Gap Filling Adhesive

A gap filling adhesive is required where there is a gap between two materials that require sticking together. Adiseal is a high performance gap filling adhesive & sealant. It provides a high strength bond that has high gap fill, remains flexible, waterproof and solvent free. In this article we will also look at what is the best gap filling adhesive.

Why use a gap filling adhesive

When trying to stick two items together, sometimes the materials are not completely smooth. When the items are not smooth and when the items are pushed together, there will be places where the item surfaces will touch and places where there is a gap between the two item surfaces.

If using a glue or adhesive that does not have high gap fill, the bond will only be in the places where the two surfaces are close together. In the places where the gap is high, sufficient glue or adhesive will not remain between the gap. This will create a much weaker bond than a gap filling adhesive like Adiseal. There might even be places where the adhesive does not reach the other side leaving a hole.

Best gap filling adhesive

Adiseal has proven to be the strongest gap filling grab adhesive in an independent test. Ultimate Handyman carried out this independent test by testing the bond strength between wood and metal. The results of the test were surprising. Nothing came even close to the best product Adiseal. Watch the test in the video below.

Construction adhesive strength test

To find out which was the strongest construction adhesive, Ultimate Handyman did several tests. In 1 of the tests, he measured at what pressure the adhesive bond between wood to metal broke at. To do this Ultimate Handyman did the following:

1. Cleaned the metal sheet.
2. Applied each construction adhesive from the different manufacturers to a piece of hardwood.
3. Firmly pushed the wood down on the metal.
4. Waited until each adhesive had cured.
5. Used a hydraulic ram to break each construction adhesive bond.
6. Measure at what pressure each bond broke at.

The best grab adhesive was Adiseal

No other adhesive that was tested came anywhere near the best product, Adiseal. It was over 3 times stronger than the next best product. Adiseal was so strong that the test on it was forced to abandoned as the screws holding the metal sheet down started to rip out. Whilst testing Adiseal, the hydraulic ram seal also broke causing hydraulic ram to leak fluid. Adiseal was too strong for even the test rig. 

“That is actually unbelievable!”

Ultimate Handyman

Testimonials

Testimonials & some comments on the: Grab adhesive tests 2017, video on YouTube

• That Adiseal is phenomenal!
• That Adiseal is some stuff though, definitely need to get some of that bought!
• I instantly went looking for Adiseal!
• Need to get my hands on some of that to try out.
• Looks like a cracking product.
• Having used the two most expensive brands on numerous occasions, I’ll be trying out the others, especially the Adiseal.
• Adiseal certainly surprised me in this test!
• Fantastic tests. It’s unbelievable that Adiseal test with the hardwood.

Solvent free gap filling adhesive

There are numerous problems with adhesives that contain solvents. One of the main problems affects gap fill. Cheaper adhesives tend to be filled with solvents as it’s cheaper to manufacture. These adhesives cure as the solvent evaporates away from from product.

A disadvantage of solvent based adhesives when it comes to gap fill is the adhesive shrinks as it cures. This is because there is less active product in the cartridge. As the solvent based adhesive shrinks, there is a chance of the adhesive pulling away from the material it is stuck to. This will leave a weaker bond and less gap fill than a non solvent based adhesive like Adiseal. As Adiseal adhesive & sealant is a solvent free adhesive, it doesn’t shrink.

The video below shows how a solvent based mastic adhesive shrinks whereas the Adiseal, which is a solvent free adhesive, doesn’t shrink.

Adiseal Applications & Benefits

Adiseal heavy duty construction adhesive bonds & seals:

Bonds: Metals, wood, glass, mirrors, concrete, masonry, stone, tiles, polystyrene, roof felt, fibreglass, most plastics & many other items.

Seals: Baths, showers, gutters, drains, sinks, vehicles, boats, felt roofs & many other applications.

Other benefits of Adiseal include:

• Works in dry, wet, even underwater
• Best grab
• Waterproof adhesive & sealant
• Fast power grab & grip
• Gap filler adhesive
• Resists mould
• Over paintable
• Non brittle
• UV resistant
• Virtually odourless
• Isocyanate free
• Solvent free
• No shrinkage or cracking
• Flexible adhesive
• Prevent fungal growth
• Prevent bacteria growth
• Good resistance to chemicals
• EC1 Plus certified
• ISEGA certified – safe for use in food preparation areas

Adiseal is available in the following colours:

• White
• Black
• Grey
• Brown
• Ultra Clear

Gap filling grab adhesive

The Adiseal adhesive & sealant is a gap filling grab adhesive. For even higher grab, use the Adiseal Hi-Grab gap filling grab adhesive. The Hi-Grab product is designed to be very thick which gives it even higher gap fill and higher grab properties. For this reason it requires a good quality sealant gun to get the product out of the cartridge.

Gap filling glue

Adiglue has higher gap fill than traditional glues. It has a thicker gel formulation allowing it to remain in place in the gap whilst the glue dries. Adiglue is also solvent free. This means it does not shrink like other solvent based products. Adiglue activator can also be used to speed up the drying process.

The video below shows the thicker gel formulation of Adiglue.

Frequently asked questions about gap filling adhesive