GBA Logo horizontal Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram YouTube Icon Navigation Search Icon Main Search Icon Video Play Icon Plus Icon Minus Icon Picture icon Hamburger Icon Close Icon Sorted
Green Building Blog

Part 2 of GBA’s Video Series on a Passive House Project

“Airtight Mudsills” is the second episode in a series of videos on the construction of a Passive House in ­Falmouth, Massachusetts

At the Passive House job site in Falmouth, Massachusetts, the architect specified Tremco acoustical sealant, a layer of polyethylene, and an EPDM gasket. The complicated sandwich is a belt-and-suspenders approach to air sealing the gap between the top of the foundation wall and the mudsill.
Image Credit: Fine Homebuilding

At the Passive House job site in Falmouth, Massachusetts, architect Steve Baczek specified a mudsill gasket.

But to make sure that the gap between the top of the foundation and the sill plate didn’t leak, Baczek took a belt-and-suspenders approach by also specifying the use of Tremco acoustical sealant. Sold in tubes at specialty retailers and online, the black sealant installs easily with a caulk gun. It’s exceedingly sticky and highly elastic, and unlike construction adhesive, it never cures.

Subscribe to GBA to enjoy all of the benefits of GBA Pro membership

GBA Pro members have access to all of the videos in the Passive House video series.

To enjoy the benefits of GBA Pro membership, subscribe to GBA Pro today or try our 14-day free trial.

Here is the link to the “Airtight Mudsills” video.

To see Episode One of the series, click here: “Passive House Design.” (The first episode is available to all GBA readers, including non-members.)

4 Comments

  1. user-4989474 | | #1

    Hi Steve:

    I ended up building cape in Chatham, and used the same approach as in the video you presented. I did end up with 8-12" of poly underneath the sill on the exterior of house. Is this something that should simply be trimmed off or did you incorporate some type of a finish with this extra poly on the outside?

  2. GBA Editor
    Martin Holladay | | #2

    Steve Kreisher,
    I'm not sure whether Steve Baczek will answer. In the meantime, here's my advice: Trim away the protruding polyethylene with a utility knife.

  3. qofmiwok | | #3

    https://www.tremcosealants.com/markets/commercial/sealants-adhesives/specialty-sealants/acoustical-curtainwall-sealant/ Is this the Tremco acoustical sealant everyone uses? Acoustical Curtainwall?

    1. Expert Member
      Michael Maines | | #4

      It is, but it stinks and is full of nasty ingredients. This is an almost-zero VOC product that performs similarly: https://foursevenfive.com/contega-hf/.

Log in or create an account to post a comment.

Related

Community

Recent Questions and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |