ENERGY EFFICIENCY: INSULATE THE INSTALLATION

Andy Swift, national sales manager for foam tapes supplier ISO-CHEMIE, says that with the latest technologies, the entire window installation, and not just the frame, can be energy rated effectively.

In fact, it could be said that in the light of the many innovative products available, that its perhaps ‘criminal’ that a lamentable number of installations remain unchecked or unregulated, leaving in their wake a legacy of problems that can last for years and cost thousands of pounds to rectify in the long run.

Heat will always find the fastest exit as it comes up against the ‘A’ or ‘A+’ rated window and this is invariably the 10mm or so expansion gap left around the window when it was originally fitted. This is normally left empty but some uncontrolled volume of spray foam can be injected to fill the void before a silicone trim is applied for a smart looking finish.

Unfortunately, as expedient as this might be, none of these solutions create a measurable, long term, high performance thermal, acoustic or airtight barrier: The U-Value of the installed window is simply reduced, which leads to heat escape and ultimately, financial loss.

If building regulations remain lenient, we will continue to see window and door developments that only just meet minimum standards. But installers deserve better insulating products to improve energy efficiency and save money for their end-users, and the latest generation of high performance foam sealing tapes, which use ‘smart’ foams impregnated with different substances to create a measurable U-Value as low as 0.6w/m2k, offer superb thermal insulation and acoustic sound reduction by 63dB.

As these installation tapes are completely weather tight against driving rain up to hurricane force wind speeds, installers can quickly apply them around the frame during initial fitting. This provides the assurance that they have completed a comprehensive ‘A’ rated installation rather than just supplying an ‘A’ rated window. This is a benefit that can be sold on to deliver enhanced energy efficiency advantages for customers and property owners.

There’s no question companies in the fenestration sector can still do more to improve overall energy efficiency and sealing tapes such as ISO-BLOCO ONE are one   way that this can be achieved.

The multi-purpose foam tape enables installers to quickly and easily seal windows from inside the building during construction, avoiding the need to use time consuming and costly external access systems like scaffolding and ladders. This can provide cost savings of up to 70% when compared to traditional three component systems – hiring access systems, with the associated health and safety issues, can add significantly to the overall cost of a new build or renovation project.

Moreover, because the foam sealant can be used in the wet and rain the installation of windows can be undertaken regardless of external weather conditions, avoiding time consuming and costly delays. This can add-up to potential savings of hundreds of pounds per day

Self-adhesive ISO BLOCO ONE provides a high-performance seal for window and door joints up to 30mm wide and is impermeable to driving rain at a minimum of 1,000 Pa – 66% higher reliability than most conventional joint sealing tapes.

The internal air tight seal has been tested at 1000 Pa pressure difference (20 times more than UK Building Regulations.) and found to give less than 0.1 m³ of air loss. At the same time, depending on tape width, it will also supply a U-Value of 0.6 and reduce sound by 63 dB, straight from the box.

Once installed, the tape ensures structures are better protected from elemental factors like wind, dust and moisture ingress by accommodating the changes in structural movement caused by environmental, cyclical and settlement factors. Product complies with energy saving regulations (EnEV) on windows and doors as well as the RAL quality assurance association and can accommodate extremes of temperature changes, from -30°C to + 80°C.

BLOCO ONE offers a single product ‘fit and forget’ solution for fast and effective sealing based around the European RAL principles of three level sealing – the inside seal area is more airtight than the external one, allowing any trapped moisture inside the joint, or within the wall, to escape outwards rather than into the building.

ISO BLOCO ONE among other similar products provide installers with the confidence to assure customers that energy efficiency is at least as good as the window. In this way, the fenestration industry is improving the way it looks after its reputation and customers. More at www.iso-chemie.co.uk

ISO-BLOCO ONE from ISO-CHEMIE offers fast and cost effective onsite window sealing