Hybrid Tapes: Future Proof Buildings And Property

With their ability to expand and contract to guarantee seals that alternative wet solutions cannot provide, foam tapes are an effective and reliable solution to the weather sealing side of window installations, says ISO Chemie’s sales and operations director Andy Swift.

While the ability to let the joint breathe and remove vapour is one of the main benefits of expanding foam tapes, it’s also possible to extend their width to create a position whereby you can insulate the window gap from thermal loss and sound ingress. Tapes such as ISO-Chemie Bloco One have led the way in this respect for years with its ‘all in one’ window sealing gap capabilities.

However, the new Hybratec range of window joint tapes takes these principles a stage further with hybrid technology that provides effective three-level 100% air tight sealing in line with RAL energy performance standards and strong resistance to driving rain - the UK standard wind driven rain is set at 600 pascals but at 1200 pascals, Hybratec is twice as effective in protecting against wet weather ingress.

With higher sizes and a dual vapour barrier within, this high-performance tape replaces the three-level sealing system used by others (airtight tape/spray foam/expanding tape) to offer a single fit and forget, four-level system with acoustic sealing as standard.

Complying with the energy efficiency requirements of the Building Energy Act, Hybratec delivers excellent air tightness and thermal protection when it comes to the sealing between the inner room and the external climate. Uncontrolled convection heat losses and draughts via the connection joint can be effectively eliminated - an important requirement when it comes to today’s demand for energy-saving construction.

Hybratec also combines considerable expansion force with excellent functional reliability in terms of capacity to absorb long term movement and expansion of windows in a wide range of new build residential and commercial properties or retrofit projects.

In passive house construction, it is important for a building to be extremely air tight to minimise heat input required to warm the house. Hybratec, which has secured the coveted ‘Certified Passive House Component’ label from Germany’s Passivhaus Institute, facilitates this process and can be used in the construction of passive energy houses across the UK as a window connection air tightness system.

Passivhaus-certified products provide high energy savings combined with enhanced comfort compared to conventional new-builds and renovated properties. This requires the use of particularly energy-efficient components, in addition to careful and detailed planning.

ISO Chemie’s multi-functional joint sealing tape Hybratec is available from stock in a move to meet demand for energy efficient window sealing solutions and product availability from UK installers and specifiers. More at https://www.iso-chemie.eu/en-GB/home/

The company is one of Europe’s main producers of impregnated foam sealants, specialising in the manufacture of products from polyethylene (EPE), polypropylene (EPP) and polyurethane (PUR) using the latest production techniques.