One-Day Air Sealing: How AeroBarrier Works on a BC Builder’s Job Site
Key takeaway: An AeroBarrier seal day takes 4 to 6 hours on site for a typical single-family Okanagan build. The process pressurizes the house with a blower door, atomizes a water-based acrylic sealant, and shows the live ACH50 number on screen as it drops. The builder schedules it in a 1 to 2 day window between rough-in completion and drywall. This is a hour-by-hour walk-through of what happens on the job site.
What is AeroBarrier and how does it work?
AeroBarrier is an aerosol-based air sealing system that uses pressure differential to drive a water-based acrylic sealant into every gap in a building envelope. The house is pressurized to roughly 50 Pascals during application. Air rushing through tiny gaps carries sealant particles with it. The particles deposit at the leak edges and bridge the gap. Over the course of the seal, leaks as small as a human hair (1/3000 inch) close.
The on-board blower door measures airtightness in real time and displays the ACH50 reading on screen. The operator stops the seal when the target ACH50 is hit. Typical Okanagan builds finish between 0.5 and 1.5 ACH50 (see case studies).
When does AeroBarrier happen in the build sequence?
The seal happens in a narrow window in your construction schedule:
| Build stage | AeroBarrier ready? |
|---|---|
| Foundation poured | No |
| Framing complete | No |
| Sheathing + windows installed | No |
| Rough-in (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) complete | YES |
| Insulation installed (cavity batts) | YES (still works) |
| Drywall hung | Too late |
| Finishes installed | Too late, except for special remediation cases |
The optimal window is after rough-in is complete and before drywall hanging starts. That’s typically a 1 to 2 day window in a standard Okanagan build schedule. Builders should book the AeroBarrier date roughly 2 to 3 weeks before they need it; standard scheduling lead time in the Okanagan is 2 to 3 weeks.
Hour-by-hour: what happens on seal day
The breakdown below covers a typical 2,500 sq ft Okanagan single-family home targeting Step Code 4 (1.5 ACH50). Larger or more complex builds run longer; smaller or simpler builds run shorter.
Hour 0 to 1: Setup and prep
The crew arrives with the AeroBarrier rig (compressor, sealant tank, blower door, computer-controlled spray nozzles, and ducting). Setup includes:
- Site survey. Walk the house to identify any rough-in not yet complete, finishes already installed, or items that need masking
- Mask sensitive items. Light fixtures, switches and outlets, HVAC equipment (heat pumps, HRV), exposed sheathing, and any installed finishes get covered with poly sheeting
- Block intentional ventilation paths. Range hood vent, dryer vent, bath fans, and HRV intake/exhaust get sealed temporarily so the seal doesn’t waste material on already-functional vents
- Set up the blower door. Mounted in an exterior door opening, calibrated to the house volume
- Position spray nozzles. Two to four computer-controlled nozzles distributed through the interior to ensure even sealant coverage
Hour 1 to 2: Initial pressurization and pre-seal reading
Before the seal starts, the blower door pressurizes the house and produces the initial ACH50 reading. This number tells you where the framing crew’s manual seal landed.
- Typical pre-seal ACH50 in Okanagan builds: 4.0 to 6.0
- Best case (very tightly framed): 2.5 to 3.5
- Worst case (sloppy framing or missed details): 7.0+
If the pre-seal reading is above about 7.0, the operator typically pauses to do some manual sealing on the largest visible leaks before starting the aerosol pass. AeroBarrier closes leaks; it doesn’t fill openings the size of a fist.
Hour 2 to 4: Aerosol application
The actual seal phase. The interior of the house warms to roughly 27 to 32°C (the water-based sealant atomizes better in warm conditions). Spray nozzles activate and the aerosol fills the interior space. The blower door maintains 50 Pa pressure throughout.
What’s happening physically:
- The pressurized air seeks every leak in the envelope
- Sealant particles travel with the airflow, depositing at leak edges
- Each leak narrows over time as sealant accumulates
- Smaller leaks close first; larger leaks take longer
What the operator sees:
- Live ACH50 reading on screen, usually dropping by 0.5 to 1.0 ACH50 per 15 minutes early in the seal
- Sealant tank level decreasing
- Spray timer counting up
Active spray time is typically 60 to 120 minutes depending on the starting ACH50 and target. The crew monitors the live reading and stops when the target is hit. For a Step 4 target of 1.5 ACH50 starting from 5.0 ACH50, expect roughly 90 minutes of active spray.
Hour 4 to 5: Final verification and cleanup
Once the target is hit, the crew shuts down the spray, vents the house briefly, and runs a final blower door test for the verified ACH50 number.
- Final reading captured and printed for the project file
- Photo documentation of the result
- Spray equipment teardown
- Mask removal (poly sheeting comes off vents and finishes)
- Site cleanup
The verified ACH50 result is typically printed and emailed to the builder, energy advisor, and homeowner the same day.
