What is a wind barrier?
A wind barrier also referred to as a rain barrier or house wrap, is the secondary climate screen that must be used behind any kind of light weight facades.
The light weight facades can be made of wood, steel, cultured stone, slates, stucco or similar, however important for all these construction types are that they must after installation be closed off from any kind of sun light that could shine onto the wind barrier membrane. If the facade is a so called open facade, where the joints in the facade are open, then a special kind of wind UV resistant barrier has to be used.
Why use a wind barrier?
The wind barrier has a function of acting as the secondary climate screen, where it must protect the insulation material from moisture that condensates on the backside of the exterior wall. Furthermore the wind barrier must also be diffusion open in a degree that allows any kind of trapped vapour inside the insulation material from passing through the membrane so it may condensate on the exterior wall backside or just simple be ventilated away. The general thumb rule is that a ratio of 10/1 is use as a minimum, where the 10/1 refers to that the wind barrier must be 10 times more diffusion open than the vapour control layer.
Monarflex wind barrier product range
The Monarflex product portfolio for wind barriers covers most of the needs for different applications ranging from ordinary houses with wooden facades to slightly open steel facades, where sun light in some cases can shines directly onto the wind barrier
The wind barrier from the Monarflex portfolio is covering widely from the traditional paper/polyethylene based product, polypropylene with microporosus film and new more sophisticated coated breather membranes of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE):
- MONARFLEX Decofol (Tetofol)
- Monarperm TP110
- Monarperm TP160
Choose the right product
When having to choose the right product for the job, it is very important to remember that the wind barrier has the same function as a roof underlay, only it is installed in the wall instead of the roof.
This means that the wind barrier is installed on the cold side (the side that turns towards the exterior wall) of the insulation material.
The following conditions most be evaluated before choosing the correct product:
- What kind of exterior facade will be used
- Is it a long duration job – installing the exterior facade
- It is an open facade structure
- What can Monarflex offer to suite the right choice?
- Traditional wind barrier for closed wooden or steel facades. - Use the MONARFLEX® Decofol (Tetofol), Monarperm TP110 or Monarperm TP160
- Open façade structures, where the exterior façade is slightly open in the joints and potentially could allow a very limited amount of sun light direct to hit the wind barrier - Use the Use the MONARFLEX Svillemembranefrom Icopal Group.
Importance of application
In order to get the optimal protection out of the Monarflex wind barrier it is extremely important to recognize that the installation and the role that the accessories play is just as important as the wind barrier itself. By using the different Monarflex accessories a total system is formed, which will assist the wind barrier in being the best possible protection for the insulation material.
In order to get the optimal protection out of the Monarflex wind barrier it is extremely important to recognize that the installation and the role that the accessories play is just as important as the wind barrier itself. By using the different Monarflex accessories a total system is formed, which will assist the wind barrier in being the best possible protection for the insulation material.
At Monarflex "we are setting the standard"