Ben Alcock, Business Development Manager at sealant, adhesive and tape specialists illbruck, explains why impregnated tape is the future of window installation.
Today, thermal performance is a hot topic – and window and door manufacturers are coming out with products boasting better energy efficiency than ever before.
Multi-chambered profiles, warm-edge spacer bars, high-performance glass, triple-glazing – they’ve all been positioned as cure-all solutions to the rising demand for energy efficient windows. But here’s the bottom line: It doesn’t matter how energy efficient a window or door is, if you use silicone to seal the perimeter, the energy saving benefits will be compromised.
Why? Silicone is a very poor insulator - it has a U-Value of 2.6 (or worse) - and this means you’re going to lose a lot of heat through the perimeter of the frame, even if you have a super energy efficient window.
Since the 1980s, silicone has been the only window sealing material available, but now there’s a new solution – installation tape. This new type of sealing product offers leading thermal efficiency, air-tightness, and weather resistance and enables installers to meet stringent Passivhaus standards.
At Tremco we’ve developed TP650 Trio, an installation tape that’s made with pre-compressed, multi-functional polyurethane and is impregnated with flame retardant resin.
TP650 Trio allows you to achieve a true ‘Thermal Fit’ – which is when the window installation offers best in class energy efficiency. These days, almost all installers use energy efficiency to try and win more sales – but by adopting and promoting the Thermal Fit concept, you can give yourself an edge over your competition.
A lot of other non-silicone sealant solutions on the market are incredibly difficult to align or can crease around corners. Trio has none of these problems – and can be measured and applied in a matter of minutes.
