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Adhesive Frequently Asked Questions

People wonder about a number of things when they are looking to use a product. Adhesives for bonding natural stone, concrete, porcelain, ceramic, engineered stone, glass, and sintered stone materials can be confusing if you overlook the nuances. This page is dedicated to providing you with answers to adhesive frequently asked questions.

 When should I purchase a pre-colored (buff or white) flowing adhesive?

There are times when buying a "tinted" or "colored" adhesive makes sense. For example, when you are filling or gluing a brown, or beige travertine surface. A buff colored adhesive will compliment the natural color of travertine stone in the beige hues.

There are times when choosing a white adhesive having a makes the most sense. One such time is when you are trying to match a light colored engineered stone. In those cases, purchasing a white adhesive gives you a nice canvas to work with. Adding coloring pigment to the adhesive allows you to match the material you are gluing.

Another time when using a white glue is practical is when you are trying to match challenging colors of engineered stone.

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 Does Domo get brittle and fail when it is exposed to sunlight?

The short answer is no. Epoxies are not UV stable; meaning their color is affected by sunlight's UV rays. Because of this, exposure to UV rays from sunlight will change the color of epoxy adhesives such as Domo and cause it darken. However, UV rays do not diminish the strength of the adhesive. So, sun doesn't affect the strength of Domo. Its chemical and physical characteristics will stay the same in sunlight.

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 Can polyester adhesives be used outdoors?

Polyester resins, by nature are very rigid glues. Once these adhesives have cured, they do not give way to expansion and contractions caused by temperature changes.

However, polyester resins sustain pretty high temperatures before they begin to soften and eventually melt. Polyester has a tendency to become very brittle when exposed to temperatures below 32°F. Because of this characteristic, polyester adhesives are susceptible to delamination if they are used to glue stone together in cold environments.

If you are looking to bond stone outdoors or in cold conditions, we recommend using epoxy resins. Epoxy resins are better suited for outdoor applications. The chemical composition of epoxies makes them more elastic. As a result, they expand and contract as the temperature changes from one season to the next.

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 What adhesive do you recommend for making stone sinks?

For making stone sinks, you will need a glue that is designed to withstand extreme force and low temperatures. The strength is needed because of the weight that the sink will take on when it is full of water. The low temperature resistance is important because sinks are often times on an exterior wall. During cold months this can be pretty cold in some areas.

One 2 part epoxy adhesive that meets these criteria is Domo. Domo is made to withstand both low temperatures and extreme force. Because of that, this is the recommended adhesive for this application.

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 What colors of epoxy are available?

It depends on how you look at it. When you consider that you can color epoxy resins by adding color to them, then the answer is, "there are unlimited colors." Epoxies come in different forms. Depending on the viscosity you will get the best results from one of two coloring methods.

For flowing epoxy adhesives, you can color the glue using a liquid dye that can be mixed into the adhesive. Liquid dye works best for flowing (liquid) epoxies. If you are working with a knife grade epoxy, then you will have better success using a coloring paste. Coloring paste dissolves better in knife grade glue.

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 Do polyester adhesives work on wet stone?

Because of the chemical composition of polyester adhesives, the stone surfaces must be clean and dry for the highest level of adhesion. Moisture prevents the glue from sticking to the material.

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I saw Rivo 15 and Rivo 50 on your site, what is the difference?

The main difference between these adhesives is the cure time. Rivo 15 has a gel time of 15 minutes in bulk. Rivo 15 cures in about 90 minutes.* On the other hand, Rivo 50 has a gel time of 50 minutes in bulk. Rivo 50 cures in approximately 150 minutes.*

As for the other properties that characterize epoxies, these adhesives are the same. Both are structural adhesives available in the same size containers and having the same color. However, the difference in gel and cure times allows for flexibility in usage.

In thin layers, this adhesive will gel and cure more slowly than in bulk. Additionally, epoxies require a temperature above 60°F for the reaction to take place. You can speed up the reaction by applying heat to both the stone and the adhesive.

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 What is the best way to ensure accurate mixing?

Because the accuracy of the mixture impacts the results, some adhesives need to be spot on with their mix ratios. Because of this professionals seek effective ways to get the most accurate mixtures. Adhesive manufacturers create pre-dosed mixing kits and cartridge glue dispensers that mix the parts accurately and correctly during dispensing. For example, Tenax makes single job kits that are pre-dosed so that the entire contents of each container (whether cans or packets) are used for an accurate mixture.

