The most common air barrier material is use today is "house wrap." Some wraps have better weathering or water repelling abilities than others. All come in a variety of sizes for different purposes and are made of fiberous spun polyolefin plastic, matted into sheets and rolled up for shipping. Sometimes, they also have other materials woven or bonded to them to make it more resistant to tearing.

House wraps are usually wrapped around the exterior of a house during construction. Sealing all of the joints with "house wrap tape" is a good practice that improves the wrap's performance about 20%. All house wrap manufacturers have a special tape for this purpose.

Typically installed over wood or insulating sheathing, and under siding or other exterior covering, housewrap surrounds your home with a protective barrier to help seal out energy-robbing leaks and drafts (air infiltration). Working hand-in-hand with insulation, which traps air in tiny pockets to slow the transfer of heat (thermal control), housewrap functions like a windbreaker layered over a thick sweater to keep your home comfortable and energy efficient throughout the year.