Sealant Joint Solutions

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Sealant Joint Solutions I S S U E 3/2012 VOLUME 29 NUMBER 3 Journal of architectural technology published by Hoffmann Architects, Inc., specialists in the rehabilitation of building exteriors. Sealant Joint Solutions Arthur L. Sanders, AIA and Lawrence E. Keenan, AIA, PE In new construction and rehabilita- particular, have miles of sealant joints tion projects, sealant joints are often that must be maintained and, periodi- given short shrift when it comes cally, replaced. These joints frequently to time and attention. And when it suffer from poor design and/or instal- comes to budget, too: sealants gener- lation, as well as damage from high- ally comprise the lowest percentage of heeled shoes and snow plow blades. a project’s overall cost. When sealant joint failure occurs, That’s surprising when it can wreak havoc on the building you consider all that envelope. Many joints are difficult to sealants are asked to do. repair, and some concealed joints may As modern buildings be impossible to fix without demoli- have moved away from tion and reconstruction. That’s why mass walls toward light- it’s so critical to design joints correctly, er, more pliant construc- and to specify and properly apply an tion, designers rely on appropriate sealant. Before having a sealants to buffer those handyman attack cracked or missing moving parts. With their sealant with a caulk gun, consider the multiple wythes and substantial costs of rehabilitating water drainage channels, mass damage should that caulk fail. In the walls were designed to bigger picture, it’s worth spending the absorb and shed water time and energy on well-designed before it reached the sealant joints to prevent premature inner surface of the degradation of building materials. wall. Curtain walls and lightweight cavity walls Sealant Joints: An Age-Old Problem Facade sealant replacement begins with complete removal depend on sealant joints of existing sealant and backer rod. Although naturally-occurring bitumen- not only to accommo- and asphalt-based materials have been date movement, but to used as building sealers for centuries, keep the building interior modern polymeric sealants were dry. That’s a lot to ask of a building ele- developed relatively recently. Acrylics ment, especially one usually afforded and polyurethanes emerged in the only passing consideration. 1930s, while water-based epoxies and Precast concrete construction relies silyl-terminated polyethers weren’t on sealant more than any other developed until the 1980s and ‘90s, re- building type. Parking structures, in spectively. New sealant types, including As Senior Vice President with Hoffmann Architects, Arthur L. Sanders, AIA manages diverse sealant rehabilitation projects, including those involving PCB abatement. Lawrence E. Keenan, AIA, PE, Director of Engineering, provides structural engineering services for sealant joint design. JOURNAL gaps at moving joints, where two Polysulfides can accommodate building elements that move differen- submerged applications, such as in a tially intersect, as well as at static joints, fountain or pool. They have excellent which are relatively stable. Today’s seal- flexibility, even at low temperatures, ants vary in composition to accom- and they exhibit little shrinkage or modate different applications, whether UV degradation. However, they are a high-movement expansion joint, a expensive, and they tend to have high structural glazing seal, or a concrete levels of volatile organic compounds control joint. (VOCs). At ten to twenty years, the long life expectancy for polysulfides Sealant Types and Properties may help compensate for the up-front Adhesive failure: Sealant pulls away from For residential and commercial appli- costs, particularly considering the the substrate. cations, the six most common types of difficulty of re-sealing an underwater sealants are water-based latex, solvent- surface. based acrylic latex (acrylics), butyl, Silicones have excellent thermal polysulfide, silicone, and polyurethane. resistance, dynamic movement capabil- No one sealant type is universally ity, and good adhesion, but they are better or worse than another; some easily vandalized and tend to collect are better suited to a given application dirt. For some substrates, staining may than others due to their physical and be an issue. In addition to general chemical properties. sealant applications, silicones are also Latex sealants are popular for resi- commonly used as structural glazing dential use because they are easy to sealants, securing sheets of glass to apply, adhere well to most substrates, Cohesive failure: Sealant tears within itself. framing elements. Of all the common and are generally paintable. For low- sealant types, silicones tend to be the movement