BENEFITS OF USING SOFT ROD DURING CONSTRUCTION

Most builders and contractors use soft rods to fill gaps left between building materials during the construction process. The soft backer rods are used for three main purposes. First of all, they are used to control the depth of sealant in the joint. The recommended depth of sealant should be half the width of joint to be covered. Therefore, the soft rod is installed in such a way to leave the recommended depth. The soft backing rod also provides a suitable backing for the sealant to be applied. The cylindrical shape of backing rod allows the sealant to penetrate more into the sides of the joint. This allows for the formation of a stable joint.

Builders also find it necessary to use the soft rod to prevent formation of three-sided bonding. Soft backing rods have a non-bonding property. This means that they do not bond with the sealant used during the sealing process. However, the sealant bonds with the surface of building materials. This means that two of the three surfaces are bonded by the sealant. Such a kind of bonding ensures flexibility especially when it comes to expandable and movable joints. The three functions of soft backing rod make it appropriate for numerous applications.

Some of the common applications where the soft rod is used include sealing of joints in flooring and tiling, sealing of joints on window and door perimeters, construction of pavement joints, sealing of expansion joints, control joints and isolation joints, and for glazing operations. The nature of soft backing rods allows them to naturally fit into complex joints with varying widths. Their flexibility allows for easier installation as compared to closed cell backer rods. Transportation of the soft backer rods is quite easy and cheap since they are extremely light and flexible. These are some of the benefits of using soft backing rods to fill joints in constructions.