38


feature


doors, windows, glazing & hardware


foam tapes plug the energy gap


Andrew Swift, sales and operations manager, UK and Ireland – ISO-Chemie, offers advice for architects and designers who specify window and door sealants for residential homes and commercial buildings...


Issues around airtightness and energy efficiency remain top of the agenda for architects and designers who specify products used in the construction of the houses and commercial buildings we choose to live in and use for work purposes. However, it’s not all plain sailing; when it comes to maintaining effective sealing, modern A++ rated windows and doors may offer good heat retention properties but it’s the area around the frame that so often fails, simply letting it back out again. An estimated 21% of heat can be lost


from a building or house through the gap between the windows and the


surrounding wall – the gap is necessary to accommodate the natural expansion/ contraction of the window frame as it reacts to the elements. When you add the joints between walls, floors and ceilings,


the figure can rise as high as 50%. Yet wet seals such as silicone, which have a very poor thermal value, remain widely used. One alternative to these are expanding foam sealant tapes. What can foam sealant tapes be used for? Expanding foam tapes offer a ‘dry’ alternative to traditional wet sealants such as mastics, providing in the process a flexible and easy-to-use multi-functional product that delivers an effective airtight and driving rain-resistant all-round seal. They also offer thermal insulating


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