Blueskin air barrier installation

Blueskin VP100 vs other Blueskin products

Blueskin VP100 is Henry's self-adhered, vapour-permeable water-resistive air barrier. Because it's vapour-permeable, it can be used on walls that need to dry outward. Henry makes other Blueskin membranes with different properties, including products that are not vapour-permeable, so the product on your drawings matters. We install the product specified by your designer and don't substitute without your approval.

Why self-adhered membrane

A fastened house wrap depends on laps, tape and fasteners to stay sealed. A self-adhered membrane bonds across its whole surface, so water that gets past the cladding can't travel behind it, and fasteners driven through it later (such as brick ties) are sealed by the membrane around them. That's why designers specify it at the details where leaks are most likely.

Primer, temperature and surface prep (per Henry data sheet)

A self-adhered membrane is only as good as its bond. Before we install, we check that the substrate is clean, dry and free of frost, and we apply primer where Henry's data sheet requires it. The data sheet also sets minimum application temperatures. In cold weather we work inside a tarped, heated enclosure or wait for suitable conditions rather than sticking membrane to a cold, damp wall.

Windows and transitions

Blueskin is ideal for the details that leak: rough openings, sills, heads and jambs; inside and outside corners; wall-to-foundation and wall-to-roof transitions; and joints between different materials. We lap every piece so water runs out, roll the membrane to get full contact, and tie it into the Tyvek or other barrier on the rest of the wall.

Full-wall vs detail use

• Detail use: Blueskin at openings, corners and transitions, with Tyvek on the field of the wall. This is common on production homes.
• Full-wall use: Blueskin as the air and water barrier across the whole wall, which some designers specify for air-tightness targets or complex elevations.

Your drawings and energy-code path decide which approach applies. For a comparison, read Tyvek vs Blueskin.

Blueskin is part of our Tyvek, Blueskin and SOPRASEAL building envelope service, alongside Tyvek house wrap installation. We install it across the GTA, including Markham, Richmond Hill and Toronto.

Blueskin or SOPRASEAL?

We also install Soprema SOPRASEAL, a self-adhered air and vapour barrier membrane that does the same job as Blueskin at openings, corners, transitions and full walls. If your drawings call for SOPRASEAL instead of Blueskin, the approach is the same: a clean, dry, frost-free substrate, primer where Soprema's data sheet requires it, laps that shed water and full rolling. Like Blueskin, SOPRASEAL comes in several versions with different properties, so we install the exact product specified and don't swap one brand for the other without your designer's approval.

What to send us for a Blueskin quote

Send your elevations, wall sections and window details showing where membrane is specified, the product name, and your target start date. If Blueskin is only at openings and transitions, a window schedule is often enough for a first price.

Blueskin FAQ

Is Blueskin VP100 vapour-permeable?

Yes. Henry markets Blueskin VP100 as a self-adhered, vapour-permeable water-resistive air barrier. Other Blueskin products differ.

Is Blueskin structural?

No. Blueskin is an air and water barrier. It doesn't add structural strength to the wall.

Can Blueskin be installed in winter?

Only within the temperature and surface conditions on Henry's data sheet. In cold weather we work in a tarped, heated enclosure.

Do I need primer?

Where Henry's data sheet calls for it on your substrate, yes. We follow the data sheet.

Can you combine Blueskin with Tyvek?

Yes. Blueskin at openings and transitions with Tyvek on the wall is a common, well-proven combination.