Re: GBlist: Natural sealants
Hal Levin (hlevin@cruzio.com)
Mon, 24 Feb 1997 12:02:44 -0800
At 11:35 AM 2/24/97 PST, you wrote:
>A gasket option/question--
>
>Are polyethylene "backer rod" gaskets OK? They are available in diameters
>from 1/4" up to 2" for a few cents a foot from concrete and masonry
>suppliers. They are somewhat compressible and make good stuffers for larger
>cracks like windows to rough openings. They are intended as dams to prevent
>caulk sealants from sucking down into a wide gap before they can set up.
>When blower door testing houses, the backer rods look fairly tight even
>before caulk is applied over them.
>
Polyethylene should be reasonably stable and durable, especially absent any
direct solar radiation, and it will have minimal offgassing. Clearly not
natural, but what importance does "natural" have is a matter of dispute,
obviously. On the other hand, one certainly is not going to be able to lable
polyethylene "sustainable."
Hal Levin <hlevin@cruzio.com>
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