Building Gaskets

When attempting to air seal a building there are certain situations where foam sealants and caulks are not the best choice because they do not remain flexible enough to allow for wood shrinkage and differential movements between different building components  such as between top-plates and trusses, and between framing and sheetrock. For this reason we sell a range of cellular EPDM building gaskets that provide a permanently flexible air-seal that will last the life of your building..

The photo at left shows an EPDM plate gasket installed between the foundation wall and the bottom-plate of a framed wall in a home under construction. This will significantly and permanently reduce the amount of air that leaks in under the bottom-plate. The problem with using caulk or glues in this location is that they will not remain flexible enough to maintain an air seal when there is wood shrinkage or differential movement between the wood and the concrete. These gaskets remain flexible and can maintain an air seal even if a gap as big as 3/8″ opens up between the buildings components.

The photo at bottom-left shows the installation of sheetrock gasket in a home. The black lines around the top, bottom, and sides of the wall framing and around the window openings are the installed EPDM gaskets. After the drywall is hung these will prevent air from moving between the sheetrock and the insulation (something that we see very often in homes that can dramatically reduce the effectiveness of the insulation) and significantly improve the overall air-tightness of the structure.

CONTACT US – Energetechs, Inc., – ph.