IGMA Opens 10th Annual Meeting Today in Las Vegas
March 24, 2010

The Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) opened its 10th annual meeting today at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas with a meeting of the Glazing Guidelines and Gas Permeability working groups.

The first item on the agenda during the Glazing Guidelines working group meeting was to further review TM 3000, North American Glazing Guidelines for Sealed Insulating Glass for Commercial and Residential Use, along with a proposal to increase the minimum heights of setting blocks.

“What we are seeing in the residential market is that the setting blocks aren’t high enough and we’re getting water trapped in the glazing channel,” commented Margaret Webb, executive director of IGMA.

Rather than adopting a proposal that would have increased the minimum setting block height to 6.7 mm for aluminum extrusions and 6 mm for PVC extrusions, the group ultimately decided to elaborate upon the current language in the document to better clarify for readers the importance of setting blocks - so those users can make their own determinations as to what’s appropriate.

The meeting of the Gas Permeability working group revolved around discussions of the group’s gas permeability research project (CLICK HERE for related story).

Elie Alkhoury of CAN-BEST walked listeners through the laboratory’s testing apparatus and process, and the inconsistent results received thus far in the baseline testing. As Alkhoury explained, “There’s something there that’s causing us to vary.” With components to test assembled, the lab is working to improve the testing process itself to establish a thus far elusive normal baseline for testing. Although there was little resolution on the topic at this morning’s meeting, the questions have been asked early on as the IGMA annual meeting continues through Friday.

Stay tuned to USGNN.com™ for updates from the conference.

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