The new campus of the Southern Regional College in Armagh, Northern Ireland is set to benefit from the airtightness performance qualities of the Wraptite external air barrier system from the A. Proctor Group.
Designed by WYG Group with Kennedy Fitzgerald Architects, the new SRC campus is designed to provide world-class education and training facilities for students in Armagh and across the wider region, including those studying at degree and postgraduate levels.
Specialist building contractor Felix O’Hare based in Newry required a high-quality airtightness membrane and Wraptite System as an external air barrier as opposed to an internal air barrier system.
The Wraptite System was installed as an external air barrier and alternative to a traditional standard breather membrane. Wraptite is the only self-adhering vapour permeable air barrier certified by the BBA and combines the important properties of vapour permeability and airtightness in one self-adhering membrane. This approach saves on both the labour and material costs associated with achieving the demands of energy efficiency in buildings.
Stephen Morrisey, contracts manager of Felix O’Hare, commented: “We have been really pleased with Wraptite which has proven extremely cost-effective because of the many benefits it has brought to the programme. The self-adhesive nature of the product means it is very easy and quick to apply and great to work with. We used the self-adhesive Wraptite Preformed Corners around the windows and doors, the bright orange corners were excellent in terms of visibility and helping to achieve high quality detailing, sealing against air leakage and maintaining the continuity of the air barrier. Once the corners were in place the red Wraptite membrane was applied to complete the system.”
Traditional use of internal air barriers can be more complex and costly to install, needing to accommodate building services such as electrical, lighting, heating and drainage systems. An internal air barrier is only as good as it’s installation. If all the service penetrations are not adequately sealed, performance will be compromised.
By moving the air barrier to the external side of the structural frame, the Wraptite external air barrier system allows for an almost penetration-free airtight layer, which can be installed faster and more robustly.
