by Brianna Crandall — June 6, 2016 — A proposed ASTM International standard will help both designers and consumers choose the best aerosol foam sealants for their projects.
The proposed guide, being developed by ASTM’s Committee C24 on Building Seals and Sealants, will overview the differences among the three main types of sealants and their applications:
- Window, door and skylights (usually in a secondary seal application);
- Fireblocking and general gap sealing (gaps, cracks, joints); and
- Adhesive foams (drywall adhesive, subfloor adhesive, structurally insulated panels, insulated concrete forms)
The guide will also discuss most of the key test methods used on these foam sealants.
“Specifiers, design professionals, engineers and others who influence material choices will benefit from this guide,” says ASTM member Steve Duren, senior director, the Adhesive and Sealant Council. Duren notes that the standard will also give consumers a better understanding of the vast selection and types of foam sealants in the marketplace.
In addition, the guide will help end users and the design community better understand the significant benefits of air sealing with aerosol foam sealant resulting in energy cost savings. The proposed standard (WK54220, Guide for Product Selection / Delivery Systems for Aerosol Foam Sealants and Adhesives) will be a companion to C1620, Standard Specification for Aerosol Polyurethane and Aerosol Latex Foam Sealants.
“A major value of the new guide will be pictograms that show ways to use the most popular categories of foam sealants available in big [box] stores, lumberyards, and online,” says Duren. There is a section of the standard that will discuss advantages of the types of dispensing mechanisms and the differences in straw foam to gun grade foam. The guide also describes the typical sizes of cans.
Interested parties are encouraged to join in ASTM standards developing activities. The subcommittee is seeking experts in the measurement of movement capability with foam sealants. For more news in this sector, visit ASTM’s Construction gateway.
