While cavity flashings are a critical part of maintaining the weather tightness and performance of any building, there is no set methodology for achieving effective seals. Made-to-order cavity flashings are a solution to a problem and they’re changing the NZ industry benchmark.
The popularity of pre-made cavity flashings has grown exponentially over the last few years. That’s been taken one step further with full customisation to account for situations where beams penetrate the rigid air barrier. Making simple cavity flashings a reality for much more than standard circular piping.
While cavity flashings are a critical part of maintaining the weather tightness and performance of any building, there is no set methodology for achieving effective seals. This makes the area a complex and often expensive one, especially when the penetrations are irregular or penetrate the cladding at different angles.
Transforming the NZ building industry
For John and Alex of Vanluk Design, solving this common issue has been the focus of a number of years work. The first stage was developing a standard cavity flashing for pipes that did not depend entirely on the skill of the person installing it. “Using tape and other solutions was a common way to create a cavity flashing. Something that would often come into contact with sealant, cause a reaction, and be prone to failure over time,” John Lukaszewicz says.
“It was this necessity to rely solely on an individual’s skill and knowledge that led to problems. Those problems were solved with the release of the MG 50 and MG 100 pipe and cable cavity flashings. A simple solution that has had a remarkable impact on the industry. Now, it’s much rarer for people to put a penetration through a building and dress it with tape because this solution exists.”
“Until this option was available, the solutions for cavity flashing for these types of penetrations were being developed on a case-by-case basis and often resulting in unneeded complexity and expense.
“What Vanluk can offer is a completely customisable solution, on a made-to-order basis with a turnaround time from order to delivery of a maximum of seven working days. All that is needed is the size of the cavity, the exact shape of the beam or penetration, the angle or angles if it is a compound penetration, and the quantity. From there, a quote is provided and once confirmed the cavity flashings will be made to the required specifications.”
Find out more about customisable and made-to-order cavity flashings for different penetrations and watch this step-by-step video.
What are the options for cavity flashings for beams or angular penetrations?
The original MG 50 and MG 100 pipe and cable cavity flashings are now available for a much broader range of penetrations. They are designed specifically for architectural add-ons such as louvres, canopies or pergolas that require steel beams to penetrate the cladding to hold them in place.
“It’s in these cases where the penetrations are typically not restricted in size and shape to the typical circularity and conformity of size to piping. For example, I-beams are common penetrations in these situations, as are different beam shapes and sizes, and the need for beams to penetrate the cladding at different angles, which changes the shape of the penetration.”
This need led to the development of Vanluk’s original cavity flashing offering, with the company now offering completely customisable solutions made to order for different penetrating profiles.
