Well that’s the opinion of Kevin McCloud of Grand Designs fame in an article in the Architects’ Journal.
In his words:
It’s tempting to choose gaffer tape, superglue or cable ties as the most innovative construction technologies of our times. But they are of the realm of Bodgism and hastily assembled reconstruction.
But I suspect that much of what is new in our age just could not be constructed without silicone sealant (low or high modulus). Curtain glass walling would crack and fall out. Double and triple glazing panels, held together by nothing more than caulk and stopping would quickly fail and form internal condensation patches that would slowly turn green. Every timber-framed building in the country would fail its airtightness test and throw the Sustainable Homes Code into turmoil.
And Zaha Hadid’s Nordpark railway blobs would quickly become a haven for Alpine foxes and marmots.
We would have no space shuttle, Gherkin, or quick-fix solution for the uPVC double-glazing installer. And my shower would leak.
My Dad will probably agree with this opinion – we used to call him the ‘Silicone Kid’ as he used to use it everywhere, including trying to stick picture frames on the wall with the stuff.
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