Article
Fire and Draft Stopping
Sealing Residential Construction to Save Energy and Lives
Residential Draftstopping Increases Profitability
The Model Energy Code requires draft sealing in residential construction. Sealing the exterior of the home along with sealing around drywall joints and penetrations create dead air pockets that help retain insulation values. A home that has not been properly draft sealed can lose enough of its efficiency to reduce the R-Value of insulation by half.
JACO Fire and Draft Sealer™ is commonly used in residential construction as a multi function sealant. Fire and Draft Sealer™ is Classified by UL in accordance with ASTM-E136 meeting the non-combustible building material requirement that is specified by most Model Building Codes. JACO Fire and Draft Sealer™ also acts as an acoustical sealant keeping room to room and exterior noise to a minimum.
Marketing a new residential home as an energy saving home, sealed with JACO Fire and Draft Sealer™, will increase profitability and make the home easier to sell. Homes sealed with Fire and Draft Sealer™ are better insulated and heating and air conditioning savings will add up for the buyer. It is noted in several publications that properly draft sealed homes save as much as 40% in utility fees. Also, homes near airports, busy streets, and close proximity residences benefit from the acoustic insulation that Fire and Draft Sealer™ maintains. There can be a noticeable difference in noise levels between the properly sealed home and one that is not been sealed.
Properly sealing a home will help keep moisture out. Pressure differentials around drafts wick moisture inside a home and cause mold, mildew, and rot. Not only do these three things consume the organic materials in your home, they also are known to cause sickness and poor health to the occupants.
UL Classifications for Fire and Draft Sealer™
Underwriters Laboratories has tested Fire and Draft Sealer™ in accordance with ASTM-E84 (Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials UL Code BLIS). Fire and Draft Sealer™ was credited with a Zero Flame Spread / Zero Smoke Developed in UL ASTM-E84 Test Report. Fire and Draft Sealer™ was also classified by UL in accordance with ASTM-E136 (Standard Test Method for the Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Furnace at 750˚ C – Also referenced by building codes as test for non-combustibility).
Fire Sealed Homes Save Lives
Sealing homes with Fire and Draft Sealer™ allow occupants a greater chance of surviving a house fire. House fires are fueled by combustible material and oxygen rich air. A properly sealed home will not have a flue effect that allows air to be sucked in around small joints and openings in walls and ceilings to fuel the fire. Homes properly sealed with a non-combustible caulk will normally buy time for Fire Fighters to arrive.
Homes should be draft stopped where the drywall has been cut away. Fire and Draft Sealer™ should be applied around window and door framing, electrical outlet cutouts, joints where a non-combustible seal is required (drywall compound is not a non-combustible building material), fixture junction box cutouts, and a where a draft or leak can be detected. Several contractors are sealing pipe and electrical penetrations in wood frame construction to create smaller dead air spaces, raising the insulation value.
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