Outsmarting the Cold Weather

By Karen L. Edwards, RCS Editor.

Dropping temperatures mean stiff products and stiff hands.

It’s that time of year where temperatures are dropping, meaning contractors are getting creative to prevent their sealants from stiffening and becoming nearly impossible to gun out. Some contractors line up the caulk tubes on the dashboards of their trucks, and others use coolers to try to keep the tubes warm.

The constant concern over where the tubes are and remembering to bring them in out of the cold in the winter gets in the way of productivity. If you’ve ever forgotten to bring them in and needed to use them on a job, you’re in for a struggle. What if there was a sealant that wasn’t affected by the cold?

Todd Gorney, Midwest Territory Manager for Sashco, talked with me recently about the cold-weather performance of Through the Roof and I think every contractor is going to want this in their toolbox. Todd told me that Through the Roof performs so well in cold weather due to its chemistry and the fact that it is anywhere from 40 – 80 percent lower viscosity. “Polyurethanes and silicones by nature are 40 – 50 percent thicker and that is why they stiffen in cold weather,” explained Todd. “If a contractor accidentally leaves their tube in the truck, it can wreak havoc on getting the job done.”  

“Through the Roof is a crystal-clear synthetic rubber sealant that can be applied in temperatures ranging from 0 – 120 degrees F and can be applied through ponding water,” Todd said. “It features a very versatile chemistry and it sticks very tenaciously.”

In addition to the great performance in the cold, I learned that Through the Roof has a long life – up to five years. If that tube of Through the Roof may have rolled under your truck seat and you find it six months later, it will still be usable, unlike other sealants, who start to harden after 12 months. Once a sealant begins to harden, you’re losing money through wasted products.

Lastly, contractors will appreciate the innovative Cobra Lap Joint Nozzle that allows for a flat bead to be applied with no tooling required. It saves on materials and cuts your labor time in half. It’s a must have for your toolbox and you can try one for free.

Request your free Cobra Nozzle.

Photo by Heather M. Edwards on Unsplash