Glazing Contractors Wait for More Information on Defective Sealant
June 16, 2010

Glazing contractors around the country have been asking questions about how they might be affected by potential problems with insulating glass units (IGUs) using certain batches of 982 silicone insulating glass sealant - but few answers have been received.

Viracon in Owatonna, Minn., sent a letter to customers last week notifying them that they may have received IGUs using a problematic batch of sealant from the company's silicone supplier, Dow Corning. CLICK HERE to read related story.

Members of Dow Corning's construction leadership team have been meeting this week on the problem but had yet to release a statement as of press time.

The biggest questions are just how serious this problem is and whether other fabricators have used these same batches of sealant in their units.

According to one contract glazier, who spoke on condition of anonymity, "I have no idea based on the information provided if this is a major concern for Viracon and Dow … Nowhere in the documentation that was sent to us do I find a statement that tells anyone what may or may not result from the use of what is, for all practical purposes, being referred to as defective sealant. Will the units for prematurely? Will they come apart? Or do they just look bad?"

As of yet, neither Dow nor Viracon has released information as to the total number of installed projects have been affected, or whether the sealant has been used in structurally glazed applications, which could pose a safety risk.

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