![]() ![]() In short, choosing the right high-performance WRB-AB system will help ensure the project is finished both on time and within budget, and that the final product is a building capable of withstanding the elements while keeping occupants both safe and comfortable.Welcome to Cladceil Limited, founded in 1986, we are a leading East Midlands based Roofing and Building Envelope Contractor with extensive experience and knowledge in our field. To ensure the long-term health of the building envelope, architects need to feel confident that the WRB-AB they specify can be applied smoothly and effectively in frigid conditions and will do an effective job of protecting the building envelope throughout its lifetime. They can be installed without tenting and heating, and without worry about proper adhesion or coating thickness.Ĭold weather climates present challenges for both architects and contractors, which is why taking the proper steps during both the design and construction process is so important. And integrated sheathing solutions don’t require additional products such as primers or special preparation for application in cold weather. This makes it an ideal solution for architects who know they need to specify a WRB-AB that can stand up to frigid conditions. Since it only requires sealing joints, fasteners, openings, penetrations, and transitions with Prosoco R-Guard FastFlash-a flashing membrane that can be applied to damp surfaces-the barrier system can be installed in cold, wet conditions, helping to keep weather delays to a minimum. On the other hand, sheathing with integrated WRB-ABs, such as DensElement Barrier System with AquaKor Technology, can be applied in cold weather conditions and remain exposed for longer durations, helping to alleviate concerns regarding temperature fluctuation and exposure to ice and snow. But the cost to rent, erect and tear down the equipment and run the heaters can be exorbitant. ![]() To try to mitigate these circumstances and prevent costly delays, contractors often turn to tenting and heating to regulate the temperature around the envelope during the WRB-AB application process. Ultimately, this could make additional coats necessary, which can delay the attachment of cladding and in turn, the entire project. While rolling these products on in cold weather is difficult, spraying is even more challenging and can also be dangerous for workers, since the product can atomize and be inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Liquid-applied products flow more slowly in colder weather, reducing their efficacy and changing their curing and absorption profiles, which can affect the thickness of the application layer. And if they’re applied when there is a layer of snow or ice on the sheathing, it can cause the adhesive to become brittle, or the product will bond with the snow or ice instead of the sheathing. For example, self-adhering membranes can require a primer if the temperature is below their application range. Both create bond-inhibiting conditions for liquid-applied and self-adhering WRB-ABs which can create application issues that can cause scheduling delays. They also don’t account for changes such as drops in ambient temperature and ice and snow accumulation on the envelope’s substrate that can occur overnight. While a WRB-AB is necessary to keep the outside elements from making their way inside the building, choosing one that doesn’t allow vapor to escape can have a damaging effect on the health and structural integrity of the envelope.īut even with their special formulations that allow for cold-weather application, these products must be applied within a specific temperature range in order to be effective. ![]() Some in the AEC community feel that cold weather climates demand a vapor-impermeable water-resistive and air barrier (WRB-AB) as a component of the building envelope, but that isn’t actually the case. But with the proper considerations during both the planning and building phases, project stakeholders can help ensure that they create a building that will withstand the elements both on time and within budget. Consequently, architects must take a variety of factors into consideration when drawing up plans and selecting materials for the building envelope, and construction crews need to take steps to ensure severe weather doesn’t cause costly delays. Freezing temperatures and precipitation can lead to problems that harm the structural integrity of a building envelope and the comfort of its occupants. Cold weather regions pose unique challenges for architects and construction crews alike. ![]()
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