This session will offer a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at aerosol-based air sealing technology, offering opinions, anecdotes, and lessons learned through five years of installation experience. Topics will include: building envelope preparation, applicability of the technology to various circumstances, potential pitfalls and installation mistakes, as well as a detailed discussion of the micro-physical behavior of the technology in real-world applications.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review methods of modern aerosol-based air sealing.
2. Explain the basic physical dynamics of using aerosol-based air sealing in buildings.
3. Analyze the applicability of aerosol-based air sealing technology for different air-sealing needs.
4. Discuss the benefits and potential problems with industry adoption of aerosol-based air sealing.

Nate Gusakov, BPI (BA+EP), CxA+BE, BECx              

Nate Gusakov was born and raised in Bristol VT, between the New Haven River and the foothills of the Green Mountains. For two-plus decades he worked as a frame-to-finish carpenter in climate zone 6, most recently installing AeroBarrier with Zone 6 Energy/Silver Maple Construction. Since 2017 Nate has been offering residential and commercial airtightness testing, building envelope assessments, building enclosure commissioning (BECx) services and general envelope consulting and diagnostics. He has performed many hundreds of blower-door tests on buildings ranging from tiny houses to 100,000 square feet and in 2023 founded his own business, Green Mountain Enclosure Consulting LLC.