Sealants & Adhesives

Sealants & Adhesives 

What Binds Them & What Separates Them?

Sealants: As the name suggests, sealants seal. They normally seal one surface to another resulting in an air and water tight seal. Adhesives are normally used to bond materials together.  In our experience choosing the right sealant is not the biggest issue people face it is how much sealant is required for a particular job and what is the best colour sealant to use.

Before sealing the area where your bath and tiles meet, fill the bath with water to weight it down. This is to ensure that the sealant does not stretch when someone is having a bath.
Use a sealant finishing tool to produce an even consistent depth of sealant.

Adhesives: With adhesives the right choice normally depends on the strength of the adhesive required for the job. For example you would need a much stronger adhesive for your tiles than you would for your child’s paper machete school project.

Knowing Your Filler Adhesive From Your Super Glue! 


Tile Adhesive
Most common mistakes in any tiling job is using the wrong adhesive. Ask for advice in any Homevalue store before starting the job. There are different colour adhesives, different strength adhesives and the strength changes based on if it is for a wall or a floor.
 

Most common mistakes in any tiling job is using the wrong adhesive. Ask for advice in any Homevalue store before starting the job.

Wood Glue
There are glues that will work on lots of different surfaces including wood including Gorilla Glue Superglue. However, if you are working on a particularly valuable piece of wood we would recommend considering a wood specific glue.

Super Glue (or Crazy Glue as our American cousins call it)
Super glue will work on almost any surface and will create a strong and durable adhesive bond. Super glue is generally not expensive so it is advisable to buy a reliable brand. Be very careful as most will bond quickly to any surface including skin.

Fillers As Adhesives 
Fillers are commonly categorized along with adhesives as they do have a bonding quality but their use is primarily to fill a space. Fillers also normally have an insulation quality being air and water tight and can often be painted or sanded.

Sealants
With sealants you want durability. If they easily damage or shrink your seal no longer seals! Buy quality like the Bostik. Consider moisture resistance and corrosion resistance when choosing your sealant. It would be quite frustrating if your shower seal was not moisture proof! Some sealants are designed specifically for indoors and some are designed for outdoors use like Bostik’s Rito range.

 

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