Properties of Sealed Joints After Exposure to Water

Abstract

In practice, sealed joints in the construction industry are very often exposed to adverse climatic influences. One of these climatic influences is the effect of water, for example in the form of rain or humidity. This article is therefore devoted to the sealing of joints of problematic base materials, which are then exposed to the effects of water and subsequently tested according to the recommended test standards. For this research, a problematic substrate based on cement is selected, and glass cement is specifically chosen for its shortcomings. The main disadvantage of this material is the existence of small particles on its surface, which due to their insufficient wettability disrupt the adhesion of both the primer and subsequently the sealant to this substrate and thus significantly reduce the quality of the sealed joint. Furthermore, representatives of several types of sealants and primers recommended for them available on the Czech market are selected for this experiment. Test specimens are made using glass cement plates treated with the appropriate primer and the sealant. These test specimens are then the goal of a test procedure to verify the properties of the sealed joint of the problematic material and the selected primer and sealant that is exposed to the water element. The results of these tests are then presented in the article.