A variety of sealants in tubes have long become a familiar part of almost any repair. They are used not only by professional masters, but also most people, moreover, the scope of the use of sealants is really extensive. In this article, we will just analyze their independent use in everyday life.
With the advent of universal sealants, the process of closing unwanted seams during the repair became really simple, but once this problem was solved mainly through rubber seals and cement. Everything would be nothing, but when using such materials, there was a problem of their various interaction with different surfaces. Given the fact that most seams in everyday life just arise when connecting various materials, this work was really difficult.
The modern solution to this problem was in sealants based on silicone and acrylic. Their advantage is obvious – drying, such materials retain their elasticity, while they are completely waterproof. Their other important feature is the possibility of adaptation to specific tasks. For example, for bathrooms, sealants with antifungal additives are widely used, which avoid the appearance of an unwanted fungus over time. In addition, there are sealants for subsequent coloring and many others on sale.
Package
Packaging of the vast majority of sealants – the tube has one large drawback. It retains the properties of the sealant only for several days after its opening, that is, before the work, we must know the approximate amount of sealant, which we may need. In the absence of sufficient experience, determining such a quantity can be very problematic.
In addition to the usual tubes, sealants are also produced in plastic bags. The advantage of such packaging is precisely that in it the sealant retains its properties longer after opening, but they are possible only if there is a professional syringe with a special cartridge.
Preparation for work
Before opening a plastic tube, pay attention to the shape of the tip through which the sealant is squeezed out. The shape of the cut that you need to do depends on the features of the planned work. A slice at an angle of 90 degrees will squeeze out a smaller amount of sealant and do this gently. The cut at an acute angle, on the contrary, will accelerate the process of extrusion and greatly facilitate it.
In addition, when using sealants, we will need additional tools such as solvent, primer, degreasing composition, construction tape and several spatulas.
Of course, we must not forget about the syringe for working with a note. There are many species for today: from inexpensive household to professional pneumatic.
Working rules
As when working with any material that has the property of adhesion, the effective use of sealants involves the preliminary preparation of surfaces in the form of their cleaning, degreasing and processing a primer.
The width of the seam we need is limited to two sides by building tape (you should be especially careful when applying tape: it must fit tightly to the surface and completely exclude the possibility of sealants under it), after which the seam is filled with sealant.
Immediately after applying the sealant, we have the opportunity to give the seam the desired shape: to make it slightly pressed or, on the contrary, to align. This can be done with fingers, previously moistened in soapy solution.
When the stage 3 is finished, you can remove construction tape and leave the sealant to dry (it will take 2-3 days.)
