With cold against cold

At this time of year, two issues are topical: which sealants can be installed in winter and which formulas have good frost resistance?

In cold climates, weatherproof sealing is very important, as joints must be able to withstand the effects characteristic to latitude, such as UV radiation, precipitation and temperature fluctuations.

“When talking about the durability of sealants and adhesives in winter conditions, it is important to not confuse two situations – in one case, we are talking about the cold resistance of already hardened sealants in a cold climate, i.e. frost resistance, and in the second case, installation work in winter conditions,” says Kuldar Kongo, Product Department Director at Krimelte.  Which products should be used in one case or another?

Best results in cold climates

To find sealants that work when hardened in extreme conditions, even at -30 °C, the CE marking on the sealant label is helpful. “As there is a harmonised European standard for sealants, all sealants used for façade, glazing, sanitary and floor work must bear the CE marking and a declaration of performance must be available on the manufacturer’s website,” explains Kuldar Kongo.  “The CE marking makes it very easy to determine whether a product can also be used outdoors and in cold climates.” For example, in the abbreviation F-EXT-INT-CC, the letter F indicates that it is suitable for façade work (F – façade) both indoors and outdoors (EXT – exterior; INT – interior) and the properties of the product have been further tested in a particularly cold climate CC – cold climate). However, it should not be forgotten that, in addition to weather resistance, other parameters such as movement capability, adhesion to substrates, etc. must also be taken into consideration when choosing a suitable sealant. But in the case of adhesives, it makes no sense to look for the CE marking on the label, as no harmonised standard has been established for them yet.

Due to strong chemical bonds, silicones are considered one of the most weatherproof sealants. “Penosil’s product portfolio includes neutral silicones PENOSIL Building Silicone 322/322C and PENOSIL Window & Door Silicone 302, which, if installed correctly, will withstand perfectly harsh winters,” says Kongo.

In addition to silicones, sealants and adhesives based on hybrid polymers also have very good cold resistance. Among sealants, PENOSIL Universal Hybrid 747, and among adhesives, PENSOIL SpeedFix All Exterior 777, should be highlighted here.

Although all of the above products have excellent cold and weather resistance, they must be installed in the temperature range from +5 °C to +40 °C to achieve the required results. Installation in plus degrees is important to avoid condensation, frost, snow or ice on substrates. If the adhesive surface is damaged by cold or moisture, even the highest quality sealant or adhesive cannot work.

Sealing work at low temperatures

At minus temperatures, external sealing and gluing work should be avoided, if possible, as this involves various risks. However, if this proves unavoidable, preference should be given to products that allow lower installation temperatures. For example, PENOSIL All Weather Sealant 919, PENOSIL SpeedFix Universal 907 Adhesive and PENOSIL SpeedFix Construction 878 adhesive foam. “All of these products can be installed at temperatures up to -5 °C, but here too we must not forget that the substrates must be clean from ice, snow and frost and, if necessary, other additional measures must be applied, which are important for sealing and gluing in winter conditions,” emphasizes Product Manager Kert Prants.

The pictograms on the label and in the instruction, manual will help you choose the right product. The instructions for use should always be read because in addition to information about weather resistance, you will also find information about the materials to which the (adhesive) sealant adheres as well as about elasticity, mobility, processing time and temperature of use of the product. In general, weatherproof sealing depends on the product as well as the preparation of the substrate and the fulfilment of the required conditions.

PENOSIL Universal Hybrid 747

Elastic MS polymer-based hybrid sealant for sealing facade joints.

• Permanently elastic
• Excellent workability
• Weatherproof
• Excellent adhesion on many surfaces, including damp surfaces

PENOSIL Window & Door Silicone 302

Multipurpose zero meko neutral silicone for windows and doors.

• Meko free
• High movement capability (±25%)
• Weather and ageing resistant
• Excellent adhesion on many porous and non-porous materials

PENOSIL Building Silicone 322/322C

All-purpose neutral silicone for facades, glazing and sanitary rooms.

• Weather, ageing and mould resistant
• High movement capability (±25%)
• Permanently elastic
• Excellent adhesion on a wide range of materials

PENOSIL SpeedFix All Exterior 777

General purpose adhesive sealant with particularly strong initial adhesion for both indoor and outdoor conditions.

• Excellent adhesion to most materials, such as wood, bricks, concrete, glass, copper, galvanised steel and aluminium.
• Also suitable for wet surfaces, does not cause corrosion on metals.
• For bonding metal, stone and wooden elements.

PENOSIL SpeedFix Universal 907

A general-purpose solvent-based adhesive with instant bonding.

• For use indoors and outdoors, including in minus temperatures.
• Ensures very stiff and strong adhesive bonding.
•  For fixing strips, connecting and sealing glass walls and floors, fixing worktops to cabinets and fixing the toilet bowl to the floor. 

PENOSIL All Weather Sealant 919

Immediately waterproof rubber-based sealant for quick facade and roof repair works, even during rain.

• Mould, UV and weather resistant
• Exterior and interior application
• Excellent adhesion on many surfaces, including bitumenous surfaces
• High elasticity

PENOSIL SpeedFix Construction 878

A multipurpose adhesive foam for year-round jobs both indoors and outdoors.

• Extra-wide field of applications, excellent bonding properties and low post-expansion.
• Excellent adhesion to most construction materials, such as expanded polystyrene, plasterboard, wood, concrete, stone, metal and PVC.
•  For fastening window sills, insulation, interior finishing and plasterboards and for bonding construction blocks in non-load-bearing partition walls.