What is backer rod material?
Backer rods are small rods that are made of foam material. They are often used as a filling in joints and fissures that are found mostly on tiles as well as other crevices resulting in the construction of structures.
What is the difference between joint sealant and backer rod?
Closed Cell This means the material will not wick moisture making it suitable for joints with a high presence of water or dampness. Sealants, caulking or other chinking materials will stick more easily to closed cell backer rods which have a better bonding surface area than an open cell product.
Do I need backer rod for expansion joints?
Backer rod is an essential part of the package of materials you will need for expansion joint repair or expansion joint replacement.
How do I know what size backer rod to get?
Standard practice for closed-cell backer rod is that with joints less than 3/4 inch (19mm) wide, the backer rod diameter should be 1/8 inch (3mm) larger than the joint width. With joints 3/4 inch (19mm) or larger, the backer rod diameter should be around 25%-30% larger than the joint width.
Are backer rods waterproof?
Bi-cellular backer rod is water resistant on the outside, but porous on the inside. Bi-cellular backer rod is great because of its flexibility and compressibility. Since bi-cellular backer rod is easily compressed, this makes it great for irregular joints and smaller jobs such as caulking.
Why do you need backer rod?
Backer rods are used as a “backing” material to fill a void, joint, or crack in residential and commercial applications. The primary purpose of backer rods is to: Control the sealant thickness and amount needed to fill the joint. Force the sealant to the sidewalls to ensure contact and proper adhesion.
Do you have to seal backer rod?
Without a backer rod, there will be too much sealant in the joint to stretch properly. If the joint moves and the sealant is too deep or too shallow, the sealant will split causing joint failure.
Can you silicone over backer rod?
Think of the Backer Rod as Your Sealant’s Trusted Sidekick The backer rod is a round, black, extruded, bi-cellular polyethylene material with a water impervious outer membrane. This material is compatible with most known cold applied sealants such as latex, polysulfide, acrylic, urethane, and silicone.
Does backer rod absorb water?
It is chemically inert and will resist oil, gasoline and most other solvents. The material will not stain, absorb moisture, nor adhere to sealant materials and is non-exuding.
Can you caulk over backer rod?
Using foam backer rod to fill a wide crack before caulking. One of the best ways to save energy in your home is by caulking any cracks around windows and doors. While caulk alone can be applied to narrow cracks, gaps wider than 1/4” should be filled with foam backer rod first.
Does backer rod stop drafts?
They provide additional insulation and increase the energy efficiency of your home. By blocking drafts, backer rods ensure that your windows do not permit outside air indoors.
How big can a concrete slab be without expansion joints?
Rule #1 – Keep joints as square as possible. Rule #2 – In order to prevent intermediate cracking, space joints (in feet) no more than 2 – 3 times the slab thickness (in inches).