Hour 5 to 6: Departure and curing
The crew leaves the site. The water-based sealant dries within 1 to 2 hours after spray ends. The house is ready for drywall as early as the same evening or the following morning. There is no waiting period beyond drying.
What the builder needs to do before seal day
To make sure the seal day goes smoothly:
- Confirm rough-in is complete. Electrical, plumbing, and mechanical rough-in must be done. Not 90% done.
- Remove any installed finishes. No flooring installed, no cabinets, no painted surfaces. Trim and finishes need to wait until after the seal.
- Clear access through the house. The crew needs to walk every room to position spray nozzles and apply masking.
- Confirm power and water access on site. The rig draws roughly 30 amps continuous; needs a temporary panel hookup or generator
- Brief any trades that may be on site that day. The interior temperature climbs to ~30°C during application; trades doing other work on the same day usually pause for the seal window.
What’s included in an AeroBarrier engagement
A typical AeroBarrier scope includes:
- The seal day itself (4 to 6 hours on site for a single-family build)
- Equipment, sealant, and consumables
- The on-site blower door used to drive and verify the seal
- Real-time ACH50 monitoring and final printed result
- Site cleanup
- Documentation for builder, energy advisor, and homeowner
A typical scope does not include:
- The official compliance blower door test (your registered energy advisor performs this)
- Pre-drywall manual sealing (that’s the framing crew’s scope)
- Air barrier membrane installation (sheathing trade)
- Window and door rough opening detailing (window installer)
- Energy advisor services or HOT2000 modeling
See aerobarrier cost in BC for pricing and what affects the quote.
Why a one-day seal beats multi-day manual sealing
Manual air sealing happens in phases across the entire build:
- Framers seal the bottom plate and rim joist
- Insulators detail rim joist and rough openings
- Window installers flash the window-to-frame joints
- Drywallers caulk before hanging
- Plumbers, electricians, and HVAC trades cut through the air barrier and (sometimes) reseal
Cumulative air sealing labor across these trades typically adds up to 40 to 80 hours of focused work on a single Step 4 build. The result varies widely depending on which crews are on site, who’s supervising, and whether the air barrier strategy was drawn before framing started.
A one-day aerosol seal compresses that 40 to 80 hours into a single 4 to 6 hour window with a documented, verified result. The manual baseline is still required, but the aerosol pass closes the gap from “well-sealed manual build” (2.0 ACH50) to Step 4 compliance (1.5 ACH50 or below).
See aerobarrier vs traditional air sealing for the full comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How long does AeroBarrier take?
A typical single-family Okanagan home seals in 4 to 6 hours on site, including setup, blower door pressurization, sealant application (60 to 120 minutes of active spray), final verification, and cleanup. Multi-unit projects batched in a single mobilization day can take 7 to 10 hours.
Can builders be on site during the seal?
Generally no. The interior climbs to ~30°C and the air carries water-based aerosol during the spray phase. The crew is on site and other trades pause for the seal window. Builders are welcome on site for setup, the pre-seal reading, and the final verification.
Does AeroBarrier interfere with insulation, electrical, or plumbing?
No. The sealant deposits at leak edges, not on flat surfaces. Cavity insulation, electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, and rough-in components are unaffected. Light fixtures, switches, outlets, and HVAC equipment are masked during application as a precaution.
Is the sealant safe?
The AeroBarrier sealant is water-based acrylic, GreenGuard Gold certified for indoor air quality, and contains no formaldehyde, VOCs, or solvents. The product cures into a flexible, durable seal that lasts the life of the building.
What happens if my house starts at really high leakage (e.g., 8 ACH50)?
If the pre-seal reading is above 6 to 7 ACH50, the operator typically does a quick manual seal of the largest visible leaks before starting the aerosol pass. AeroBarrier closes leaks; it doesn’t fill fist-sized openings. Most builds that start at high readings can still hit Step 4 in a single seal day, just with a slightly longer process.
What’s the lead time to book?
Standard lead time for Okanagan projects is 2 to 3 weeks from inquiry to seal day. Rescue situations (failed blower door tests facing occupancy deadlines) get priority scheduling. Book the date as soon as you have a firm rough-in completion estimate; rescheduling is easy if framing slips.
Does AeroBarrier work in cold weather?
Yes. AeroBarrier is applied indoors with the house heated to ~30°C during application. Exterior temperature doesn’t affect the seal. Okanagan AeroBarrier seals through winter routinely; the only weather constraint is access to the site.
Next steps
- See aerobarrier vs traditional air sealing for method comparison
- Review aerobarrier case studies for real Okanagan project results
- Run the rebate calculator for your project numbers
- Read how to achieve 1.5 ACH50 in wood frame construction for the full Step 4 build sequence