Window Caulking and Waterproofing
Water infiltration can be a challenging problem to troubleshoot when it comes to leaky glass walls and curtain wall window systems.
The average lifespan of curtain wall system and storefront glass punched opening is roughly 20 years before the glazing vinyl starts to shrink and dry rot which leads to water and snow leaking into your building.
Identifying Solutions
While the best solution is to rebuild the failing glazing system whether its curtain wall, sloped glazing, skylights or storefront, the most cost-effective is to wet seat or wet glaze the exterior of the system.
Products are designed to do this efficiently, and while this is not the way storefront glass systems are designed, wet glazing a window by caulking will extend the life of the glass system.
Capabilities
Cypress can assist with the following caulking and waterproofing projects:
- Storefront Glass Caulking
- Curtain Wall Glass Caulking
- Skylight Caulking and Weather Sealing
- Glass to Glass
- Structural Silicone Glazing (SSG)
Using The Proper Sealant
One of the most common causes to premature water infiltration and leaking windows is substandard caulking. Glazing contractors often use polyurethane rather than silicone sealant.
There are many different types of silicone sealants on the market and Dow 795 silicone has become the gold standard. Depending if the caulking is from glass to glass, glass to masonry, or masonry to masonry, there are different products like Dow 790, Dow 795, and Dow 756 to name a few.
Tremco is another heavy hitter in the glazing sealant industry and they offer a variety of tested options with proven performance with the Tremco Spectrum being the most popular. Most of the structural silicone glazed, or SSG, systems seen during service calls use a Tremco product during the initial glass installation. The makeup of the substrate that needs caulking determines what the best product will be for your water infiltration or leaky window repairs.