If by "best" you mean getting the right mixture without error in the easiest way possible, then using either pre-dosed cans or packets will serve you well. Or if you can use a glue cartridge for the project, selecting a cartridge glue will give you excellent results.

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 Why do factories and quarries resin stone?

The practice of resining stone at factories and quarries has two main purposes. They are:

  1. Resining strengthens the stone.
  2. Resining the stone increases the production of a mountain.

Stone that has been resined is stronger and this allows for the slabs to be produced in larger sizes. It also means that slabs that would otherwise be fragile can now be used.

As a general rule, the typical yield from a mountain is:

  • A-grade stone = 20%
  • B-grade stone = 30%
  • C-grade stone or lower = 50%

By improving the strength of the stone, a factory or quarry increases the yield of the mountain by making more of the stone usable, and the usable stone stronger. More stone allows for lower prices.

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 What causes adhesive to harden in the can?

There are a few things that cause adhesive to harden in the can. Some of these include:

  • Extreme Temperatures
  • Improper Sealing
  • Old Adhesive
  • Contamination by Hardener

The causes listed above can all cause adhesive to harden in storage. Determining the cause is usually fairly easy since the causes are not difficult to evaluate. temperature, presence of hardener, a bad seal, and age are easy to measure. To avoid waste, be sure adhesive is properly handled, stored, and mixed.

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 Why does some adhesive need to be weighed?

Polyester and epoxies are formulated to allow for a small bit of variance in the mixture. But that is not the case for other kinds of adhesive. For example, Tenax Glaxs requires an exact mix without variation. The smallest deviation from the proper ratio will not give good results. Therefore it is imperative that such adhesives be accurately mixed.

The ratio indicates the ratio in parts. And the ratio refers to the proportionate weight of the two parts being mixed and not the volume. This requires the parts to be weighed. There are kits and dispensing mechanisms though that make the mixing of adhesive parts easier. Pre-dosed packets and/or glue cartridge systems are ways to ensure that the parts are accurately mixed to reduce waste.

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Travertine Filler 1 LT Travertine Filler 1 LT

Travertine filler used to horizontally repair, rebuild, glue, and fill travertine and has a semisolid consistency that is smooth.

List Price: $16.68
Flowing Transparent 1 LT Flowing Transparent 1 LT

A high quality polyester mastic used to horizontally repair, bond, and fill and is very polishable and colors easily.

List Price: $17.66
Transparent Knife Grade H 1 Ltr Transparent Knife Grade H 1 Ltr

Very polishable adhesive that cures shiny, colors easily to match the stone and cures fast with an extremely strong bond.

List Price: $17.66
250 ML Clear White - P Cartridge 250 ML Clear White - P Cartridge

The latest in vinyl ester technology and designed for use on a range of fabrication materials and surface products.

List Price: $26.69
Domo 10 Metal-stone Cartridge Domo 10 Metal-stone Cartridge

Epoxy bi-compnent cartridge glue that works very well for bonding metal materials to stone and other substances.

List Price: $32.24
1 Liter Crystal Knife Grade 1 Liter Crystal Knife Grade

Crystal knife is a high quality polyester mastic used to vertically or horizontally repair and bond and has a very smooth in consistency.

List Price: $35.89
Clean White Clean White

Each color of Glaxs is a versatile adhesive and is color matched to various materials and is compatible with many surfaces.

List Price: $40.97
Rivo 50 A & B 1 Liter Rivo 50 A & B 1 Liter

Rivo 50 A & B is a knife grade epoxy designed for all types of stone, one of the strongest epoxies, and bonds to almost any surface.

List Price: $42.15
StrongEdge 45 Knife Grade 1.5 Qt Set StrongEdge 45 Knife Grade 1.5 Qt Set

StrongEdge is the strongest clear, flowing epoxy specifically designed for fabrication and lamination and won't delaminate.

List Price: $45.46

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Fixtop Epoxy Setting Adhesive 2 Gal. Fixtop Epoxy Setting Adhesive 2 Gal.

Fixtop epoxy adhesive is a true 100% two-part epoxy glue and not water based; it is very easy to mix and spread.

List Price: $110.00
   
 
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