Cold Weather Material Application- Building Envelope

How To Avoid Cold Weather Construction Failure 

BEC has seen thousands of defective materials and many of them are caused by not  following the cold weather construction recommendations. We have witnessed many  violations in the last several weeks and recommend reviewing the cold weather  requirements on all of your materials. Waterproofing materials are particularly affected. 

Coatings, Sealants, Primers, and Adhesives: 

As a general rule, cold temperatures change the physical properties of most adhesives,  sealants, coatings, and primers should be at 40 °F and rising. Do NOT apply these  products when freezing temperatures are expected within 24 hours after application  and do not apply solvent-free products when freezing temperatures are expected within  12 hours after application. 

Industry Standards Recommend: 

• Store all adhesives, sealants, primers, and coatings between 60 °F. 

• DO NOT allow water-based and solvent-free products to freeze ever. Frozen  material must be removed from the site and never used. 

• Contractors should only bring materials from warm storage to the roof 1 to 4 hours  prior to application. 

Masonry: 

• The brick industry does not permit installing any materials that are frozen and  recommends heating materials if below 32 °F. Newly installed masonry requires  covering for 24 hours. Do NOT install Lime-based mortar if temperatures fall below  32 °F within 7 days. 

Although some materials can be installed at a lower temperature, that doesn’t mean the  substrate will accept them. We have seen many silicone sealants installed at the  allowable temperatures but they failed badly because they did not bond to the  substrate. We recommend consulting the manufacturer of both materials before  installing. 

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