You need more than an A-rated window
Ben Alcock, business development manager at Tremco Illbruck, explains why impregnated tape is the future of window installation.
Nowadays, everyone wants exceptional: exceptional looks, exceptional acoustic performance, exceptional thermal performance, exceptional weather resistance… the list goes on.
But too many of us in the industry are pretending that A-rated windows alone will deliver that. They won’t. Neither will multi-chambered profiles, warm-edge spacer bars, high-performance glass or triple-glazing, if you don’t get one fundamentally important thing right.
If you want outstanding performance, the way you fit a window is the most important factor of all. Without an exceptional installation, you will never get exceptional performance – no matter how fancy or expensive the product you’re trying to fit is.
Why? Silicone, still the most widely used installation method, is a very poor insulator. It has a U-value of 2.6W/m2K (or worse), and this means you’re going to lose a lot of heat through the perimeter of the frame, even if you have a super energy efficient window.
Since the 1980s, silicone has been the only window sealing material available, but now there’s a new solution: installation tape. This new type of sealing product offers leading thermal efficiency, air-tightness, and weather resistance and enables installers to meet stringent Passivhaus standards.
With Illbruck we’ve developed TP650 Trio, an installation tape that’s made with pre-compressed, multi-functional polyurethane and is impregnated with flame retardant resin.
TP650 Trio allows you to achieve a true ‘Thermal Fit’, which is when the window installation offers best in class energy efficiency. These days, almost all installers use energy efficiency to try and win more sales, but by adopting and promoting the Thermal Fit concept, you can give yourself an edge over your competition.
TP650 Trio is also a breeze to fit. A lot of other non-silicone sealant solutions on the market are incredibly difficult to align or can crease around corners. Trio has none of these problems, and it can be measured and applied in minutes.
The glazing market is changing, fast. The government, statutory bodies, and consumers themselves are demanding ever-higher standards of thermal efficiency.
That’s partly due to increased environmental awareness. Homeowners want to minimise their carbon footprints, and everyone wants to save money on bills.
Some installers might be resistant to change at first. But installation tapes like TP650 Trio can give you higher margins, and a way to win over high-end homeowners looking for the very best performance.