Fiberglass insulation manufacturers Knauf and Owens Corning now offer waterborne, synthetic latex-based sealants used to block air infiltration in new homes. Owens Corning’s EnergyComplete system is a two-part flexible foam, whereas Knauf’s EcoSeal is non-foaming. According to the manufacturers, both products adhere to the surfaces immediately surrounding them and remain flexible, providing an airtight seal that moves with the structure as it expands, contracts, and shifts.
Fiberglass insulation provides good thermal insulation when properly installed, and its vapor and air permeability can aid the drying of a building’s structure, but this permeability is also its weakness. If outside air gets into a home’s interior through cracks and penetrations in the building envelope, the result can be moisture damage, mold, and energy losses.
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