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PROSOCO, BEI announce extreme-performance air & water resistive barrier
Cat 5, a fluid-applied building wrap, designed to withstand the drenching rains and 155 mph winds of Category 5 hurricanes, has joined PROSOCO’s R-GUARD family of air and water resistive barrier products.
Developed by BEI (Building Envelope Innovations, LLC), Clackamas, Ore., Cat 5 is tested to protect lightweight structural walls and CMU backup walls from destructive air and water penetration, even during the worst coastal and inland weather – both before and after exterior cladding goes up.
PROSOCO R-GUARD Cat 5 Air & Waterproof Barrier (red) goes over Densglass on a big building in Baton Rouge, La
It’s a fluid-applied improvement on fabric building wraps that often rip and tear on merely windy days, let alone in intense storms.
BEI is a science-based construction-material manufacturing company that matches emerging technology with existing needs in the construction industry. The company is known for rigorous test protocols for building envelopes in real-world conditions, and products and procedures for withstanding extreme coastal weather.
PROSOCO, Lawrence, Kan., manufactures products that clean, protect and maintain concrete, brick and stone architecture. PROSOCO products have been used on thousands of landmark buildings nationwide, both new and historic, from the U.S. Capitol to Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
Cat 5 is based on advanced silyl terminated polyether (STPe) chemistry.
STPe combines the weather-resistance of silicone with the paintability of polyurethanes. It’s strong, yet elastic. It enables Cat 5 to be easily and rapidly applied with just a simple roller.
BEI developed the versatile STPe products such as Cat 5 specifically for their general construction/ repair company to be used in the extreme weather conditions of the Pacific Northwest and Gulf Coast. Forensic investigations of water-damaged wall assemblies found traditional materials such as building wraps and self-adhered membranes had often failed – even in moderate weather.
BEI partners with PROSOCO, whose own line of nationally distributed R-GUARD air- and water-resistive barrier products gives PROSOCO insight into what the market needs. Along with Cat 5, BEI brings several other air- and water-resistive barrier components into the R-GUARD product line.
They include R-GUARD Fast Flash, Joint & Seam Filler and Air Dam.
“So often, the conditions that manufacturer and design professionals expect products to be installed within are unreasonable for applicators faced with timetables that force them to work from sun-up to sun-down, come rain or shine,” said PROSOCO President David W. Boyer.
“Even if conditions for installation were not a challenge, the performance standards that so many products are designed to achieve are artificially low. They reflect a performance level that many competing products can achieve, but not the extreme weather conditions that cause so many of the failures we see today.
“Cat 5 was developed to be installed under real world conditions and to survive the most extreme weather conditions Mother Nature can throw at a building.
“After a rain shower or when an existing wall is opened up for repairs, damp substrates are one of those real-world conditions that translate into a construction delay while the surface dries – but not for these new R-GUARD products. They stick to nearly any construction material, provide instant waterproofing, dry tack-free in under 30 minutes, and withstand exposure to weather up to six months in case of construction delays.
R-GUARD Fast Flash
R-GUARD Fast Flash is a perfect example, Boyer said. It’s for air- and water-tight installation of windows, doors and other through-wall penetrations.
As part of the continuous, seamless, durable PROSOCO R-GUARD air- and water-resistive barrier assembly, simple “gun and spread” Fast Flash lets installers seal rough openings without time-consuming tapes, fabrics and staples required by older systems. It’s capable of spanning openings one-quarter inch to one-half inch side.
Fast Flash applies with ordinary caulking tools and can be rolled, brushed or spread to the recommended thickness.
R-GUARD Air Dam
A complementary sealant, R-GUARD Air Dam, is used with backer rod as the critical interior air seal for newly installed or replacement windows and doors. Like Cat 5 and Fast Flash, STPe-based Air Dam bonds to almost any surface without staining. And can be painted after two hours.
Along with being components in a building-wide R-GUARD air & water-resistive barrier, Fast Flash and Air Dam are effective for individual window repair and replacement. That’s because they fix what is usually the root cause of window failure – water penetration.
Like Cat 5 and other R-GUARD products, Fast Flash and Air Dam are vapor-permeable or “breathable.” If surfaces are damp during installation, they can still dry out after the work is done.
Dry surfaces are much less prone to mold than surfaces where water is trapped – such as those using self-adhered membranes.
R-GUARD Joint & Seam Filler
R-GUARD Joint & Seam Filler represents another advance for the R-GUARD line, Boyer said. This preparation sealant compound seals seams, joints, material transitions, corners, valleys and other areas without time-consuming fabrics, tapes, mesh or self-adhered membranes.
Like BEI’s other STPE products, gun-grade Joint & Seam Filler immediately bonds to nearly any construction material, including wood, metal, OSB, gypsum board, Densglass and more – even when those surfaces are damp. It has the same fast dry-time and can be rained on immediately after installation.
Joint &Seam Filler simplifies detailing of irregular surfaces and prepares them for final waterproofing with Fast Flash, Cat 5 or any of the spray-grade R-GUARD air and water-resistive barriers.
“The fact that these new R-GUARD products can be used interchangeably with all current R-GUARD products is significant,” Boyer said. “It means PROSOCO can offer a variety of air and water-resistive barrier solutions to meet the constantly evolving, real-world challenges of environment and construction.”
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For more information, contact Gary or e-mail gary.henry@prosoco.com.
