Silicone adhesive - application and correct removal / release

• Difference: silicone and silicone glue
• Application: Instructions
• Remove silicone adhesive correctly

With silicone glue, numerous projects can be implemented that require elastic and at the same time sealing adhesive. The silicone-based adhesives can be used, for example, for repairing an aquarium or for connecting ceramic parts. Although these adhesives do not withstand high levels of impact, they are moisture resistant and durable, making them ideal for a wide range of applications.

You can do a lot with silicone. It is used to seal damp rooms, to join tiles and even in outdoor areas when a moisture-resistant sealant is required. With special silicone glue, you have a variant of the classic fabric, which is provided with higher adhesive properties and is therefore eligible for other projects. If your lizard's terrarium is damaged, you can use the damage with the silicone-based adhesive. Or do you have a craft project in mind where you want to combine plastic with ceramic parts "> Difference: silicone and silicone glue

Silicone is one of the most important sealants ever and is available in numerous variants. When choosing the right silicone, many people wonder if there's even a difference between silicone for sealing and so-called silicone adhesive. Basically it is the same sealant, but there are two "general" differences:

• Silicone adhesive is designed for elastic adhesive joints with sealing factor
• Silicone is designed for classic, immovable sealing indoors and outdoors

You see, the adhesive is optimized for use as a sealing adhesive, although the base is silicone. Of course, a silicone-based adhesive never has the direct properties of an adhesive, but silicone does better with certain materials such as ceramics or glass. Even alkaline surfaces or substrates can be glued with silicone, which makes the use as an optimized adhesive even more effective. However, the basis of the adhesive is silicone and for this reason the adhesives are offered in two main forms:

1. Silicone Adhesive: When a manufacturer calls his product a silicone adhesive, it is most often a silicone with adhesive properties. The majority of these products are offered as a transparent adhesive suitable for bonding the following materials:

• paper
• carton
• Glass
• metal
• Wood
• ceramics
• plastics

Of course, the composition is crucial over the adhesive surfaces. Some adhesives can only be used for ceramics, glass and paper, while others are perfect for metal and plastics. This should be followed before buying.

2. Silicone in the Tube: Many manufacturers, such as UHU, offer silicones with enhanced adhesive properties in the tube. These are not titled as glue, but have the necessary properties. These are specially filled in tubes, so they are easier to use and you have them quickly to hand. The choice here is very large and so black silicone is offered for the bonding of compounds in the automotive sector or transparent adhesive for everyday use. It takes some research on each product to find out directly whether this is conventional silicone or a silicone with adhesive properties.

When purchasing the silicone adhesive, you have to pay between 7 and 25 euros per cartridge or tube. A big advantage of the adhesives is the large application area in combination with the simple use. Since the adhesive seals just as well as conventional silicone, you can use it for example in projects aquariums or terrariums. They are best for fine work, because they are not really rich compared to conventional silicone. On average, the tubes or cartridges have a capacity of 75 to 300 milliliters, which is not suitable for grouting, for example. You do not really want to do such work with the glue. For this reason, these small amounts are sufficient.

Tip: if you come across products with the term "RTV silicones acetic acid crosslinking", you can safely leave them on the left side. These are special silicone-based adhesives that are used in the commercial sector and are used, for example, for gluing shop windows.

Application: Instructions

You do not need much for the application of silicone glue. The most important thing before use is the choice of the parts to be glued or the surface. Please note that silicone glue should only be used if glued parts do not move much afterwards. Silicones can quickly become brittle when subjected to friction, stretching or movement in various directions. Therefore, before using it, you should think about whether you really want to craft a glass shelf that is constantly moving, or whether wood and glue are better for it. In the application, proceed as follows:

Step 1: First, clean the surface. So that silicone can stick and is not damaged due to dirt particles or bacteria, a clean surface is mandatory. In addition, the surface to be bonded should be free of fatty deposits, as these can significantly reduce the adhesive force. It is best to use a simple detergent that will not damage the material.

Step 2: As a next step, you should level the surface, if this is not already the case. Glass, ceramics and even plastics are usually smooth and therefore do not need to be pretreated. But if you're using wood, you'll need to sand it down to get it as smooth and straight as possible. For paper and cardboard, make sure that there are no kinks in the material.

3rd step: Now you can glue. Compare the sizes of the surfaces to be bonded and apply adhesive in thin strips. The larger the area, the more glue you need, but you should not use too thick webs. These take too much time to dry and may cause something to slip. However, many thin webs are dried quickly and have a high adhesive power.

Step 4: After applying the adhesive sheets, place the surfaces or individual workpieces and fix them. Depending on the project, special tools such as a vise or clamps are worthwhile, so that nothing slips.

Step 5: Now let the silicone glue harden. In any case, you have to wait 24 hours and then check every now and then to see if everything has dried. Give the material time, otherwise you can start all over again.

Step 6: Finally, you should remove excess silicone.

Tip: it is recommended to choose an anti-bacterial or mild silicone-based adhesive for bathroom and other wetroom gluing. As a result, it is not attacked by the moisture that is typical of the bathroom and can thus be used for many years.

Remove silicone adhesive correctly

If you want or need to loosen the silicone adhesive again, you can use the following methods:

1. Razor blade: with the razor blade, all silicone residues can be removed with some patience. You should be extra careful not to scratch the material. The big advantage of the razor blade is the high accuracy you can do with it. Simply scrap the silicone piece by piece and make sure you take your time. This method can be used for slightly and completely dried silicone adhesive. You can soak the silicone a little with detergent before. This makes it easier to solve.

2. Silicone Removers: Silicone Removers are commercially available for about $ 10 and have a composition that effectively dissolves the silicone. For this, it is sprayed directly onto the silicone and then has to act. After the exposure time, which differs from manufacturer to manufacturer, you only have to wipe with a lint-free cloth. The silicone dissolves by itself, leaves no residue and scratches. If you have applied the silicone so that it is difficult to reach from the outside, soak cotton swabs in silicone remover and dab the silicone. This method takes a long time, but is the only option for hard to reach places.

Tip: classic home remedies such as baby oil are not really suitable for the adhesives, as they are designed for a high adhesive power. The chemical silicone remover works effectively and quickly and ensures that your surfaces are not damaged.