Airseal and weathertight membranes from the tremco illbruck range have helped contractors fix several hundred windows in new-build student accommodation at Bangor University in North Wales.
Window supplier Per-Fit Windows of Heywood, Lancashire, supplied and installed the PVCu double glazed windows for the St Mary's campus which main contractor, Vinci plc, built.
St Mary's is a development of 600 rooms with a range of accommodation including studio apartments and townhouses. There is also a café, shop, launderette, common rooms and sports and fitness facilities on location.
The building, designed by FaulknerBrowns Architects, is made of lightweight steel frame construction using Metek profiles, with a cement particleboard (CP board) external skin over thermal insulation with a brick cladding.
A robust, secure and efficient sealing method was essential to ensure compliance with Building Regulations, particularly with regards to energy efficiency and heat loss.
They required an easily installed, external waterproof membrane that could be attached in wet wintery conditions. ME501 Duo Window Membrane HD with a K03 EPDM gasket solution was the membrane of choice as it can be dry fitted directly to the UPVc frame with no need for any adhesives except at corners to seal. ME501 was then bonded to the CP board with SP525 Frame and Façade Sealant during dryer conditions.
ME501 is available in many other formats, depending on the construction detail.
A second membrane ME500 Duo Flexible Window Membrane with self-adhesive strip and butyl strip was then attached from the internal face of the UPVc window to the SFS steel frame section to create an airtight seal. ME500 is also available in several variants, depending on the building structure detail.
tremco illbruck have worked with both the window contractor, Per-Fit Windows, and the main contractor, Vinci Construction, before; so, they both knew and understood the tremco illbruck products.
For Per-Fit Windows, a simple, straightforward sealant system was essential. "Time was of the essence to get the envelope sealed," says Glenn Richardson, area sales manager with tremco illbruck. "The weather conditions at the time the work was carried out were particularly challenging, yet Per-Fit were still able to complete the job on time."
The windows were all installed during the winter of 2014/15 and St Mary's was completed during the summer, opening in September 2015.
