Does aerobarrier negate need for airtightness detailing?

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, SteamyTea said:

@Pocster is my dealer.

He adds 30%……

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, SBMS said:

What did you parge with? Are you brick and block? Where did you use soudatight? How come you taped and didn’t just use soudatight? Are you doing AB before or after plasterboard? Have you had a blower test done?

(expletive deleted)ing hell.

 

You’ve just use your annual quota of questions in one go. 
 

You can post again in 2026 ok. 

[SBMS]

38 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

(expletive deleted)ing hell.

 

You’ve just use your annual quota of questions in one go. 
 

You can post again in 2026 ok. 

lol Sorry. Had to put my fingers in a bowl of ice after that. 

[Nickfromwales]

29 minutes ago, SBMS said:

lol Sorry. Had to put my fingers in a bowl of ice after that. 

Pmsl 

[crispy_wafer]

2 hours ago, SBMS said:

What did you parge with? Are you brick and block? Where did you use soudatight? How come you taped and didn’t just use soudatight? Are you doing AB before or after plasterboard? Have you had a blower test done?

 

sorry for the onslaught of questions!!

Yes to brick and block, yes I had a prelim air test done last year, but I cocked up, left a fist sized hole into to the cavity that I’d forgotten about.  The air test did highlight a number of areas for attention though, mainly with air leakage around and behind the roof straps, and a velux which needed some extra attention.  

 

My build is a dormer style build, warm roof. So well taped up, membrane down over the wall plate, soudatight onto blockwork membrane stuck into this and painted over, soudatight liberally painted above ceilings, joists foamed, ct1 sealed and taped at penetrations through blockwork.

Windows all taped up to inner leaf, blockwork again painted with soudatight and then the tape painted over on the inner leaf with soudatight.

 

Basically anywhere I had tape touching blockwork, there was soudatight before and after.

 

Parged with British gypsum soundcoat to all block walls.

 

Cable holes or pipe holes made with a core drill, then a waste pipe used as a sleeve, foaming glue used on pipe before shoving it in the hole, foamed on the inside and painted over with soudatight again.  When cables passed through the pipe would be filled with our favourite illbruck foam then the ends would be ct1’d or ebt’d, and finally a kaflex epdm  what’s’it stuck over for good luck!

 

I’ve plasterboarded the place myself dot and dabbed 1 bag to 2 boards, picture framed the boards, stripes of adhesive at 400 and 800 all round the sockets etc.  Tried my best, probably not as bob on plumb as a pro, but I’m not far off!

 

Reckon the windows and doors will be the weakest link, round the seals.

 

I first spoke to AB 18 months ago, but couldn’t come to terms with the cost, but as time has passed and I’ve now got to the point where I’ve got a spread coming in Jan, I needed to jump one way or the other, so sod it we’ll miss out on our Christmas trip to the sunshine and the lad’s ski trip just got cancelled by the school so that will cover the unbudgeted cost.

[Nickfromwales]

15 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

we’ll miss out on our Christmas trip to the sunshine and the lad’s ski trip just got cancelled by the school so that will cover the unbudgeted cost.

Ultimate sacrifices for the tightness of air. 🫡👊👌🤝

 

16 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

Basically anywhere I had tape touching blockwork, there was soudatight before and after.

Good lad. 

[SBMS]

17 minutes ago, crispy_wafer said:

Yes to brick and block, yes I had a prelim air test done last year, but I cocked up, left a fist sized hole into to the cavity that I’d forgotten about.  The air test did highlight a number of areas for attention though, mainly with air leakage around and behind the roof straps, and a velux which needed some extra attention.  

 

My build is a dormer style build, warm roof. So well taped up, membrane down over the wall plate, soudatight onto blockwork membrane stuck into this and painted over, soudatight liberally painted above ceilings, joists foamed, ct1 sealed and taped at penetrations through blockwork.

Windows all taped up to inner leaf, blockwork again painted with soudatight and then the tape painted over on the inner leaf with soudatight.

 

Basically anywhere I had tape touching blockwork, there was soudatight before and after.

 

Parged with British gypsum soundcoat to all block walls.

 

Cable holes or pipe holes made with a core drill, then a waste pipe used as a sleeve, foaming glue used on pipe before shoving it in the hole, foamed on the inside and painted over with soudatight again.  When cables passed through the pipe would be filled with our favourite illbruck foam then the ends would be ct1’d or ebt’d, and finally a kaflex epdm  what’s’it stuck over for good luck!

 

I’ve plasterboarded the place myself dot and dabbed 1 bag to 2 boards, picture framed the boards, stripes of adhesive at 400 and 800 all round the sockets etc.  Tried my best, probably not as bob on plumb as a pro, but I’m not far off!

 

Reckon the windows and doors will be the weakest link, round the seals.

 

I first spoke to AB 18 months ago, but couldn’t come to terms with the cost, but as time has passed and I’ve now got to the point where I’ve got a spread coming in Jan, I needed to jump one way or the other, so sod it we’ll miss out on our Christmas trip to the sunshine and the lad’s ski trip just got cancelled by the school so that will cover the unbudgeted cost.

