Weather-resistive barrier for buildings

Abstract

We form a weather-resistive barrier on a building by applying a compressible latex foam on the gaps between adjacent sheets of construction sheathing and coating

1 . A method of making a weather-resistive barrier on a building under construction that employs adjacent sheets of wood, cement or gypsum exterior sheathing on a structural frame with gaps between the sheets, comprising:
 (a) applying a foamed aqueous emulsion polymer composition to the gaps wherein the composition comprises an aqueous emulsion polymer with a Tg less than 25° C., a surfactant, water and a blowing agent wherein a wet, freshly applied 12 mm thick and 50 mm wide bead of the foamed composition has the ability when dried to be compressed to a thickness of not more than 3 mm under a stress of no more than 0.035 MPa; and   (b) applying an aqueous polymeric coating over the sheathing and the foamed composition wherein the polymeric coating has a density when dried of greater than 0.7 g/ml.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising installing a decorative cladding over the coated sheathing. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the foamed composition has the ability when dried to be compressed to a thickness of not more than 3 mm under a stress of no more than 0.0035 MPa. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the foamed composition has the ability to self-compress to not more than 3 mm under no externally applied stress. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the compositions (a) or (b) further comprises a polyfunctional amine or a polyethyleneimine.