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FAQ

The Questions and Answers section should help you find the answers you need. If you don’t find the information you’re looking for, do not hesitate to ask your question.

General

The WATERPROOFING KIT FOR SHOWER BASE contains all the material required to waterproof a home-made shower base of approximately 1.75 m² (19 ft²). The solution is effective, clean and easy to install. It requires no special tools and the result is durable. The kit contains:
  • RESISTO INTERIOR PRIMER (910 ml)
  • AIR AND VAPOR BARRIER MEMBRANE REDZONE (10 cm x 7.6 m / 4 in x 25 ft)
  • RESISTO BASIC WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE (50 cm x 3.5 m / 20 in x 11.5 ft)
  • Brush and gloves

Insulation

  • Highly resistant to water and moisture.
  • Unaffected by weather conditions during storage and installation.
  • Rot proof; resistant to mould and bacteria.
  • Superior initial and long-term thermal performances (R-5/inch).
  • Can be subjected to very high compression forces.
  • Multipurpose; it can be used in several applications.
  • Durable, sturdy, and non-friable.
  • Lightweight and easy to install.
  • Without CFC, HCFC and HFC-134a, therefore presenting no risk of ozone depletion.
SOPRA-XPS 20 is designed for the insulation of exterior walls, whether they are above or below grade. It can also be used under concrete slabs for residential applications, and to insulate interior residential basement walls.

SOPRA-XPS 30 is designed for the insulation of walls above and below the foundation and under the foundation slabs.

SOPRA-XPS 40, 60 and 100 are designed for heavy load applications requiring high-density insulation.
As a result of the physical space that wood framing takes up and the conductive nature of dense materials, such as cement and steel, the most efficient placement of insulation is on the interior or exterior of the building’s structure. Continuous insulation refers to insulation that is placed on the interior or the exterior or integrally to the opaque surface of a building envelope in an efficient manner so that it is not significantly compromised by thermal bridging.
SOPRA-XPS panels should not be exposed to UV rays for more than 60 days.
This number is the minimum compressive strength for the panel type expressed in psi. For example, a SOPRA-XPS 20 panel will resist compression up to 20 psi (138 kPa), while SOPRA-XPS 40 will resist compression up to 40 psi (276 kPa). A higher or lower resistance depends on the use of the panel.
Reflective insulation is thermal insulation composed of enclosed air spaces sandwiched between one or more low-emittance materials. A radiant barrier system consists of a reflective material facing an open airspace. The main difference between the two is that a reflective insulation system has a measurable R-value (source: RIMA). By definition, this means that our high performance reflective insulation products are reflective insulation systems because they already have an enclosed airspace sandwiched between the outer layers. With regard to radiant barriers, there is a product called REFLECTIVE VAPOR BARRIER composed of a black polyethylene film and a metallized surface. This product can also be used in reflective insulation systems if the foil side is facing an enclosed airspace.
Yes. All our bubble products are ASTM E96-compliant Type 1 vapor barriers. Like any other vapor barrier, it has to be installed in the right place in your assembly.
Your imagination is almost the only limitation to the many uses of use RESISTO high performance reflective insulation. It can be installed wherever you would use any other insulation. It can also be used for other applications, such as a camping mattress, stadium seat, cooler insulation or windshield screen.
In most applications, it is recommended to seal seams with an appropriate tape. RESISTO ADHESIVE TAPES (vinyl, metallized, or aluminum) meets fire ratings and vapor barrier requirements. The glue is designed to adhere permanently to foil and white polyethylene.
Yes. Whether you live in a warm or cold climate, the three methods of heat transfer (conduction, convection and radiation) apply. It will radiate out warm air in the summer and keep it in during the winter.

Roofing

RESISTOFLASH product line is ideal to waterproof parapets and upstands in new construction or renovation works. Here are the products: LIQUID WATERPROOFING MEMBRANE RESISTOFLASH is ready to use and can be applied without any primer on most surfaces, such as asphalt shingles, granulated elastomeric membranes, wood, concrete or metal. RFINISHING GRANULES RESISTOFLASH are also available for projects on granulated surfaces.
The RESISTO ALUMINUM ROOF COATING is a thick, homogeneous waterproofing coating made of elastomeric bitumen, volatile solvents and reflective aluminum pigments. It restores and protects metal surfaces, such as roofs, sidings, storage tanks and water ducts from corrosion. The aluminum pigments protect the sealant and the coated surface from UV radiation, and they offer an attractive appearance.
The installation of a protective membrane like RESISTO WATERPROOFING JOIST GUARD prevents the rotting of structural timber under exterior floors and substantially extends the service life of the patio at low cost.

