An air barrier consists of materials assembled and joined together to prevent air leakage between the conditioned spaces and unconditioned space - that is, indoors and outdoors.
Housewrap is not (necessarily) an air barrier
Some products - for example, drywall, plastic, or housewrap - are considered air barriers. But when building scientists talk about a home's air barrier, they're not talking about a single material; they're talking about a collection of materials that reaches from the basement slab, around the entire exterior of the building's thermal envelope, and across the finished ceiling.
A typical air barrier incorporates more than a dozen materials
Common components of an air barrier system are poured concrete; sill seal; wall sheathing; housewrap; contractors' tape; caulk; spray foam; gaskets; window glass; drywall; polyethylene; and weatherstripping. If any of these materials are leaky, the home's air barrier may be compromised.
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