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Acoustical Sealants InspectAPedia®  -     Q&A: who supplies acoustical sealants? List of acoustical sealant suppliers. Use of acoustical sealant for the lap joints between sheets of polyethylene vapor barriers in buildings Use of & sources for tapes to seal poly vapor barrier joints Solar Age Magazine Articles on Renewable Energy, Energy Savings, Construction Practices

This article discusses the use of acoustical sealants for sealing lap joints between polyethylene vapor barriers & sources of acoustical sealants. Sketch at page top and accompanying text are reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

Readers who need to know more about the use of acoustical sealants for sound control in buildings or who need to know where to purchase acoustical sealants should see Acoustical Sealant for Sound Control. Readers who need to know more about placement and sealing of vapor barriers should see VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP and VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS and VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution.

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Use of Acoustical Sealant for Sealing Vapor Barriers on Interior Walls

• Q&A on use of & sources of acoustical sealants for vapor barrier lap joints- original text. Use your browser's back button to return to this page

The question-and-answer article about the indoor use of acoustical sealants or tape products to seal vapor barriers, quotes-from, updates, and comments an original article, (see links just above) from Solar Age Magazine and written by Steven Bliss.

Question: where do I buy acoustical sealants for use on poly vapor barrier lap joints?

The use of acoustical sealant for sealing lap joints between sheets of polyethylene vapor barriers was mentioned in Solar Age Magazine articles (November & December 1982). Do you have any information as to acoustical sealant brand names, suppliers of acoustical sealants, or other products suitable for sealing poly vapor barrier lap joints?

Answer:

The acoustical sealant mentioned in those magazine articles is a non-skinning, non-curing sealant developed for sound control in drywall construction and in wall perforations (wall penetrations such as around electrical boxes). One such acoustical sealant is available in one-quart cartridges from Tremco.

A variety of tapes useful in sealing polyethylene vapor barrier lap joints are available from Ideal Tape, Inc. Their products include a clear polyethylene tape (#415) suitable for all-weather use, and a 2-mil aluminum tape (#488,487) for use with foil surfaces such as foil-faced solid foam insulating board.

And almost certainly, poly vapor barrier sealing tapes using foil, poly, or other materials are available from 3-M Corporation.

Readers who need to know more about the use of acoustical sealants for sound control in buildings or who need to know where to purchase acoustical sealants should see Acoustical Sealant for Sound Control. Readers who need to know more about placement and sealing of vapor barriers should see VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP and VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS and VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS. n.

Here we include solar energy, solar heating, solar hot water, and related building energy efficiency improvement articles reprinted/adapted/excerpted with permission from Solar Age Magazine - editor Steven Bliss.

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ACOUSTICAL SEALANTS
AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
AIR BYPASS LEAKS
AIR LEAK DETECTION TOOLS
AIR LEAK MINIMIZATION
AIR POLLUTANTS, COMMON INDOOR
AIR SEALING STRATEGIES
ENERGY SAVINGS in BUILDINGS
ENERGY SAVINGS PRIORITIES
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT CASE STUDY
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT LEAK SEALING GUIDE
ENERGY SAVINGS RETROFIT OPTIONS
EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS
EXTERIORS of BUILDINGS
FRAMING DETAILS for BETTER INSULATION
FRAMING DETAILS for DOUBLE WALL HOUSES
FREEZE-PROOF A BUILDING
HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS
HEAT LOSS in BUILDINGS
HEAT LOSS DETECTION TOOLS
HEAT LOSS INDICATORS
HEAT LOSS R U & K VALUE CALCULATION
HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS
HOUSEWRAP - TYVEK INSTALLATION DETAILS
HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET
ICE DAM PREVENTION
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
FOUNDATION CRACKS & DAMAGE GUIDE
HEATING SMALL LOADS
INDOOR AIR QUALITY & HOUSE TIGHTNESS
INSULATION & VENTILATION INSPECTION & IMPROVEMENT
INTERIORS of BUILDINGS
ACOUSTICAL SEALANTS
MOISTURE CONTROL in BUILDINGS
PLUMBING TOPICS
STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS
HEATING SYSTEMS
ROOFING
SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS
SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS
  ACOUSTICAL SEALANTS
  Principles of Sound Transmission
  How Sound Levels are Measured
  Sound Absorption vs. Sound Isolation
  Sound Isolation Strategies
  Cut Off Flanking Sound Paths
  Sound Transmission Class Ratings
  Sound Control for Walls
  Sound Control for Floors
  Sound Control for Plumbing
  Properties of Soundproofing Materials
  Acoustical Sealant for Sound Control
  Resilient Channel for Sound Reduction
  Insulation Details for Sound Reduction
  Gasketing for Noise Control
  Duct Insulation for Soundproofing
  White Noise & Sound Conditioners
STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS
SUMP PUMPS GUIDE
THERMAL EXPANSION of MATERIALS
THERMAL MASS in BUILDINGS
THERMAL MASS in UPSTAIRS
THERMAL TRACKING Indicates Heat Loss
VAPOR BARRIERS & AIR SEALING at BAND JOISTS
VAPOR BARRIERS & CONDENSATION in BUILDINGS
VAPOR BARRIERS & HOUSEWRAP
VAPOR CONDENSATION & BUILDING SHEATHING
VENTILATION in BUILDINGS
WATER HEATERS
AGE of WATER HEATERS
ALTERNATIVE HOT WATER SOURCES
WATER SOFTENERS
WATER ENTRY in BUILDINGS
WIND TURBINES
WINDOWS & DOORS
  SKYLIGHT LEAK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR
  SITE BUILT DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOWS
  SLOPED GLAZING DETAILS
  VERTICAL GLAZING DETAILS

• Solar Age Magazine was the official publication of the American Solar Energy Society. The contemporary solar energy magazine associated with the Society is Solar Today. "Established in 1954, the nonprofit American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is the nation's leading association of solar professionals & advocates. Our mission is to inspire an era of energy innovation and speed the transition to a sustainable energy economy. We advance education, research and policy. Leading for more than 50 years. ASES leads national efforts to increase the use of solar energy, energy efficiency and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. We publish the award-winning SOLAR TODAY magazine, organize and present the ASES National Solar Conference and lead the ASES National Solar Tour – the largest grassroots solar event in the world."
  
• Steven Bliss served as editorial director and co-publisher of The Journal of Light Construction for 16 years and previously as building technology editor for Progressive Builder and Solar Age magazines. He worked in the building trades as a carpenter and design/build contractor for more than ten years and holds a masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Excerpts from his recent book, Best Practices Guide to Residential Construction, Wiley (November 18, 2005) ISBN-10: 0471648361, ISBN-13: 978-0471648369, appear throughout this website, with permission and courtesy of Wiley & Sons. Best Practices Guide is available from the publisher, J. Wiley & Sons, and also at Amazon.com.
  Excerpts with updates and annotations expanding the original Best Practices Guide text can be found in the online review and book summary at BEST CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES GUIDE and also at DECK & PORCH CONSTRUCTION, at INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE, and in other articles found at InspectAPedia.com such as HOUSEWRAP AIR & VAPOR BARRIERS, SOUND CONTROL in BUILDINGS, and other topics.
• Tremco, Tremco Global Sealants Division, 10701 Shaker Blvd., Cleveland OH 44104 - see www.tremcosealants.com/
• Ideal Tape, Inc., 1400 Middlesex St., Lowell MA 01853 - see www.abitape.com/tape/iframe_ideal.htm Tel: 1-800-284-3325
• 3-M Corporation, tape products, see solutions.3m.com/

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