New Method For Installing Windows And Doors – Miracle Tape

Long known for leading the way with improvements, Pella Corporation has again raised the bar with the development of a new installation system that uses the innovative Pella® SmartFlash™ window and door installation tape.

Just ask contractor Tom Kamp, of Knoxville, Iowa. He was introduced to the tape and installation method nearly six months ago and vows he won’t go back to using anything else or look any further than Pella’s SmartFlash installation tape. Kamp said, “SmartFlash seals the windows and doors better than you could with caulk — it provides a complete seal. It’s also versatile and can be used equally well with Pella’s entire product line or other windows and doors, too.”

For windows and doors that have a fin system, the new installation method, combined with the SmartFlash tape, protects the rough opening, minimizes the potential for water in the wall cavity, ties the window or door product to a home’s weather barrier system and helps to weep incidental water to a home’s exterior.

“We followed the watershed principle in developing this installation method,” said Cordell Burton, Pella's installation engineer. “That is, everything is layered with the top overlapping the bottom, similar to the method you would use to shingle a roof.”

The taping method provides a seal all around the window or door cavity, but by not taping the sill fin to the bottom of the opening it allows for any incidental water to escape thereby reducing the potential for water damage.

Not having to use caulk is a considerable benefit for both the do-it-yourselfer and the professional installer, according to Kamp.

No sealant is required under the fin, which means no messy caulk to deal with. The tape product is more forgiving than caulk, as well, continued Kamp.

“Pella’s tape is much easier to apply — no special tools are required, and if you make a mistake, you can remove the tape and start over easily,” he said.

Made of butyl adhesive backed with aluminum foil, the SmartFlash installation tape offers advantages over other materials currently on the market, which are mostly tar-based adhesive backed with polyethylene or other plastic. Tar reacts with urethanes and other sealants and does not adhere well to polyethylene through hot to cold cycles. Conversely, butyl is compatible with other sealants, such as urethane and silicone and adheres well to polyethylene.

“On the job site, performance is key. Remodelers and builders want a product that is strong — that will hold up to all sorts of weather conditions — but will be easy to work with. Pella SmartFlash installation tape performs extremely well in hot or cold temperatures. The foil backing prevents the tape from degrading when exposed to sunlight on a job site,” Burton continued, “because it’s thin and flexible, and it’s easy to cut or tear to length while still remaining strong once applied.”

Measuring only 11 millimeters in thickness compared to other available tapes of 20 to 50 millimeters, the Pella tape offers less material build up on corners and more ease in establishing a watertight seal at installation overlap sites.

Tested in conditions ranging from minus 40 degrees to more than 160 degrees Fahrenheit, Pella SmartFlash tape experienced no loss in adhesive quality and remained water tight and flexible. Other tapes tested similarly experienced various problems, including peeling along the edges, becoming brittle and cracking in low temperatures or showing signs of flowing adhesive in high temperatures.

Additionally, Pella SmartFlash tape will not degrade if exposed for long periods of time when siding is left off a home, while other tapes exhibited varying stages of adhesive degradation over a maximum of 30 to 120 days exposure. In cold weather applications, the Pella tape retained its tackiness at zero degrees Fahrenheit. Another SmartFlash advantage is tape at room temperature still adheres to building materials at minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Author Notes:

Mary Kyra contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.replacement-windows-n-shutters.com. Find everything you need to know about replacement windows, shutters, tinting, basement, fiberglass windows and more.