Press Release, 01 June 2007
(Cover story Roofing June 07)
All the key requirements for a high-performance breather membrane are built right into the very nature of DuPont™ Tyvek®. Unique because of the single layer construction of the underlay, it has a functionality equal to its entire thickness. Naturally vapour open but water-tight, robust, resistant to UV damage and general wear and tear, DuPont™ Tyvek® offers peace of mind with reliable protection and trouble-free installation.
In order to ensure the best results long-term it's important to choose a product that's designed to do its job over the whole lifetime of the roof. The quality and thickness of the functional layer of DuPont™ Tyvek® sets it apart in terms of both performance and durability. These days, forward thinking also means looking at the entire building envelope in terms of its efficiency and sustainability, so decisions made today have even more significance than ever. It's not just the carbon footprint that can be reduced by choosing the right membranes, recently-launched metallised products such as Tyvek® Enercor® and DuPont™ AirGuard® mean that the possible increase in the physical footprint of a structure, in order to meet the new Part L regulations, may be minimised as well.
So what makes DuPont™ Tyvek® so special in comparison to multi-layer underlays? Composed of millions of micro fibres, these "plexifilaments" are bonded together to make a “maze” that's impermeable to water and yet allows water vapour to pass through the natural pores in the micro-fibre structure. In multi-layer materials, these pores have to be artificially created by stretching the film layer to open up micro-cracks, which may increase over time, leading to a reduction in both water-tightness and air-tightness.
Although it stands alone functionally as a single layer product, DuPont™ Tyvek® is inherently versatile. It can be used in a variety of applications and as part of multi-product systems. It can also be laminated to increase specific characteristics such as strength without affecting the performance of its micro-fibre structure.
A material that's intended to weather the extremes of climatic variations has to be innately robust, but DuPont™ Tyvek® is also tough enough to withstand the rigours of a building site: staples and the sharp edges of slates don't worry it and if it's accidentally trodden on, or kicked with a counter batten, it won't give in! The technical support that comes with the backing of a global science company is a further significant strength.
As DuPont is constantly involved in research and development programmes and committed to publicly outlined sustainability goals, the DuPont™ Tyvek® story is ongoing. Tyvek® Enercor® and DuPont™ AirGuard®, as mentioned above, form DuPont™ Climate Systems, an advanced technology designed to increase energy-efficiency and boost the insulation performance of buildings – and further innovations are in the pipeline.
For further information please contact:
Peggy Beicht - Media Relations
DuPont Building Innovations
L2984 Luxembourg
Tel: (352) 3666 5945
Fax: (352) 3666 5021
Email: peggy.beicht@lux.dupont.com
