Constructing a building with everything perfect is not always easy work to do. A single gap or hole can become a severe cause of damage. Therefore, constructors prefer to use sealants to prevent fluids and other substances from passing through surfaces and mechanical joints.
Sealants block air leakage, dust, sound, heat, and insects. It serves three functions. Firstly, it feels the gap between two or more components. Sealant provides a protective barrier through which any substance cannot pass. Lastly, they maintain their sealing properties through their expected lifetime. It always behaves under the service conditions and environments with the specification.
There is a wide variety of sealants that commercial sealant contractors prefer the most. Let’s take a look at the variety and types of sealants.
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Different types of Sealants
There are mostly seven types of sealants that builders often use in construction. Let’s take a look.
Latex
The most popular and commonly used sealant, Latex, has a water-based feature. It is easy to clean up if dust makes a layer on it. In addition, you can paint the sealant with your desired color. It is less expensive than the other sealants available. However, in some cases, sealant contractors don’t want to use it owing to its shrinking possibility.
Acrylic
These types of sealants are solvent based. You can paint such sealants, like the previous one. The additional benefit of such sealant is that it is UV stable. Moreover, there is no tendency for shrinkage of this sealant. Builders use such sealant in commercial and exterior applications to make the project stunning.
Butyl
It is another solvent-based sealant that has less usability. Although it has strong adhesion to multiple substrates, it has poor abrasion resistance. In addition, it comes at a moderate cost in the market. Therefore, constructors use butyl in curtain wall systems where adhesion to rubber material is needed.
Polysulfide
It is one of the most convenient sealants for users. Polysulfide can resist water as well as chemical. In addition, it can also protect the building from UV rays. It is flexible even at low temperatures with little shrinkage. Many constructors likely use it in swimming pools and other underwater applications. Polysulfide has a long life expectancy which is near about 15 to 20 years. Owing to its large acceptance and benefits, it comes at a high cost.
Silicone
With UV resistance and thermal resistance power, silicone sealants are becoming one of the best choices for constructors. Its highest movement capability, good adhesion, and long service life make it more trustworthy. You can use it in glass assemblies. But, similar to polysulfide, it is little bit expensive for your construction and you can’t paint it if it gets old.
Polyurethane
It is another costly sealant often used for construction. Its abrasion resistance feature makes it different from other types of sealants. Polyurethane adheres well to different surfaces with little substrate preparation. However, you cannot use it in glass assemblies.
Polyisobutylene
It is another type of sealant to use in your commercial buildings. Despite its durability and chemical resistance, polyisobutylene has a low permeability. Therefore, constructors often use it as a primary seal for any insulating glazing units. The products are usually factory applied and not on-site.
Conclusion
Choosing a sealant for your construction is not always an easy job. Although any sealant performs properly when constructors use it correctly, but choosing the best option can pose a technical challenge. No sealant type is superior or inferior to the rest ones. It all comes down to evaluating the performance of your property. Therefore, you need to think about your budget and move based on it.
