Smoke-Free, Air-Tight Envelopes
The Passive-House air-tightness target — ≤ 0.6 ACH@50Pa keeps wildfire smoke, pollen, and outdoor pollution out.
Toxicity Screening — All Clear
This material screens clear across all seven independent toxicology authorities we use on every project.
Material Type
Building Envelope System & Methodology
Material Description
This isn't a product — it's a construction methodology. An air-tight envelope tested to Passive House standards (≤ 0.6 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals pressurization) sealed with appropriate tapes, membranes, and gasketing combined with HEPA-filtered ERV ventilation gives you control over your indoor air completely. Wildfire smoke, ozone, pollen, vehicle particulate, and outdoor airborne pathogens stop at the wall and only enter through your filtered ventilation system. Combined with exclusion of combustion appliances (no gas stoves, no gas water heaters, no wood-burning fireplaces inside the conditioned envelope), the result is air-quality inside the home that's regularly cleaner than the outdoor air around it. EBH builds every project to this standard.
Composition & Origin
Health Profile — All Endpoints Clear
Severity scored 0–10 against the same 10 hazard endpoints we use for the chemical families on the avoid list. Every score is 1–2 — essentially no signal across every endpoint.
Common Forms & Brands
- Pro Clima Intello / Solitex membranes & SIGA tapes
- Henry Air-Bloc fluid-applied air barrier
- Zehnder ComfoAir ERV systems
- Common framing: continuous interior or exterior air barrier, taped seams, gasketed penetrations
Why We Use It
- Wildfire smoke and outdoor particulate excluded from indoor air
- Pollen and allergen-free interior
- Combustion-free interior — no CO, NO₂, or PM₂.₅ from cooking
- Pathogen exposure reduced — HEPA filtration on every air change
- Energy use 70-90% lower than conventional code-built home
Where It Performs Best
- New construction Passive House and net-zero projects
- Deep-energy retrofits with envelope-first approach
- Wildfire-zone residences
- Health-priority homes (chemical sensitivity, immune-compromised residents)
Building Applications for Smoke-Free, Air-Tight Envelopes
Listed alphabetically. Where in a home this material earns its keep.
Air-Tight Detailing Tape & Gaskets
Continuous Air-Barrier Membrane
ERV / HRV Ventilation Unit
HEPA Filtration Module
Penetration Boots & Air-Seal Hardware
Tested Air-Tight Window & Door Installation
Smoke-Free, Air-Tight Envelopes on a Bay Area Home
Smoke-Free, Air-Tight Envelopes earns its place in our assemblies. We design mold free homes by keeping water out and letting walls dry in both directions, and the materials have to cooperate with that — which is why this one is on the approved list and most of its competitors are not.
If you are planning a new house or a deep remodel and you want this level of material control, that is the whole job we do. Earth Bound Homes builds in Atherton, Palo Alto, Redwood City and across the San Francisco Bay Area.