Silicone Vs. MS Polymers?
Which product has the edge in the battle of the sealants? If you were simply comparing the cost of materials, on the face of it, silicone has it. You can source it for around £1 a cartridge, although at that price, the quality might not be the best.
But materials cost isn’t the whole story. If it takes an extra man-hour to use a cheaper silicone sealant, you won’t have saved a penny. If the product doesn’t do the job, your reputation’s in danger. In any project, it’s the combination of all costs – labour, power and materials, durability and performance that counts.
And that overall picture is where MS Polymer adhesives and sealants show their true worth. That’s not just our opinion. SMART Systems, probably the UK’s most highly respected aluminium supplier specifies FORMOA® sealants. In recent independent pressure testing of its skylight system, this MS-formulated sealant surpassed all expectations. No other product has come close.
SMARTS are by far from unusual in favouring MS sealants. The glazing industry is moving in that direction. Overall, the product performance is better, the materials are easy to work with, and unlike silicone products which can leach their silicone over time, they are stable.
When people start to use MS Polymer products they discover the benefits – strength, practicality, the simple fact that they can be painted but won’t cause damage to adjacent paint finishes – they’re soon convinced.
Silicone has users but MS Polymers have real fans.