Soundproofing

First of all, sound is an acoustic vibration that propagates in the air and causes an auditory sensation. A sound is mainly defined by two parameters – the frequency (or pitch) and the volume (or intensity). The intensity refers to the force of the sound. Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB). It can range from 0 dB to 194 dB. A sound that reaches the maximum intensity of 194 dB will certainly affect your sense of hearing. Verbal discussion: between 45 and 55 dB Background noise in a room: about 28 dB Phone ringtone: about 80 dB Vacuum cleaner: between 60 and 85 dB Television: about 70 dB The frequency refers to the tone of the sound. Frequency is measured in hertz (Hz). Human beings can perceive frequencies between 20 Hz and 18,000 Hz, and animals perceive frequencies beyond what humans can hear. Noise, for its part, is a set of sounds produced by irregular, inharmonious vibrations. It is often perceived as a nuisance.
Nowadays, noise is a major source of pollution. Since noise in a building can easily travel through air, materials, openings and structures, soundproofing is an essential element to be considered early, at the design phase of the building.
In the field of building acoustics, two types of sound transmission exist. Airborne noise: Airborne noises are transmitted by air and atmosphere. The radio, or people carrying on a conversation, are good examples of airborne noises. Impact noise: Impact noises propagate through solids and result from a shock on them. The footsteps of a person and the sound of an object falling on the floor are examples of impact noises.
Sound absorption of a wall consists of preventing the sound from switching from one side of the wall to the other without creating reverberation. The objective is to minimize the sound perceived from the opposite side of the source without amplifying noise perceived inside the emitting room by reverberation phenomenon. Acoustic insulation of a wall consists of preventing the sound from passing from one side of the wall to the other. Therefore, the objective is to minimize the sound perceived on the opposite side from the source of noise.
The acoustic performance of a system is defined by two indexes: the IIC (Impact Insulation Class) for impact noise and the STC (Sound Transmission Class) for airborne noise. To get even closer to the real conditions, we can test acoustic performance indexes on construction sites. In this case, the indexes presented are preceded by the letter F to denote the concept of construction site (Field). It is important to note that the FSTC and FIIC results are generally lower than the STC and IIC results since control is lower on a real construction site than during laboratory tests. However, they are closer to reality.
The FIIC normalized impact noise insulation index consists of testing the transmission coefficient of impact noises (e.g., footsteps, falling objects, and knocks). The FSTC sound transmission index measures the transmission of airborne noises (e.g., voice, television, and music). In both cases, the higher the number, the better the noise reduction. Both indexes are not necessarily related; that is to say a good FIIC does not necessarily mean a good FSTC, and vice versa. However, since impact noise becomes airborne noise a fraction of a second after the impact, it is clear that a good FIIC index promotes a better FSTC index.
There are many subfloor products on the market. To make an informed choice combining performance and durability, it is essential to know what to consider. The subfloor membrane must act as a vapor barrier, since the wood reacts to moisture. To maintain its acoustic performance, the subfloor membrane must be resilient, which means it must remain stable without sagging over time. In addition to these two essential elements, several other criteria must be considered and compared in order to choose the right product:
  • Installation method
  • Compatibility with complementary products (e.g., adhesive and mortar)
  • Installer's product knowledge
  • Membrane thickness
  • Compliance with various programs (e.g., LEED and Novoclimat)
  • Results of various acoustic tests (e.g., FIIC, FSTC and Robinson)
  • Anti-fracture characteristics (for a membrane applied to ceramic)
  • Etc.
Discover the RESISTO floor soundproofing products available to you.
No. The index is determined by measuring a complete assembly in which the membrane is used. No regulation requires manufacturers to explain how they achieved their acoustic performance results. However, always ask for the full details of the floor or ceiling assembly associated with acoustic indexes presented, in order to be able to compare them to your actual project.
Concrete is an excellent insulation from airborne noises. Since concrete is a very hard material, it reduces acoustic performance in terms of impact noises, since concrete conducts noises. When designing a building, the selection of a structure with or without concrete should be considered. In the case of a building with five or more floors, there is no choice because the National Building Code requires a structural concrete slab. It is recommended that you use soundproofing products specifically designed to increase acoustic performance by reducing impact noises.

Wall Systems

AIR AND VAPOR BARRIER MEMBRANE REDZONE is mostly used as an air/vapor barrier for door and window frames. It provides continuous air and vapor protection, eliminates drafts and water leaks, is self-sealing around nails and screws to ensure waterproofing, is UV resistant (must be covered within 90 days), is clean and easy to install, and requires no special tools.
Yes, RESISTO CORNER GUARD saves time and helps reduce costly cutting, folding and caulking mistakes when waterproofing complex details.

Waterproofing

RESISTO recommends using SOPRA-XPS panels. Those are lightweight, and easy to cut, and can be glued to the membrane using a polystyrene-compatible adhesive. The insulation panel will also offer a significant thermal resistance of R-5/inch. Waterproofing membranes installed in clay soil should always be covered with a protective panel.
The WATERPROOFING REPAIR KIT FOR FOUNDATION CRACKS contains all the material needed to repair cracks in residential and commercial building foundations. The kit contains: