Intumescent Buyer Guide

Intumescent buyer guide

Intumescent strips can be extremely effective in keeping your home comfortable all year round. Sealing the gaps around windows, doors, pipes and letterboxes helps to keep the winter cold at bay. It can also make a difference to the comfort of your home during the warmer months. It’s a case of identifying gaps and sealing them with intumescent.

What is intumescent sealing?

Intumescent is used to seal gaps around windows and doors. This has the potential to reduce energy consumption and fuel bills. But this isn’t the only advantage of keeping your doors and windows well sealed. Air leaks can also bring pollen, dust, allergens and pollutants into the home. Poor seals can also adversely affect humidity levels and allow more exterior noise to enter the property. All of which can affect the comfort and wellbeing of the occupants.

Intumescent sealing benefits

Flawlessly sealing each and every gap around the home is practically impossible. Therefore it pays to focus on the more problematic areas.  Examples of which include:

  • Gaps around window frames and door frames
  • Gaps between the panes of sash windows
  • Failed or deteriorating window and door seals
  • Anywhere pipes or cables enter the home
  • Air ducts, vents and AC system inlets
  • Letter boxes and cat flaps
  • Skylights and similar installations

The vast majority of gaps that require sealing will be extremely small and seemingly insignificant. However, the combined impact of these minor gaps around the home can have a huge impact on comfort and energy efficiency.

One of the biggest benefits of intumescent sealing is the way in which it alters its configuration if a fire breaks out. Intumescent sealing is a sophisticated material that expands many times beyond its original volume in case of fire, providing an exceptionally robust seal around windows and doors.

This has proven effective in not only preventing the spread of fire, but also minimising the spread of potentially deadly fumes. Intumescent sealing represents an inexpensive option for sealing types of gaps around the home, with the added benefit of an extra layer of security.

Different types of intumescent seal

In most instances, it is relatively quick and easy to seal gaps causing inefficiencies around the home. Most intumescent are cost effective, although the quality and lifespan vary from one product to the next.

Traditional weatherstripping and sealing tapes can be great for quickly and easily patching gaps. It’s important to ensure you choose the appropriate size and thickness – a 6mm foam strip is ideal for gaps of around 3mm to 5mm, but isn’t going to be useful for any larger gaps.

You might also find that some of the gaps around your windows and doors vary considerably from one section to the next, possibly caused by warping or damage to the materials. In which case, you’ll need a sealing product that can cover a much bigger range of gaps. A quality soft brush-type seal being a good example.

All sealing products have a limited lifespan, but you’ll get considerably more protection and better value for money from a high-quality seal than a low-cost alternative.

How to use intumescent products

The vast majority of basic seals and intumescent sealers are supplied in the form of an adhesive tape. Installation is as simple as cutting the tape to the exact length needed, then peeling off the backing paper and pressing firmly in place. However, it may be necessary to thoroughly prepare the surface for the application of the seal – particularly if the surface is dusty, greasy, cracked or damaged.

If there is any loose or peeling paint on the surface, it will need to be removed before applying an adhesive seal.

Most types of brush seals for door and letterboxes are screwed in place rather than set with an adhesive. Additional tools may be required in this case. You’ll also need to check the composition of your window frames and doors before proceeding, as different types of seals and brushes are compatible with certain materials.