What Helps Secure Sealants

Backer rods are used in a wide variety of construction projects and are commonly used to fill gaps or joints where two materials come or connect together. They are made from foam that works best to fill most of the void that has to be coated with a sealant. They create an airtight and watertight seal and have the ability to insulate the underside of the caulk material, control its depth, and facilitates correct wetting and tooling of joint areas. 

Moreover, their use in most construction projects helps hasten the curing process while allowing building materials to move, bend, and be flexible when responding to environmental elements such as UV rays, heat, wind, and humid air. Apart from the major construction use, the most common applications of include glazing operations, window and door applications, expansion joints, partitions, repair works, and pavement joints. In terms of installation, they are simply inserted between the two materials to fill the void or gap, thus the name backer. They usually come in varying diameters, ranging from ¼” – 4″ and are usually packed in rolls, while thicker diameters come in cartons. 

How can Backer Rods help with a secure seal?

The use of these specific rods is widely popular because of the many benefits they provide. They save caulking material by filling in most of the voids, provide more insulation while increasing the energy efficiency of the structure by blocking drafts and adding more quality to window installations. Alcot Plastics also provides a soft backer rod that is pliable, non-gassing, and bi-cellular for applications that need a quality seal.  

Soft backer rods are best suitable for uses with varying and irregular joint widths where regular closed-cell versions are not applicable. They are also a better option if bubbling concerns are an issue. You can use them in cases where depth control for most known cold-applied sealants is a concern.