Through the use of the appropriate sealants and adhesives the overall performance of the window system is dramatically improved:
- for sealing and bonding the glass in the window frame
- for sealing the whole window in the building envelope
- for sealing and bonding the glass panes in the insulating windows
- Buildings consume more than 40% of energy in Europe
- Windows and insulating glass are very important when considering the overall energy efficiency of a building
- For long life and good performance, such windows and facades need specialised adhesives and sealants
- Sealants and foams play a key role in improving air tightness by appropriately sealing gaps between windows and walls. Glazing adhesives provide insulation properties, faster installation times, and are lighter in weight than old-fashioned mechanical fasteners. In terms of safety, glazing adhesives are more flexible, more forgiving and absorb shock better than mechanical fixation systems.
- The energy needed to produce sealants and adhesives corresponds to about 10% of the embodied energy of a window in total and is recovered in a few days by reducing energy losses to a minimum
For more details about this Good Practice, see the Related Document ‘The next generation windows, a new source of energy reduction’.