The Flexibility and Versatility of the Backer Rod

 Like most other extruded polyethylene foam products, the backer rod is an extremely versatile material. The simple premise of the backer rod is as a space filler in any number of applications. From constructing buildings to sidewalks to screen doors, the backer rod is an indispensable tool.

The flexibility of the backer rod extends beyond just its physical properties to its use cases too.

Take for instance a gap in window or door frame. If there is a small gap between the wall and the frame, it can be filled in easily with caulking. But if it is wider, say half an inch, then the game changes altogether. To fill in that much space, you will need to expend a great deal of caulking material – making the process messy, extremely wasteful and just not that effective. After all, caulking spread over such a large area will have little in the way of its own structural strength and is likely to come apart if exposed to stresses.

A backer rod in such situations is just the thing. Flexible, available in a variety of sizes and far more cost-effective than caulking, the backer rod can be used pre-emptively to fill in the gap. With its flexibility will it be able to take the shape of the gap; and the space to be filled having been reduced, a far more reasonable amount of caulking can be applied.

In fact, the properties of the backer rod mean that they serve functions in addition to being fillers. The structural strength it provides it means the backer rod can be used in environments as spacers. In walkways, either concrete, wood or any other material, these are used to maintain even space between sections. The same applies in house-building too. Builders use backer rod to manage spaces between walls and structures, in addition to reducing the space that must be filled in for caulking.

Backer rod is also used in the making of screen doors. They are used to tether the screen between the front and back panels of the door, providing a tight seal and keeping it from coming loose in short order. Also, the backer rod protects the door from what ingress, at least to some degree.

When buying backer rods for your business, think Alcot Plastics. We have a long history of pioneering innovation in the extruded polyethylene foam industry. Our high quality products are relied on widely in construction for their build and value.