Frost and water resistant outdoor sealant

Outdoor sealant is used to seal joints and seams, window openings. For building facades, you can use only those products that are resistant to high humidity and temperature extremes. The modern market offers a huge selection of sealing agents.

The silicone sealant is excellent for the toughest and most delicate outdoor applications. This product is absolutely safe for both the environment and human health.

It has the following technical characteristics:

• elasticity, due to which the sealant effectively and quickly fills all cracks and gaps;
• a high level of strength, which allows for the most difficult outdoor work in conditions of intensive use;
• resistance to sudden changes in temperature;
• high level of adhesion;
• resistance to low temperatures and high humidity.

This product contains plasticizers, colorants and various additional fillers. Experts recommend choosing a material with an optimal price-performance ratio, because cheap additives make the sealant unstable to environmental influences.

There are a huge number of sealants. The qualification is based on the type of composition.

• Silicone sealants are elastic, water-resistant, and also resistant to temperature extremes. The composition is rubber, due to which this rubber sealant is durable and safe.
• Acrylic options are presented in different colors, they contain acrylic polymers. The water resistance of the product makes it suitable for outdoor use. For this sealant to "show" all its benefits, it needs dryness and warmth. Complete drying of the composition is carried out after 24 hours.

• Polyurethane models are durable, elastic, resistant to mechanical stress. They are suitable for working with different materials, do not emit toxic substances, and can also be dyed.
• Bituminous sealants made from bituminous polymers, which are obtained as a result of processing residual oil products. They can even be used in drainage systems, as they are moisture resistant. The brown bitumen sealant is based on rubber and bitumen. Transparent formulations are also offered, which are more expensive, but they are suitable for all materials.
• Butyl variants designed for sealing glass units.

The adhesive sealant can be presented in different colors:

• white - used for work with plumbing and window profiles, as well as for sealing cable ducts;
• transparent - used for working with wooden windows;
• black is an outdoor product that is resistant to sunlight, suitable for facade and roofing works, and is also often used for vehicle repairs;
• brown - suitable for sealing various brown materials;
• colored - used for plumbing and windows, but you can select a product of the required shade.

Depending on the properties, the sealant is divided into several types.

• frost-resistant - designed for sealing joints at low temperatures. This is a "winter" product that can be used even in extreme conditions with sub-zero temperatures;
• moisture resistant - designed for use in damp rooms, for example, a bathroom or kitchen;
• heat-resistant - heat-resistant product, which is suitable for sealing elements of furnaces, heating systems and so on. It does not deform under high temperatures and retains its properties.

Sealants have found their way into a variety of situations. When constructing buildings, no matter how hard you try, you will not be able to avoid gaps in the seams and joints. That is why sealants are used for their finishing.

For houses made of wood at the joints outside, an elastic product must be used, which can stretch and take its original shape. If the facades will not be hidden under any finishing material, then it is important that the seams are neat and even.

When sealing walls made of concrete or brick, as well as metal objects, care should be taken to ensure high-quality adhesion to the surface. The sealants used for these works must be resistant to temperature changes, ultraviolet light and high humidity. For panel buildings and façade joints, polyurethane sealants are excellent, allowing you to quickly achieve the desired effect.

There are even more demands on roofing sealants. They must be reliable, of high quality, and withstand various weather conditions. The appearance in this case is completely unimportant, so you can safely use bituminous sealants, which are only black. Also rubber sealants are used for roofing works. They are also suitable for sealing gutter elements, antenna outlet areas, chimneys and so on. This product is used both during the construction of a building and during the renovation of an old roof.

It is impossible to do without sealants when working with door openings and window frames. When buying a foundation sealant, attention should be paid to such properties as reliability, resistance to temperature extremes and chemical aggressive agents.

Before work, the approximate consumption of the sealant should be calculated in order to acquire the required amount of the composition. To do this, you need to determine the width and depth of the crack that you intend to seal. This indicator is influenced by the depth of the joint and the material from which the object is made. The depth is multiplied by the width, all this is calculated in millimeters. The result is the consumption of the product per 1 m of the joint in grams.

If the joint is triangular, then the result can be divided by two, because the costs of the composition are significantly reduced. This is inherent in perpendicular surfaces, for example, for sealing a joint between a bathtub and a wall. If it is necessary to seal the crack, more material will be needed.

Consumption of the composition per meter depends on the material of the object. As a rule, during construction, a standard value of this indicator is set, often it is 6 mm, but there are exceptions. If the seam is larger, a silicone cord is used as a seal. This option is suitable for wooden surfaces.

The sealant is sold in stores in different containers. To select the required packaging, you must first perform calculations. For example, to seal a seam on a 10-meter surface, 0.25 kg of material will be needed.

In order for the purchased sealant to be enough for the entire surface, it must be applied according to the established rules:

• pre-prepare the object, degrease it and clean it from debris;
• on the area where the silicone will be located, masking tape is glued on both sides, which will prevent the material from getting onto the clean surface;
• the tube with the composition is inserted into a construction gun, poured into the seam, after which the mixture is leveled with a spatula.

The first problem faced by those who have started repairs is the choice of a reliable sealant. The most popular are polyurethane and silicone compounds. The first option has many advantages, it has proven itself to be excellent when working with external walls. But keep in mind that it is not UV resistant. Silicone sealants have earned a huge number of positive reviews, but not everyone can afford them. If you live in a warm region, you can opt for a bituminous sealant.

Buyers often find it difficult to choose - domestic or foreign products. Today, there is practically no difference between the products, domestic companies use the same technologies and components as foreign ones. But the price of sealants differs greatly, since transportation costs are included in the cost of foreign goods. Experts advise buying a sealant in large stores, where you can compare prices, study the compositions and even check the weight of the goods, because sometimes the same containers have different weights.

For high-quality sealing of joints and cracks, it is recommended to observe the following rules:

• places for future sealing must be pre-processed, cleaned of dust and old coating;
• if outdoor work is carried out in winter, then the site must also be cleared of snow and frost;
• to increase adhesion, the edges of the seams must be primed;
• if the crack is too deep, it is necessary to use an anti-adhesive gasket, which will significantly save the sealant;
• in order to conserve sealant, it is best to use an assembly gun or pump. The first tool is suitable for sealing small joints;
• outdoor work cannot be performed during precipitation, as well as in subzero temperatures. If this cannot be avoided, it is better to entrust the matter to experienced specialists, since in this case you will need professional tools and drawing up an act for sealing;
• make sure that the sealant adheres tightly to the wall material;
• in unfavorable weather, the drying process of the sealant can take more than one day.

Sealants are durable. To get a good result, you should not buy the cheapest formulations. Having carried out a high-quality application of the sealant, you will forget about cracks for a long time.

For information on which sealant is better to choose, see the next video.