The higher the external air pressure, the greater the risk of moisture being pushed through the building envelope from the outside. Installing a rigid air barrier is an extremely effective way of managing this risk. GIB Weatherline has been developed to function as an air barrier and as an effective secondary line of defence against water penetration into the building interior.

GIB Weatherline, easily identified by its bold purple colour, consists of a water and mould resistant fibreglass reinforced gypsum core and a water resistant synthetic glass fibre sheet facing on both sides.

GIB Weatherline complies with Clause E2 External Moisture: Performance E2.3.2 as an Alternative Solution, and can be used in buildings within the scope of NZS 3604 and beyond with Specific Engineering Design.

Key benefits include:

• GIB Weatherline can be left exposed for a period up to 180 days prior to installation of the exterior cladding, acting as temporary weather protection. This allows work to continue inside along with fully installed roof, soffit linings and exterior joinery.
• Enhanced thermal efficiency by reducing uncontrolled air movement.
• Acoustic performance for environmental noise, roads, railways or noisy neighbours. It can also work in reverse by helping contain noise so that neighbours are less likely to complain about your parties.
• Cost effective fire rated systems for wall, ceiling, soffit, columns and beams.
• Structural bracing elements both in conjunction with interior linings and on its own.
• Used as a cladding substrate to limit vertical fire spread.
• May be used internally as a tile substrate.
• Easy handling and fast installation, simply score, snap and screw fix. No harmful dust created when cutting.
• GECA sustainability certificate recognised by NZGBC, Homestar and Greenstar. Also covered by an Environmental Product Declaration.

Recent Project: Wilson House

Owner Reade Wilson had GIB Weatherline installed to the external envelope and has been impressed with the outcome.

“It’s like having another layer of GIB plasterboard around the outside of our house," says Reade. "It keeps the house at a stable temperature, so that it doesn’t overheat or get too cold. We’ve used the underfloor heating way less than we thought we would, and not having to think about using a heater has been magic.”

“Meanwhile the acoustic properties are incredible," adds Reade. "The GIB Weatherline soaks up noise from outside and doesn’t let it transition inside — and vice versa. The weekend after we moved in, my eldest daughter had her 17th birthday party. My wife and I popped out to pick up pizzas for everyone and when we pulled back into the driveway we wondered why they’d turned the music off. It wasn’t until we opened the front door and got blasted with loud music that we realised how soundproof our house was. It just blew my mind — with that level of decibels I thought you’d be able to hear the music from streets away!”

A few things to note when using GIB Weatherline:

• It is to be used in conjunction with drained and vented cavity cladding systems with a minimum cavity width of 18mm.
• Fasten with Ceramic Coated High Thread Screws for timber framing or Ceramic Coated Drill Point Screw for steel framing.
• Use GIB Weatherline Flashing & Sill tapes over joints, screw heads and to openings. Flashing tapes can be omitted when using a self-adhesive Water Resistive Barrier.
• Any building services penetrating the GIB Weatherline Rigid Air Barrier System must be sealed using Proclima Kaflex or Roflex penetration seal grommets.
• Do not staple fix underlay or membranes over GIB Weatherline as this penetrates the facing material.
• As GIB Weatherline has square edges and the synthetic glass fibre sheet has a textured finish, if it is used as an internal substrate for a painted finish it will require skim-coating and stopped joints feathered out to a width of at least 600mm width.