Denso Flashing Tape For Swift Homes

Denso Flashing Tape For Swift HomesOn leaving the nest for the first and only time a young swift will head 6,000 miles to southern Africa. A swift can rise up to 20,000 feet and will fly over a million miles in ten years. The only time it lands is to nest, and it will fly up to 100 miles from the nest site to gather food for its young.
Swifts can live over twenty years and are faithful to their chosen nest site. However, without human assistance it is forecast that within the next twenty years swifts could be extinct They have been dependent on buildings, particularly roof spaces, since Roman times - evidence from Europe indicates that access for swifts was included in some medieval buildings.

With the increased renovation of pre-war buildings the reduction of roof spaces has resulted in swift numbers declining by 50 per cent since 1990. Added to this, essential maintenance and modern development of buildings is preventing swifts gaining access to their traditional nest sites. Returning swifts finding access blocked to their traditional nest sites may get injured or killed trying to gain access. They cannot ‘hop around’ looking for somewhere new as the swift does not have legs to walk with, just feet.

Fortunately, a growing number of councils are recognising that swifts need to be considered when plans for renovation and new build are being drawn up. Thus, nest boxes are being installed in buildings and housing stock in areas of London, Glasgow and Cambridge, among others.

Thanks to the Mars in the Community Grants Scheme high quality Zeist nest boxes
are being produced by the Vale of Belvoir Barn Owl Trust for a subsidised price They are protected from the weather by Winn & Coales Denso Flashing Tape, which effectively seals all joints. These craftsman made boxes are constructed from marine ply treated with a wood preservative and contain a concave nesting area.

Denso Flashing Tape, which is widely used in both new build and housing renovation, has a polyester/aluminium laminate foil backing, which offers major improvements over conventional flashing tapes. This includes greater puncture resistance (useful where birds beaks are in action), improved tensile strength, elongation and shear strength characteristics, all of which accommodate natural movement in service of the joint surfaces without disbonding or splitting.