14/04/2026
Airtightness at Height: Why Detail Matters More Than Ever
We recently attended the Tall Buildings North Conference in Manchester, where one issue kept coming up in conversations with architects, contractors and developers:
Airtightness is still being treated as a surface problem.
In reality, it’s a detailing problem.
As buildings get taller, interfaces multiply. Junctions, openings, and connections between systems become the points where performance is either secured or lost.
What works on low-rise projects doesn’t always translate at 30 or 40 storeys.
That’s where specification decisions start to matter more.
Proshield® is designed as a self-adhered, vapour-permeable airtight membrane for walls and floors, helping to simplify airtightness where it’s most difficult to achieve, in the detail.
With independent KIWA certification confirming airtight performance across edges, corners and openings, not just flat areas. It helps to reduce the need for multiple materials or additional tapes at these junctions, supporting a more robust approach to building envelope performance.
If you’re designing or delivering tall buildings, airtightness needs to be considered where failure actually happens, not just where it’s easy to measure.
Don&Low, member of thracegroup
