Sealant, types and uses

Sealant sealant is an adhesive and sealing compound for sealing cracks and joints in building structures. It is used for sealing gaps in rooms and outside, as well as in masonry for sealing. Sealants for joints are selected depending on the type of construction work (external or internal), surface characteristics and operating conditions (temperature differences, humidity, UV radiation).

Types of seals

In composition, they are divided into acrylic, polyurethane, silicone, bitumen and others.

Sealant for acrylic seams is a plastic mass used for sealing joints in plaster and wood, gypsum plasterboard structures. Seal the joints when installing doors and windows, fixing skirting boards, flooring, and also repair cracks in furniture and walls. Sealant has a high coefficient of adhesion to porous surfaces (concrete, wood, brick, plasterboard, plaster). It is recommended to use it for internal works, while avoiding wet rooms and joints of sanitary equipment. Acrylic sealant is elastic, but it does not withstand deformation. It has a high heat resistance, is resistant to UV rays, environmentally friendly, easy to use. After processing, after 45 minutes, a film is formed, and full hardening occurs in 24 hours. Acrylic sealants are white, but lend themselves to plaster and paint in a different color.

Silicone joint filler is used for repair and general construction works. Such a sealant for seams is the most common. It fits well with almost all materials (except for Teflon, polyethylene and silicone), it is more elastic, warm and weatherproof than acrylic. The sealant can be acidic and neutral. The first is more suitable for working with ceramics, wood and plastic, and the second is applied to anything - foam concrete and concrete, wood, brick, plaster, PVC. For the bathroom and toilet should be used sealants with antifungal additives that protect against the appearance of mold.

These fillers tolerate moisture and heat, they are elastic and last for a long time (up to 20 years).

Polyurethane sealant for joints is used for facade works, hermetic sealing of the foundation and roof, glazing of the attics, for sealing joints in ventilation systems. It is suitable for gluing joints from metal, wood, plastic, stone, brick, concrete. Having good adhesion, it is used as a sealant for inter-panel joints. The disadvantage is its combustibility, it quickly degrades when exposed to UV rays.

Sealant for joints foams when squeezed out of a balloon (volume increases 30-50 times). It is recommended to fill the seams in several steps. Packages (cylinders) are produced with foam for professional and domestic use.

There are sealants with a more specific application. For example, butyl are used for double-glazed windows, as they are vapor-permeable, sufficiently elastic, resistant to UV radiation. They also produce bituminous and thiocarbon sealants for joints.