“We have without a doubt been leading the way in the area of Joint sealants for nearly 30 years,” explains Seal Systems Ireland Managing Director Ray Brennan. “This position is held due to both our unrivalled expertise and the quality of our products. The unsightly remains from plastisizer migration into natural stone is a global phenomena, as can be seen from the photograph taken by us in Tokyo  earlier  this year. This is a typical example of how wonderfully designed natural stone facades can be defaced.  This problem is far less common in Ireland nowadays due to the awareness created by Seal Systems Ireland through Stone Façade Contractors, and design specifications.

“Plastisizers are present in all sealants for the duration of their life cycle, which is why great care must be taken when choosing a product with  particular emphasis on a long proven track record.  The non stain guarantee must be for the duration in full that the sealant is expected to last for, therefore the non stain guarantee should be the same as life expectancy. There are products on the market that give very short cover against staining, this in our experience is  very risky and leaves serious exposure to  having no responsible party further on, as well as the strong possibility of  a blemished façade.

“We have the full confidence to guarantee the performance of our products due to our lifetime of experience, and it is simply a choice between two products depending upon the results of our laboratory accelerated  tests, carried out by Soudal.  Silirub Ma has been the market leader for  over 25 years  without a single case of  plastisizer migration.  Secondly in situations where  natural stone types that show the quite rare  picture framing effect  are present, Soudaseal 215 will be put forward with a guarantee.

“It is crucial to understand that  picture framing  is  not a plastisizer migration  problem, it is  a very different effect which is  unusual, and is visible for a short period during the drying out process of some stone types, as in post heavy rain fall. We have seen this  hydrophobic effect dissipate with time,  however some designers prefer to  go with the Soudaseal 215 option.

On specific projects incorporating a stone type that we have not already tested, we will test via Soudals Laboratory followed by a report which will   specify the product that we will  guarantee.

“There are also various other potential problems associated with staining that we have experienced over the years some of which relate to products that require priming, Masking tapes and of course the aptitude of the sealant applicator on site.  Virtually every professional sealant applicator in Ireland benefits from the technical support that we  give them.

“We welcome any query on this subject which is a part of our overall comprehensive range of products, which cover s multiple aspects of the building envelope from Airtightness to various waterproof membranes as well as fire stopping, and lots more.”

See www.sealsystems.ie or request a full product listing by contacting 353 1 8855555.