Curtain wall and façade sealant failure

Warning signs

• Sealant that has split, debonded from one side or gone hard and crazed.
• Staining or streaking below joints.
• Leaks or damp at internal finishes near the façade, often only in driving rain.
• Gaskets and seals shrinking back at glazing corners.
• Joints that were sealed over old sealant during an earlier repair.

Common causes

• The sealant reaching the end of its service life.
• Joints that are too narrow for the movement of the panels.
• Poor adhesion from missing primer or contaminated surfaces.
• Incompatible products used in a previous repair.

How a façade reseal is done

1. A survey of the joints, often with test cuts and adhesion checks.
2. A specification: sealant type, primer, backing and joint sizes, often approved by the system manufacturer.
3. Access: MEWP, cradle, scaffold or rope access, planned round the building's use.
4. Cut out, clean, prime, back and reseal, elevation by elevation, with records kept.

Older façades

Panel and window joints on buildings from before 2000 can contain asbestos. The building's asbestos register should say; if not, test before work. See asbestos in old mastic and sealant.

Find a façade contractor

Post the job with the building type, the elevations involved, approximate metres of joint and the access you expect. Read about façade and curtain wall sealant or post a façade job.

Quick answers

Is façade sealant work priced per metre?

Sometimes, but access usually dominates, so most façade work is priced per job after a survey.

Do I need RAMS?

On commercial sites you should expect RAMS (risk assessments and method statements) and any site inductions before work starts.