FACTS YOU DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE SOFT BACKER ROD

Contractors and builders find it necessary to use various types of sealing materials to cover gaps between building materials. This is mostly done during the final construction stages where a perfect surface finish is required. One of the most common sealing materials used during the construction process is the soft backer rod. Just as the name suggests, this type of backer rod is soft and flexible in nature. Its structure is made up of millions of open cells that give it an airy flexible nature. The structure is vulnerable to moisture, water and air hence cannot be used to form a waterproof seal.

There are numerous properties of the soft backer rod that make it appropriate for sealing joints. Most of the properties are directly linked to its microstructure. One outstanding property of this material is that it has a non-gassing nature. This property enables it to prevent bubbling of the sealant when the rod is pricked or punctured. Even though the rod is made up of open cells, it has low moisture absorption. The material used to make the rod has non-staining properties. This means that it cannot discolor and stain the sealant used. In addition to this, the material does not bond with the sealants. This allows for the formation of flexible joints where the sealant only bonds with the building material and not the backer rod.

There are numerous applications of the soft backer rod in construction industry. Some of the common applications include pre-casting of panel joints, providing a suitable backing for application of sealants, sealing expansion joints, and filling of door and window-perimeters. It can also be used to seal glazing joints, coping joints, isolation joints, and control joints. Most of these applications are performed indoors hence do not require waterproof properties.

There are numerous lengths and diameters in which the soft backer rod is supplied. Because it can cover very large gaps, it is supplied in larger diameters than the closed cell backer rod. When selecting the most appropriate size to use, one has to consider the width of gap to be filled. The recommended diameter by most manufacturers should be 25% larger than the width of joint to be sealed. However, when covering gaps with a variable width, one may have to consider both the widest and narrowest sections of joint. The choice of sealant used depends on the type of joint to be sealed. For instance, an expandable joint will require a different type of sealant from a fixed joint.