The United States Department of Energy has concluded that as much as 40% of the energy needed to cool or heat a building is lost due to air leakage into and out of buildings. Structural damage due to moisture condensation in building walls has been well documented and there are increasing problems with mold growth in buildings, causing severe health risks.

"The building envelope shall be designed and constructed with a continuous air barrier to control air leakage into, or out of the conditioned space. An air barrier shall also be provided for interior partitions between conditioned space and space designed to maintain temperature or humidity levels which differ from those in the conditioned space."

The Massachusetts State Energy Code for Commercial and High-Rise Residential New Construction (780 CMR 13). Paragraph 1304.3.1 on Air Barriers.

Now that Air Barrier systems are required in all new construction of commercial and high-rise residential buildings in Massachusetts, it is imperative that developers, architects, engineering firms, and general contractors be fully informed as to the requirements, and have the technical expertise that will ensure proper installation.

Certified by the Air Barrier Association of America (ABAA) and a contributing member of the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) Building Envelope Committee, Metropolitan Restoration & Waterproofing Corp. is an industry leader in the design, specification and installation of Air Barrier Systems.

Metropolitan's broad-based expertise spans all aspects of Air Barrier Systems - from detail drawings to material specification, and from installation to quality control. The Company's professional staff of installation technicians is managed by project supervisors who fully understand air barrier system theory and have systems in place to maintain quality control in the field and document the work as it progresses.

Project management undertakes a team approach with each project - the Client, Architect, Construction Manager(s), Site Supervisors, Installation Supervisors, and Installation Technicians are all integral to the project team. In addition, Metropolitan has a well-established relationship with lending air barrier system product manufacturers and their representatives, whom we can call upon to communicate essential information and or resolve unforeseen problems.

Combining state-of-the-art technologies with quality workmanship, Metropolitan is well prepared to deliver on air barrier systems that meet the most stringent requirements in a cost-effective manner.

Click here to learn more about Air Barrier Systems: "What's all this about Air Barriers?"

Job Profile

Frank Wood Center
Sherrill House
Expansion Project
Boston, MA

Project Size
6-story, 57,000 S.F. additon to an exisiting Adult Care facility; required complete Air/Vapor Barrier System.

Project Background
Metropolitan was hired in the pre-construction phase as consultants to design and detail the waterproofing and air barrier systems. In addition, Metropolitan was hired during the construction phase to install both the waterproofing and air barrier systems.

Project Description
The project consists of designing construction details for the air and vapor barrier systems for the addition; installation of these systems while sequencing with all the associated trades, plus design and installation of the waterproofing system for the building and the below ground parking facilities.