applications, they are an most expensive—but they also have proprietary mixtures, regularly appear economical option that gets the job the longest service life. on the market, each claiming to done. Where they fall short is in situa- Polyurethanes adhere well to most surpass the performance of previous tions where a high movement capabil- surfaces with little substrate prepara- generations of sealant products. ity is necessary, such as for high-rise buildings and moving joints. Latex is tion, making them the go-to sealant Modern sealants are composed of also prone to shrink, pulling away from of many contractors. Their excellent two basic elements: an elastomeric the substrate and leaving open gaps resistance to abrasion and shear compound for flexibility, and some where water can penetrate. forces, along with strong adhesion and type of filler. During the mid-twenti- movement capability make them a eth century, asbestos was a common Acrylics are mainly used in exterior good choice for applications, such as applications, where their ultraviolet sealant component, and poly-chlorinat- plazas, which demand durability and stability puts them at an advantage ed biphenyl, or PCB, was often added resilience. to impart desirable properties to the over water-based latex. Acrylics are sealant. Unfortunately, subsequent also less likely to shrink over time. On When selecting a sealant, consider the research has linked both compounds the downside, acrylics can be difficult properties that most impact the spe- with cancer, and the resultant clean-up to tool, and they don’t perform well in cific application at hand. Key sealant process has led to no end of trouble high-movement areas. properties to evaluate include: for building owners and rehabilitation Butyls adhere well to a wide variety Consistency. Sealants are available in teams alike (see sidebar on page 5). of substrates, but they can be difficult pourable or non-sag formulations. Pour- Elastomers do just what their name to apply due to their stringy consis- able sealants have a fluid consistency says: they stretch. Sealants are usually tency. Butyls also have poor resistance for use in horizontal joints, where they polymers, composed of more than to abrasion and shear forces, which are self-leveling. Non-sag sealants are one type of elastic material. These limits their performance in demanding thicker and won’t run down sloped or pliable compounds are used to bridge applications. vertical joints. 2 VOLUME 29 NUMBER 3 Durability. The expected service life of adhesion surface with stiffness of the a sealant under ideal conditions may sealant. not be the same as the actual field Adhesion. The ability of a sealant to lifespan, especially if the sealant was adhere to construction materials is an misapplied or incompatible with the essential property to consider. ASTM substrate. Generally speaking, silicones International offers test methods, have the longest service life, estimated such as ASTM C794, to evaluate the at 20 years or more, while some acryl- adhesion of elastomeric sealants, and ics and butyls last little more than five. manufacturers also provide data on Hardness. The harder a sealant is, the sealant adhesion for various substrates. greater its resistance to traffic and van- Staining. The components of some dalism. However, as hardness increases, sealants may leach into porous sub- flexibility decreases, so the trick is to strates, particularly natural stone, leav- find the right balance of damage resis- ing a visible stain. To evaluate compat- tance and movement capability for a ibility with the substrate, even sealant Sealant misused to repair mortar joints. given situation. rated as non-staining should be tested Exposure resistance. The best in an unobtrusive area before use. exterior-grade sealants perform well VOC content. Emission of Volatile in response to sun, temperature Organic Compounds from building extremes, and moisture. Measures of products is regulated at the state and exposure resistance include flexibility regional level. For occupied buildings, at low temperatures, freeze-thaw re- VOCs are a particularly important sistance, UV stability, and susceptibility consideration. While most manufactur- to heat aging. ers have developed low-VOC sealants, Movement capability. The higher a some types of sealant have lower sealant’s movement capability, the levels than others. Solvent-based more elongation or compression it can sealants tend to have higher levels of withstand without failure. Movement respiratory irritants and environmental capability is expressed as a percent- toxins, but VOC content varies widely age of the joint width: e.g. a sealant by product. with ±10% movement capability in Ease of application. Curing charac- Damage to plaza sealant caused by high a one-inch
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