If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you know we have been highlighting our outstanding hot melt products for the precast concrete industry lately. That is because, hands down, nothing beats hot melt glue when it comes to bonding structural and architectural elements.
These elements – whether foam, wood, plastic or weld plates – are one of the main differences between an inspired concrete structure with flair and style and a gray, lifeless Soviet housing bloc. You take pride in creating inviting, aesthetic buildings, and we take pride in helping you fasten those elements to your precast concrete materials.
Now, there are several different bonds you can use, including double-sided tape and nonstandard bolts and screws, but none of them make as much sense as using hot melt glue.
Here are three reasons hot melt is the best fastener for precast concrete:
Reason #1: It's cost-effective.
All hot melt guns (not to mention the glue itself) are inexpensive but very high-quality, meaning you'll make a high return on your initial investment over and over again. A one-time purchase gets you a durable, long-lasting gun that will work faithfully by your side job after job and year after year. And unlike buying new rolls of tape or shelling out for custom hardware, all you have to do for subsequent jobs is make sure you've got enough glue, like Casttec 42, the best adhesive for precast concrete on the market.
Reason #2: Applying hot melt is fast and hassle-free.
No matter how much glue you need to put out, there is a gun for you. Want something lightweight for small or mid-sized jobs, like repairs or touch-ups? We've got you covered with the TEC 3400, one of our favorite guns, which is portable, battery-powered and puts out eight pounds of glue per hour. Need to put out a lot of adhesive in a small amount of time? The TEC 6100 works with an air compressor, making it perfect for high volumes of work, and its big brother (in a manner of speaking,) the TEC 6300 is a pneumatic version that sprays glue, meaning it cools faster (so you can work faster.)
Reason #3: Hot melt leaves no damage to the elements or the concrete.
Unlike screws and bolts, which leave ugly scars and holes, hot melt glue cools quickly, meaning that both your architectural/structural elements and your concrete remain undamaged throughout the bonding process.
When it comes to precision positioning and bonding and getting the best protection against shear, you can't do any better than Hot Melt.
What is your experience with precast concrete bonding? Want to ask us a question? Contact us to get expert advice on your next adhesive project.