Sometimes you can put it together with duct tape and hope for the best, but sometimes you need something with real sticking power. There are various adhesives on the market that can be called “construction adhesives” and can be used in a variety of applications to bond two surfaces together. Construction adhesives should be able to adhere to a wide range of materials, be water-resistant, and flexible when dry. Flexibility is particularly important for outdoor applications because the bonded materials will probably expand and contract as the weather changes.

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Single-component adhesive

One type of construction adhesive is the single-component mastic adhesive. These have been around for some time and are becoming rather dated. When using this kind of adhesive, the surfaces you wish to bond must be completely dry. In a country as rainy as the UK, this is a considerable disadvantage when working outdoors. These adhesives are also slow to dry. They must be supported for at least 24 hours, and when they do dry, they are not as flexible as other, more modern adhesives.

Two-part adhesive

Another type of construction adhesive is the two-part adhesive. This needs to be mixed before application. It is considerably stronger and more flexible than the single-component mastic adhesive, but it still has its disadvantages. The mixing has to be done very accurately or the adhesive won’t work, and again, it has to be supported for a considerable length of time because it doesn’t begin to grab straight away. It also has to be applied to completely dry surfaces.

Grab and Bond adhesive

Ideally, industrial adhesives would have the simplicity of the single-component mastic but the increased strength and flexibility of the two-part adhesive. This is the adhesive that ct1 have developed. It’s a hybrid polymer that doesn’t require any mixing. It can be applied to wet surfaces, which is a huge advantage for external jobs, and the grip is strong and instant. When dried, it is exceptionally strong and firmly bonded. For example, instead of requiring four fixing bolts to attach a 10kg marble slab to a vertical substrate, it can be fixed with no sliding and no need for support while drying.

There have been considerable advances made in the materials used in construction; the improvement in construction adhesive is one of the most notable.