Sealing the energy crisis this winter

As winter’s icy grip bites harder, the effective insulation and sealing of windows and doors is a priority, says Andy Swift, sales and operations manager for foam sealants specialist, ISO Chemie.
 
He says it’s not just the frames themselves that need attention when it comes to keeping out the cold this winter - it’s the entire installation which has to be addressed.
 
Most property owners probably don’t realise that they are among the majority with energy inefficient windows until they feel a cold draught from somewhere, or see their electric and gas bills rapidly escalate as they struggle to keep their properties warm.
 
“With 25% of the heat leaking from around windows it’s now even more important to effectively seal around the window to wall gap,” Andy Swift says. “Even before the current energy crisis, it was always an area requiring urgent attention but now it has become paramount because millions of people are struggling to heat their homes and stay warm this coming winter.”
 
“However, by using modern foam sealants to create a thermal and airtight seal around the window, the amount of heat loss around frames is significantly reduced. Indeed, after only a few years against a leaky joint, investment in new sealing tapes will have paid for itself.

“Retrofitting properties with products like Winframer, Vario SD and BLOCO ONE has become a direct focus for property developers and housing associations and is a cost-effective way to insulate existing properties very quickly. As they say the greenest home is one already built. It just needs proper retrofit insulation.”
 
A pre-compressed tape, ISO BLOCO ONE, which has been independently tested and is both BBA and Passivhaus certified, can be used on joints up to 42 mm, providing a high-performance weather tightness and thermal/acoustic insulation seal for fenestration applications as the weather gets cold.
 
Quickly applied by hand around the frame during fitting, ISO BLOCO ONE are energy rated weather tight thermal and acoustic tapes which reduce heat loss and noise ingress to a U value better or equal to the frame. This assures property and homeowners that a comprehensive ‘A’ rated installation can been completed rather than just an ‘A’ rated window supplied.
 
The tapes can be used to seal joints providing excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties. Product can accommodate a temperature range of -30° to +90° and is impermeable to driving rain with a minimum of 600 Pa, making it one of the best performing tapes in its class.Once installed, a building will also be 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.
 
Quick and easy-to-apply, with excellent thermal and acoustic insulation properties, ISO BLOCO ONE can be used to provide effective gap seals to accommodate expansion and movement while remaining permeable to trapped water and water vapour in extreme weather conditions – in the same way as a flexible breathable style building façade material.
 
ISO-Chemie is one of Europe’s main producers of impregnated foam sealants, specialising in the manufacturer of foam products from polyethylene (EPE), polypropylene (EPP) and polyurethane (PUR) using the latest production techniques. More at https://www.iso-chemie.eu/en-GB/home/