The ABAA and its QAP have increasing influence over a very important component of high‐performance building enclosures: the continuous air barrier. However, the ABAA and its QAP are limited to a focus on material certification and material application associated with air barriers applied on the substrate behind various building cladding systems on a building’s facade. In reality there are many components at other locations other than those covered by ABAA and its QAP that are part of the air barrier as prescribed by code. These air barrier components, not covered by the ABAA QAP, are critical to the building’s air tightness performance. Recognition that ABAA only addresses a portion of the building’s air barrier begs the question of who/how is the balance of the building’s air barrier being addressed. For simplicity this presentation is based on a building’s air barrier as prescribed in the 2015 IECC (International Energy Conservation Code).

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