Thanks for the comprehensive answer! 🫡

[Post and beam]

On 14/12/2025 at 22:49, torre said:

I assume they charge more according to how long and how much they blow, so sensible airtight measures are still worthwhile first

As Nick has said, they quote based on square metres, mine last Autumn was £2000 for 200sq/m. They did say prior to me committing that they would just stay all day until the score stopped improving if thats what i wanted. Did  not quite work out like that on the day as i think they got a little bored. And they were a long way from home. Still, we went from 3.8 prior to 1.4 at the end of the day.

On 15/12/2025 at 09:31, Nickfromwales said:

I was horrified when the team prepped and just laid 2” masking tape

The stuff does get onto everything horizontal, i can attest to that. As it happens the spray nozzle connections to the tripods they use were a little leaky and sprayed goop onto 2 walls that required sanding afterwards. It is not visible on light coloured walls but feels horribly tacky if/when you rub past it. Check locations of the tripods if you use A/B for your build..

[saveasteading]

Do we know that this stuff will stay in place / not detetiorate as a permanent seal?

I'm wondering if some/ most of the seals are just a few fibres, because as soon as they cover a hole,  the draught ceases and no more fibres will adhere.

What happens when there is air pressure in the other direction (out to in)?

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, saveasteading said:

Do we know that this stuff will stay in place / not detetiorate as a permanent seal?

I'm wondering if some/ most of the seals are just a few fibres, because as soon as they cover a hole,  the draught ceases and no more fibres will adhere.

What happens when there is air pressure in the other direction (out to in)?

You’d need to see this for yourself, or accept my ramblings about just how good this is. It’s like pouring liquid PVA into a gap and it being left to cure.

 

It’s nothing like fibres, just atoms of the ‘product’ that hit each other, bond together, and then cure in situ. 
 

The depth of the gap / void / crack has the product disappear more deeply into, then as that closes less and less heads in, but when sealed it’s a very good, penetrating seal. It’s like hammering more and more wedges into a gap I guess.

 

In terms of longevity I would only think it would fail if left exposed and subject to mechanical wear and tear, but once covered over it’s there to stay afaic.

 

This has been used for some time in the USA, so maybe search across the pond for reviews / instances of failure or issue perhaps? 

[saveasteading]

28 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said:

accept my ramblings

Accepted.  I can see that bigger gaps would fill substantially as you say, and the microscopic ones are the least issue anyway. and it is filling from the inside so the weather shouldn't be any issue.

[Nickfromwales]

39 minutes ago, saveasteading said:

Accepted.  I can see that bigger gaps would fill substantially as you say, and the microscopic ones are the least issue anyway. and it is filling from the inside so the weather shouldn't be any issue.

Correct. ☑️.

 

I see tapes peeling back and loosening their airtight grip, but in complete honesty I don’t see this happening with AB.

 

I’ll be using / promoting AB on future (suitable) projects without a seconds hesitation. I’m seriously impressed.

 

No affiliation btw, and not on commission  wish I was though as I’m sure this will become more and more popular.

[SBMS]

1 minute ago, Nickfromwales said:

Correct. ☑️.

 

I see tapes peeling back and loosening their airtight grip, but in complete honesty I don’t see this happening with AB.

 

I’ll be using / promoting AB on future (suitable) projects without a seconds hesitation. I’m seriously impressed.

 

No affiliation btw, and not on commission  wish I was though as I’m sure this will become more and more popular.

Is it done after boarding or post plaster skim?

[Nickfromwales]

Just now, SBMS said:

Is it done after boarding or post plaster skim?

Defo before skim. However, it can be done after if you’re closing the gate after the horse has buggered off. 

[Nickfromwales]

1 hour ago, SBMS said:

Is it done after boarding or post plaster skim?

Sorry, can be done before or after boarding, but I’d do it after boarding and all 1st fix, which iirc is what AB recommend. 
 

Doable either way in actuality, but you’re responsible for then preserving the ‘treated’ exposed surfaces until they’re covered. 

[crispy_wafer]

Big day today - Preseal @ 3.9, I guess i could have done a bit better - slapped wrist! 🤣

[crispy_wafer]

A couple of pictures. 

 

 

[crispy_wafer]

Getting foggy in there

[crispy_wafer]

Start and end, not measured in ACH, but once we get volumes the conversion can be made.

 

 

[crispy_wafer]

A couple of areas that need a bit of work, in fact most of the openings need attention.

 

 

[Iceverge]

An excellent improvement. 

 

That corner seal in the window is a bit gash though. I'd be having a word with the window man. 

 

Having gone to the hassle of manually doing this it's like climbing Snowdon and seeing there was a blasted train to the top when you arrived. 

[crispy_wafer]

The window man is long gone down the road….  Going to have to be a DIY job.

[SteamyTea]

Half a cubic metre per hour per square metre of exposed area is considered quite good.

Has anyone managed that without filling the house up with glue?

Seem to remember that someone got a 0.23 m³.h^-1.m^-2.

Edited 6 hours ago by SteamyTea

[SBMS]

4 hours ago, crispy_wafer said:

A couple of pictures. 

 

 

Is that pre-skim? Do you mind me asking how much they charged (per sqm?)

[crispy_wafer]

Yes, pre-skim, it was now or never really, plasterer starting next week.  AB managed to fit us in quite quickly.