HOW DO YOU TEST FOR 100 YEARS?
Independent tests at the University of Kassel in Germany have confirmed it: CONTEGA HF achieves 100-year-adhesion.
Of course, researchers didn’t just watch the product age for 100 years. Instead, they subjected CONTEGA HF (trademarked as ORCON F outside of North America) to a battery of progressive, accelerated aging tests. These tests accounted for the effects of moisture, air, and temperature (to name a few) over the course of 120 days and corresponded to 17 years under normal climate conditions. The study was extended at Pro Clima’s request to meet 100-year equivalence. At the end of the aging process, researchers measured the adhesion bonds for minimum tensile strengths.
The study was part of a larger project conducted by the university to test for the quality assurance of a range of adhesives for airtight layers. CONTEGA HF is the latest Pro Clima product to achieve 100-year adhesion (TESCON VANA has already passed the 100-Year-Age-Test.)
BUILDINGS MOVE
Buildings are made up of a wide range of materials that respond differently to fluctuations in temperature, humidity, geologic events, and natural disasters—not to mention plain, old time. They expand and contract at distinct rates and can eventually settle, placing strain on the joints where the materials meet. As a result, traditional foams and caulks used at these junctures become brittle, dry up, and crack.
What’s more, the chemical reaction in these materials responsible for their initial drying continues on indefinitely, causing shrinkage and splitting that compromises the air barrier. This can allow for air and moisture leakage, and invite unwanted pests, sounds, and smells. While a standard caulk might provide an airtight bond to get a construction Passive-House-certified in 2021, it won’t stay that way for the lifetime of the building, even if applied properly.
CONTEGA acrylic adhesives, on the other hand, offer exceptional flexibility and durability, providing long-term elasticity and bonding that moves with the building over its lifetime. They are specially designed for connecting flexible, airtight membranes (like INTELLO PLUS and SOLITEX MENTO 1000) to solid materials like their wood or concrete support structures. They penetrate deep into the substrate and adhere to cold and slightly damp surfaces, unlike the majority of their competitors. And, they are formulated with non-ageing acrylate polymers, without softeners or halogenated compounds to prevent embrittlement over time (this also makes them zero- and low-VOC!)
BUILD TO MOVE, BUILD TO LAST (100 YEARS)
What this all translates to is consistent occupant comfort and energy efficiency beyond just the first few years of construction.
Homeowners often complain about pests invading their homes, cold drafts making interiors uncomfortable in the winter time, and air conditioning bills through-the-roof in the warm season. But rarely do they understand the roots of these problems. If constructed with high-performance materials the first time, buildings can last for generations to come. Using CONTEGA adhesives provides assurance to clients that their buildings will be comfortable for at least the next 100 years—if not longer.
