Next generation airtightness

With ever increasing demands on buildings to be more energy efficient ensuring buildings are constructed to higher levels of airtightness is becoming a key mechanism in delivering higher levels of thermal performance and comfort.

Put simply a building that leaks air is thermally less efficient and eliminating leakage (air movement) within the building fabric coupled with controlled ventilation is a straightforward way to create a thermally efficient low cost
structure.  There are many ways which this can be achieved and most thermally efficient buildings adopt a range of strategies and materials to achieve this, newest amongst these must be Blowerproof a liquid applied airtightness membrane recently awarded a BBA certificate.
What makes Blowerproof so different is that it is wet applied: applying a liquid membrane onto a surface brings with it some immediate and obvious benefits, firstly it’s super quick, second it follows the contours of the substrate getting into every nook and cranny ensuring complete contact and a total uninterrupted seal, third its simplicity helps eliminate application errors and lastly it is safe to use, water soluble and contains no VOC’s.

 

The main advantages of Blowerproof liquid membranes are

• Simple, quick and easy to apply
• Extremely flexible and long lasting
• Suitable for a wide range of substrates such as concrete, brick, masonry, wood, steel, even direct to insulation
• VOC free / water based, no harmful chemicals
• Can be applied on humid surfaces
• Can be overpainted, plastered or rendered
• Only one product needed for all applications
• Easy application for cable/pipes for example underfloor heating manifolds
• Reduces chances of applicator error
• Highly resistant to puncture
• Thoroughly tested and accredited, BBA Certified

There are three types of Blowerproof: a brush version (thicker, fibre reinforced) a roller version without fibres and a spray  version (more liquid). Blowerproof Brush is designed for use on a range of applications typically wall and floor, wall and ceiling, penetrations, connections and window and door jambs. The roller version can additionally be used directly onto block work, brick, masonry or any hard surface, the spray version covers all these elements and is perfect for larger areas such as walls and roofs. The spray version can be directly applied to mineral wool, spray foam or PIR insulation. Blowerproof is perfect for  solving ‘tricky’ and ‘difficult to reach’ applications such as joist ends, kicker joints and penetrations, especially where grommets cannot be fitted so for anyone faced with making existing penetrations such as pipes and cables airtight this is a real ‘get out of jail free card’.
Blowerproof has a unique feature it changes colour. Blowerproof is a light blue colour but when applied to a substrate and cured it turns jet black. This feature means that the applicator knows precisely when a full cure, or seal has been achieved, helpful to let you know when a second coat can be applied or when it is suitable for over coating or finishing.

Customers already using Blowerproof have quickly picked up on its benefits   “ease of use, versatility and price” are the most often quoted benefits.  Over the past 6 months a number of contractors, builders and developers have trialled the product across applications including MVHR installation, underfloor heating, window and door surrounds, timber frame, refurb and renovation and general building applications their experience reinforces the fact that airtightness is an important part of quality construction and any material that can make this quicker, easier, secure and effective will help constructors to build better buildings and deliver performance that is beyond building regulations.