Setra, a provider of sawntimber, bioproducts, and glue-laminated timber (glulam), is now offering a new moisture protection for frames made from cross-laminated timber (CLT). The protection is applied directly in the production facility and simplifies the construction process, according to the press release by Setra.
“Having to take into account the weather and humidity is a constant issue in the construction industry, regardless of the material being used. We are very pleased to be able to offer an effective solution that makes work easier at construction sites and makes it even easier to build with wooden frames,” said Theres Jansson, CLT salesperson at Setra.
The Wetguard200SA moisture protection is manufactured by Swiss company Siga Cover. It consists of a membrane that allows the wooden frame to breathe and release moisture in the vapour phase, while at the same time protecting against the penetration of water and other dirt.
The protection is applied to surfaces such as floor structures and end-grain wood when the frames are being manufactured in Setra’s CLT production facility.
The method has been tested by Setra, ByggPartner and Siga on a large scale during different seasons. The measurements reportedly show that the protected wood complies with the limit values for moisture by a large margin, even when the frames have been exposed to severe weather.
“Wetguard allows construction to continue regardless of the weather, and construction companies do not have to think about using traditional weather protection such as tents, which cost both time and money to install,” said Jansson.
“By increasing the industry’s expertise regarding wood construction and developing new methods such as this, we want to make it easier to choose to use wooden frames. We already know that wooden frames both shorten the construction time and have a significantly lower climate impact than conventional building materials.”
