Sealing of Window and Door Joints in Timber Frame Buildings and Watertightness

The harsh Norwegian climate requires that buildings to be designed to high standards. Global warming is making the built environment even more vulnerable. Climate change will mean more extreme weather conditions, and buildings will have to withstand greater stresses related to water penetration and air leakages. The sealing methods used in the joints between the wind barrier and the window or door frame result in different properties of air- and watertightness, which influence the building’s thermal properties. Some sealing methods highly depend on the performance of the craftsman. Air- and watertightness of the joints are tested at static air pressure differences over the test section consisting of a window frame with size 1.2 m × 1.2 m mounted in a timber frame section with size 2.4 m × 2.4 m. Several types of wind barriers and sealing methods are tested. The different air barriers tested are asphalt-impregnated porous fiberboard, gypsum board, and spun-bonded polyethylene. The different sealing materials tested are strips of spun-bonded polyethylene clamped with battens, adhesive tape, and sealing compound of acrylic paste. The paper presents the watertightnesses for the different sealing methods. The results will influence on SINTEF’s recommendations for sealing methods in joints between the building construction and the window or door frame. (SINTEF Building and Infrastructure is Norway’s leading disseminator of research-based knowledge to the construction industry; their building research design guides and other publications provide guidance on specialist building issues.)