ABAA Field Auditor key terms

The continuous combination of materials, components, and seals that together resist air leakage through the building enclosure, including joints and transitions between different materials.

Unintended movement of air through gaps, cracks, and porous paths in the building enclosure, driven by pressure differences and carrying heat and moisture with it.

Upward air movement caused by indoor air being warmer and lighter than outdoor air, producing positive pressure high in the building and negative pressure near the bottom.

Outdoor air entering a building through unintentional openings, typically driven by wind, stack effect, or mechanical imbalance, and often carrying moisture and pollutants indoors.

Indoor air escaping outward through unintentional openings in the enclosure, which can push warm moist air into wall cavities where it may condense.

The defined plane or surface separating conditioned from unconditioned space that the air barrier system is meant to establish and maintain around the enclosure.

The requirement that air barrier materials connect without gaps across walls, roofs, floors, penetrations, and joints so the assembly performs as one sealed envelope.

A measure of how much air passes through a unit area of a material at a stated pressure difference, usually reported in liters per second per square meter.

A material that limits how much water vapor diffuses through an assembly, helping keep moisture from condensing inside walls, roofs, and floors.

A factory-made sheet with pressure-sensitive adhesive backing that bonds to a substrate when pressed in place, commonly used for wall and transition air barrier work.

A liquid coating sprayed, rolled, or brushed onto a substrate that cures into a seamless air barrier film and readily covers irregular shapes and details.

A flexible strip or coating used to bridge the joint where two different air barrier materials or substrates meet, keeping the seal continuous across the change.

A mastic or elastomeric material placed in gaps between components to block air and water movement while allowing the joint to move without tearing.

A detail that closes the gap around pipes, conduits, ducts, or fasteners passing through the air barrier, restoring the assembly's resistance to air flow.

A two-component material sprayed in place that expands and cures into a rigid cellular layer, providing insulation and, in some formulations, air sealing.

A standard laboratory test method that measures air permeance of air barrier materials, producing the material-level leakage data used to qualify products for use.

A standard test method for measuring air leakage of air barrier assemblies built on a test frame, so joints, laps, and details are included rather than the material alone.

The pass or fail thresholds stated in a specification or program, such as a maximum leakage rate, against which field observations and test results are judged.

The project specification section that states requirements for air barrier materials, installation, and quality control, and serves as the auditor's primary reference when judging compliance.

Cleaning and repairing the surface before membrane or coating installation, removing dust, frost, and protrusions so adhesives and sealants bond reliably.

The distance one sheet or membrane overlaps another, which must meet the manufacturer's minimum so the joint stays sealed against air and water.

The point where an air barrier material ends and is sealed off, such as at a roof edge, foundation, or opening, requiring a deliberate sealed detail.

Systematic field checking that installation matches the manufacturer's written instructions and project specification, covering laps, sealing, surface preparation, and protection of finished work.

A full-scale sample installation of an assembly completed before production work, used to confirm that details, workmanship, and test results meet the specification.

A written document setting out the scope, locations, sampling approach, personnel, schedule, and reporting requirements for a field audit before work begins.

Selecting a portion of the installed work to inspect or test, chosen so the results reasonably represent the whole installation within the stated confidence.

A subset of work chosen to reflect the range of conditions, installers, and details present, rather than only the easiest or most visible areas.

A documented record of who collected, handled, and transported a sample or record, showing it was not altered before examination or testing.

A diagnostic procedure using a calibrated fan and pressure gauge to pressurize or depressurize a building and measure air leakage across the whole enclosure.

A field or laboratory procedure that encloses a section of assembly, applies a known pressure difference, and measures airflow to quantify local leakage.

A small device that releases a visible smoke trail, which bends toward openings where air is leaking, making leak locations easy to see.

Thermal imaging that shows surface temperature differences, helping reveal missing insulation, air leakage paths, and moisture when weather conditions favor detection.

The difference in air pressure between two spaces, measured with a manometer or gauge, which drives air movement and sets the conditions for testing.

A documented instance where installed work or a process fails to meet a specified requirement, which must be tracked and resolved before the work is accepted.

The specific repair or process change made to eliminate a detected nonconformance and reduce the chance it happens again on the project.

A written record of an audit's scope, observations, evidence, nonconformances, and conclusions, prepared so a reader can follow what was checked and found.

A situation where an auditor's financial, personal, or business ties could bias findings, which must be disclosed and avoided to keep the audit credible.

The auditor's freedom from favoritism or pressure, so judgments rest only on evidence and stated requirements rather than on who performed the work.

Systems such as harnesses, guardrails, and anchor points that prevent or arrest a fall when an auditor works at height on site.

Wearable gear such as hard hats, eye protection, gloves, and respirators that reduce injury and exposure risks while inspecting active construction sites.