I've cut dados into 2 X 4 construction timber frames (lap joints) for polyc arbonate sections for a greenhouse-type structure (actually, a solar wood k iln). I'm going to paint the frames before I assemble, but while I'm at Hom e Depot to get the paint, I going to get some calk to seal the frame (wood to polycarbonate) and I don't know if your basic DAP polymer sealant is goi ng to do the job. I don't know if polycarbonate requires a special product, and I'm guessing the structure is going to get pretty warm in the summer.
This seems more like a question about caulk than polycarbonate. Of course, the latter scratches easily, which may be a factor in your long term satisfaction. Suggest you investigate the types of caulk available.
ycarbonate sections for a greenhouse-type structure (actually, a solar wood kiln). I'm going to paint the frames before I assemble, but while I'm at H ome Depot to get the paint, I going to get some calk to seal the frame (woo d to polycarbonate) and I don't know if your basic DAP polymer sealant is g oing to do the job. I don't know if polycarbonate requires a special produc t, and I'm guessing the structure is going to get pretty warm in the summer .
Any exterior caulk they sell at the big box store will do the job. Silicon sticks to anything.
WOW! Probably one of the most useful charts I have seen on the net in years ! Thanks for that one, Karl. As you know I do a lot of waterproofing, roo fing, and repairs. Sealants are a big part of what I do for not on those t asks but for upgrades. When I replace glass in certain instances, I use po lycarbonate. If I am working on a residential home door that has glass pan els near a lock, I always replace with polycarbonate. And yet, never have I seen that chart or one like it. Really great stuff. I am wondering, do you think this
Note that many of those sealants in the description are silicone or acrylic based. The poly is too hard, chemical resistant and smooth for long term adhesion. It shrinks a tiny bit, the dirt gets in the joints and holds moi sture and the joint fails. Most silicone sealants are not strongly UV resi stant, and most acrylics are only mildly so.
Locally, we are using a BASF product, either Sonneborn NP1 or Sonolastic, d epending on the engineering specs. Check this out:
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It will stick to just about any substrate if it is clean, is almost inert w hen applied, heat does not affect its performance at all, left as applied h as extreme UV resistance, can be painted (only after about two weeks), and has an elasticity factor of an incredible 35%!
We use it on everything. The downside? In the right hands a nice bead loo ks OK. It is always colored, there is no "clear" so it is always noticeabl e. It is really difficult to apply when cold, and cleanup can be a real bit ch. Allowed to dry, it is almost impossible to get off any surface includi ng the adjoining areas where you are working, and must be CUT off your tool s. Once dry it is impervious to most solvents. It has a short shelf life, so must be purchased as needed; I throw a few tubes a year away that have hardened in my truck tool box over the summer. Also, at $8 a tube, you don 't just slather it anywhere, nor do you keep much on hand. But for what it does, it is great.
I have never seen your chart. I hang onto anything that makes me look like I know what I am doing, so that one goes in the file. Thanks!
I keep everything I can on DropBox that manufacturers like Simpson, James Hardie, et al, publish on the use and installation of their products. Comes in handy when you have to maintain a warranty on a product. and the use of non compatible component may void it.
Job description, bearing heavily on the first word in the phrase "gofer in charge", means I keep those 'keys to the kingdom' on DropBox where I can access them on the phone/tablet when making those too frequent daily trips to hardware.
I'm starting to like the retailer's phone apps too. Last week at Home Depot I rolled up to the check out with a roll of red rosin paper that had no SKU sticker. The cash register jockey was on her third try at finding it in the register, and the homies behind me in line were getting restless, when I grabbed my phone, did a quick search, and read her the SKU off HD's IOS app.
Tech in the construction bidness ... gotta love it. ;)
+1 on NP1... great stuff. Seems like we talked about that before?
Leon wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
Polycarbonate is sensitive to many common solvents used in caulks and sealants. You need to check the MSDS sheet of the proposed sealent against the polycarbonate sheet manufacturer's technical guide if you want to avoid microcracking and rapid degradation along the edge of the sealent bead. The problem is significantly worse if exposed to UV. However neutral cure silicones are generally safe.
Polycarbonate also has a high coefficient of thermal expansion so if the grooves are too tight it will sheer the sealent. If loose enough to allow for expansion, you then have the problem of shimming each sheet in place so it is centered in the groove and doesn't bottom out anywhere.
< It has a short shelf life, so must be purchased as needed; I throw a few tubes a year away that have hardened in my truck tool box over the summer.
Don't throw that stuff away. Cut the tube off of the hardened caulk. What you now have is a new sander cleaning stick. It works as well as the ones you buy, I'll bet.
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