How has the Field Auditor certification impacted your career or professional development? 

A. Being a Field Auditor has affirmed my approach to proper air barrier integration and qualifies my opinions from an unbiased industry recognized organization. Knowledge of the QAP has been beneficial during Building Envelope Commissioning Services, allowing me to incorporate the QAP into the process, resulting in efficiency during the QA/QC Process.

What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your role as a Field Auditor and how has your certification helped you address them? 

A. A common challenge I face when performing consulting or commissioning services is having ABAA certification requirements in place, yet the QAP omitted. My knowledge of the program allows me to advocate for the QAP and to communicate with the installers from a member’s perspective.

What advice would you give to someone considering pursuing the Field Auditor certification with ABAA? 

A. Becoming a Field Auditor provides training and supports the need for industry best practices to be incorporated into field work. Obtaining the certification also encompasses a more intimate knowledge of manufacturer requirements and detailing could differ from specified project minimum requirements

In your opinion, what are the key elements of a successful air barrier audit? 

A. A successful audit includes a knowledgeable superintendent that is consistently engaged in managing the documentation and directing the field personnel, to ensure all facets are properly executed. Additionally, the air barrier superintendent, along with the GC/CM superintendent, will accompany the audit to avoid ambiguity and to address issues in a timely manner.

Describe how understanding continuity and component compatibility has improved your work quality, and the work quality of the installers.

A. Continuity and component compatibility has come to the forefront of the industry due to clarifications stipulated in the IECC, such as roof-to-wall and wall-to-foundation connections. This is area that was difficult to coordinate in the past and often improperly specified. The ABAA and manufacturer’s have required these connections long before the code bodies clarified the requirements and the results are less leaky buildings and better energy efficiency.

Do you foresee an increased demand for improved performance and quality assurance in the air barrier/construction industry?

A. The industry is reliant on tighter buildings and providing adequate QA/QC during construction is needed to ensure proper material installation before exterior insulation and claddings hide the conditions at the substrates.  With whole building and compartmentalized blower door testing mandates increasing, establishing continuity prior to project completion is a huge cost saving measure, opposed to diagnostic testing, reworking, and re-testing due to failures….so Yes!

Any additional insights about your certification experience or working in the air barrier industry?

A. The air barrier industry has made great strides in ensuring building performance, and the ABAA facilitated these gains by independently publishing information such as test data and detailing. The importance of managing air infiltration is now mandated by energy codes (Updated IECC) and more stringently monitored via field verification testing (MA Stretch Code). At the start of my career, air infiltration was a low priority and motivating owners, architects, and installers to responsibly detail and install components with air control in mind was challenging. Today, due to knowledge sharing and code advances, continuous air and water barrier discussions are better received and understood.