow metal lath for three-coat stucco finishes to be attached to an exterior wall with reduced need for individual fasteners. According to the manufacturer, Brand X Metals, the system reduces fastener penetrations by over 60%, thus reducing holes in the underlying building paper or weather-resistive barrier that could allow water infiltration and compromise the air barrier system. The system includes a weep screed and sheet metal flashing at key termination points at the top, bottom, and corners of walls, as well as around windows and doors. The steel includes 30% recycled content.

Agepan, manufactured in Germany by Glunz AG and imported in North America by several Passive House building product dealers, is a line of vapor-permeable wood fiber products. Agepan THD, an insulation appropriate for both interior and external applications, contains no added formaldehyde, though it is bonded with PMDI, an isocyanate. Agepan THD has an R-value of R-3 per inch. It is available in a variety of sizes and thicknesses, as well as in either square edge or tongue and groove styles. Other products include floor and roof panels, OSB, and cellulose insulation. An EPD was conducted for Agepan in accordance with ISO 14025 and is available for review via the German Institute of Construction and Environment here (PDF).

The Novus 300 HRV, from Zehnder America, is a high-efficiency, Passivhaus-certified heat-recovery ventilator (HRV). Based on HVI test methods, it achieves an ASEF of 94%–96% and an SRE of 90%–91%, making it the highest performing HRV in the HVI Certified Products Database. The efficiency is thanks in part to an ECM motor. The Novus 300 can move up to 177 cfm, and comes standard with a MERV 7/8 filter, but an optional MERV 13 filter is available. An optional humidity heat exchanger is also available. The Novus 300 comes with a two-year warranty.

Enviro-Dri, from Tremco Barrier Solutions, is a liquid applied weather resistive barrier (WRB) that has been independently tested to meet the AC 212 code for liquid applied WRBs. This vapor-permeable barrier has a moisture permeability of 12 perms and protects walls from liquid moisture. Enviro-Dri has a VOC content of 69 g/L. It doesn't tear, requires no mechanical fasteners, and can be installed behind any cladding. It is dry to touch in 30 minutes and completely dry in eight hours. Tremco offers a 12-year warranty on the Enviro-Dri system.

EnduraMax, offered by Oldcastle Architectural, is a manufactured stone veneer wall system that achieves a steady-state insulating value of R-9. A layer of EPS insulation provides the frame to hold the stone, clay, and concrete bricks, and a type-S mortar holds the bricks in place. Many manufactured stone veneer products fail due to inward solar vapor drive, though this system has some advantages. Vertical channels on the front and back serve as a capillary break for both the stones and the mortar. The EPS layer is a class III vapor retarder, which may not be enough to stop all solar-driven moisture issues, so proper installation, including an appropriate weather-resistive barrier and flashing details, is a must. Oldcastle Architectural offers a 25-year warranty on EnduraMax.

Smart Zero-VOC 1408-1-16, from Gardner Gibson, is an acrylic elastomeric caulk for interior or exterior use. This zero-VOC caulk contains no ethylene glycol and can be applied to painted or bare surfaces including wood, metal, brick, concrete, plaster, masonry, drywall, or ceramic surfaces. According to the manufacturer, the caulk is mold and mildew resistant.

GE offers a line of low-VOC silicone sealants for professional weatherproofing applications. Applications include windows and doors, expansion joints, sidewalks, and parking decks. VOC levels of GE silicone sealants range from 20–37 g/L, with some rubber-hybrid and secondary sealants containing up to 53 g/L.

The Barrier from Northwestern Ohio Foam Packaging is a sub-slab insulation and vapor barrier system. Supplied in 48"-wide rolls, the material is unrolled and peel-and-stick tabs are joined to provide a continuous barrier. Pre-consumer recycled (20%–100%) expanded polystyrene (EPS) is used as the core. Three thicknesses are available: The Barrier is 3/8" thick and provides R-1.7; The BarrierXT is 3/4" thick and provides R-3.0; and The Barrier X5 is 1-1/4" thick and provides R-5.0. In U.S. DOE climate Zones 3 and higher, the R-5 of the BarrierX5 is considered inadequate as an insulation layer, though it could be combined with additional insulation to boost the overall R-value.