Siga Tape Demonstration
GH recently attended a product demonstration by Siga, a Swiss manufacturer of building products, presented by our friends at Blue Green Group. This demonstration focused on their lines of air sealing and weather proofing products. The demonstration was well attended and we were in good company – The 4th Pig, and Passive Windows Canada were also present. The products can be purchased in the GTA from Eco-Building Resource.
As with most manufacturers, they have developed “systems” of products to be used in concert to achieve an airtight and/or weather tight envelope. Their product support seems to be a step ahead with an easy-to-use field guide that provides quick references for which materials to use in which applications, how to apply them, substrate compatibility, and preferred environmental conditions – a must for building in Canadian winters!
Here are some highlights from the demo:
Tapes! Anyone who’s used Tuck Tape will agree that the stuff has excellent adhesion, so how much better can a European tape be? The answer is a whole lot better: Two features really stood out with the Siga tapes: flexibility and split release tapes. The flexibility allows the tape to be easily applied three dimensionally, which is where conventional tapes and membrane flashings fall short. Two examples of applications where this is extremely helpful are around penetrations and at window openings. Fora plumbing vent, the tape can be pulled to conform to the roundness of the pipe, and then pressed down onto the flat surface of the air barrier for an effective seal.
Siga Wigluv Tape
At window openings, corners are always a challenge with conventional tapes and flashing membranes, but the Siga Wigluv tape stretches to conform to the intersecting surfaces with no tenting or need for “bow ties”.
The tapes are available with split release tapes in varying proportions which make them excellent for air sealing around windows and prepping openings. The split release allows the tape to be tightly folded along its length and then snugly fit against two intersecting surfaces.
The release tape is then removed one side at a time while the tape sits in position. The odd fish mouth or bubble can be easily squeezed out thanks to the tape’s flexibility.
Another detail worth mentioning is that the acrylic adhesive cures with moisture, so the tapes can be applied even if surfaces aren’t necessarily dry.
Siga Primur Roll
This product is a sealant in tape form. It has already been formed into a bead which gives the advantage of uniform size and cleaner application when compared to gunned sealant. Need to fill a larger void? Then simply fold the tape over itself as many times as is necessary. The tape can be applied leaving the release tape on; this way you can set another material on top of it without making a mess, and then pull the release off once it’s in position.
A cost consideration is that although the material is more expensive, it delivers a better result and saves on application labour. We’ve had such excellent results with these materials that they have become our standard in use across all Greening Homes projects!