Standard for assessing frame deflection using one component polyurethane foams updated

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) has updated a standard that providing guidance for installing fenestration products.

AAMA 812-19, “Voluntary Practice for Assessment of Frame Deflection When Using One Component Polyurethane Foams for Air-Sealing Rough Openings of Fenestration Installations,” was last updated in 2010. One component polyurethane foams have sometimes been associated with frame deflection of fenestration products.

This can result from either misapplication or the use of foams not suited to the purpose. One component polyurethane foams have been developed specifically for application with fenestration products to eliminate these incidents.

“The AAMA 812 has been updated to clarify foam physical properties, enhance sample preparation, testing and measurement procedures, and include requirements for reporting of test results,” said Beverly Selle (Dow Chemical Company), chair of the AAMA 812 Insulating Expanding Foams Task Group, in an AAMA news release.

The standard identifies pressure build and dimensional stability as the key attributes that contribute to deflection of fenestration products resulting from the use of one component polyurethane foams, and provides test protocols for assessing these key attributes.