Sealing
Sealing is the process of prevent fluids and other substances from passing through material surfaces, joints, or openings. It can also prevent the passage of air, sound, dust, insects, and so on, as well firestopping.
For more information see: Sealants.
NB Guidance on the code of practice for property flood resilience, published by CIRIA in 2021, defines sealing as: ‘… a dry proofing technique where the floodwater does not reach the interior of the building as the external walls, floors and openings are sealed and used to hold back the floodwater.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Adhesives.
- Binding agent.
- Caulk.
- Construction sealants market.
- Dot and dab.
- Dry lining.
- Expanding foam.
- Fillers.
- Grout.
- Mastic Asphalt Council.
- Mastic asphalt flooring.
- Mastic sealant.
- Mortar.
- Paint.
- Parge coat.
- Penetrating damp.
- Plaster.
- Polymeric flooring.
- Putty.
- Rendering.
- Rising damp.
- Screed.
- Sealant.
- Stucco.
- Tanking.
- Treating brickwork with sealant or water repellent.
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