Polymeric adhesive is a substance capable of tightly fastening a variety of mounting surfaces. Such foundations perfectly resist high humidity, retain their original properties during sharp temperature fluctuations. Polymer-based glue is increasingly becoming the choice of professional craftsmen, as it guarantees excellent results.
What is polymer adhesive?
The main purpose of polymer adhesives is the sphere of construction and repair work. Such products are presented in the form of plastic masses, which include polymers, as well as special fixing agents.
The advantage of polymer adhesive bases is a high level of adhesion and extremely fast setting of surfaces. The only negative can be considered relative toxicity. Therefore, when working with such substances, it is recommended to resort to the use of personal protective equipment.
Basic types
Currently, there are several varieties of polymer adhesive:
- For interior work. Such gluepolymer is used in interior decoration, in particular, laying parquet, installing tiles, plasterboard panels. A prerequisite for using this base is the absence of a consistently high level of humidity and exposure to aggressive chemicals on the surface.
- For exterior cladding. It is used in the arrangement of facades of buildings. Suitable for laying mosaics, ceramic materials, fixing insulation boards. This polymer adhesive is resistant to atmospheric influences, high and low temperatures.
- Universal - suitable for use in any interior or exterior work. The main advantage is the optimal balance between the cost and quality of the surface connection.
- Mounting glue is used for building up chips, gluing heavy materials, fixing the overall elements of building facades. It is widely used not only in industry, but also in everyday life. The main advantage of mounting polymer bases is increased resistance to external influences: high humidity, chemicals, vibration, shock loads, pressure on the surface.
- "Liquid nails" - this polymer glue looks like an ideal solution for joining plasterboard, metal surfaces, glass, ceramics and plastic. Due to the presence of synthetic rubber in the composition, the substance hardens extremely quickly. Products of this kind have acquired their name, since a point application of a substance is sufficient for reliable bonding of surfaces.
- "Cold welding" - glue for polymer clay, glass, plastic, wood and metal. It is used in cases where it is necessary to seamlessly connect broken parts of products.
Preparation of surfaces for gluing
Polymeric adhesive is recommended to be applied to carefully cleaned, flat surfaces. Otherwise, the consumption of the substance per unit area will increase significantly. Moreover, the lining may not adhere well if the composition is applied to the surface in an uneven layer.
When performing work in conditions of high humidity, the base on which the materials will be glued must be primed. Thanks to this procedure, a film is formed on the surface, which will absorb water from the adhesive base, connecting the structural elements more reliably.
Application Features
Most varieties of polymer adhesive are prone to rapid hardening. The period during which a substance prepared for work can be stored in a container is called its “life time”. In most cases, the parameter is indicated on the product packaging.
When using polymer glue, one should take into account the fact that when the agent completely solidifies in a container, it should not be tried to re-diluted with water. In this case, the substance may partially lose its original characteristics, so the bonding cannot be called high-quality.
Store polymer adhesives at a temperature of at least 5and not higher than 25 С⁰. In this case, the packaging should be out of reach of direct sunlight. To avoid fires, glue should be placed away from heaters.
Work in progress
Polymer adhesives are applied to dry surfaces in a thin, even layer. When connecting boards made of drywall or polystyrene foam, the substance is superimposed with a dotted line. The surfaces are tightly joined in 3-5 minutes after applying the adhesive. The time for reliable setting of polymer bases is on average about 30–40 minutes.
Manufacturer
It is recommended to select polymer adhesive for tiles and work with other materials, focusing on the manufacturer. Not only the price depends on the brand of products, but also its quality and, as a result, the reliability of the connection of surfaces.
If we talk about products of the middle price segment, then here we can distinguish mainly domestic brands: Moment polymer glue, Litokol, Master, Artelit, Front. At the same time, polymer adhesives from such brands as Ceresit, Polimin, Knauf, Thomsit, Anserglob enjoy the greatest authority on the market.
Regardless of the choice of manufacturer, it is important to adhere to the technology of gluing surfaces. In this case, almost any polymer adhesive is able to prove itself as a highly effective agent.
