Commercial sealant options
You’ve probably heard of “sealants” and “sealers.” Some people may use the term interchangeably—but you shouldn’t.
Commercial sealers are coatings used to protect and seal an area against intrusion from the elements. Commercial sealants have a similar purpose, but they’re used in specific areas: cracks, joints, and gaps. Often they’re applied like caulking, but modern sealants are far more capable than the old oil-based caulks.
There are two major families of commercial sealants: moisture reactive and solvent/water release.
Moisture reactive sealants
Moisture reactive sealants are designed to cure using moisture in the air. They’re made up of a material that reacts to the environment around it, creating an outer “shell” and eventually curing through to the interior surface, creating a strong bond.
Reactive sealants keep their mass from application to complete cure. They don’t “dry out” in the sense that you would think of a towel drying—the moisture isn’t escaping the sealant. It induces a chemical reaction.
This family includes a variety of sealants, including:
- Polyisobutylene
- Polysulfide
- Polyurethane
- Silane modified polymer
- Silicone
- Oil-based caulk
Solvent/water release
These sealants cure as the solvent or water evaporates from the solid material that makes up the seal. This means much of their mass in the tube or bucket is made up of water or solvent, not just the remaining solids.
This family includes:
- Acrylic
- Butyl
- Elastomeric
- Vinyl acetate
Each sealant has its own specific properties, and it takes an expert to choose the right one and use it effectively to fill in the cracks and joints in your commercial property. There’s a whole array of information you need to know for the application. Does it need to be non-sagging? Will it be submerged? How flexible does it have to be? These and other questions will determine which sealant to use—and we know the right questions to ask.
Here at JK Industries, we can help you get the proper sealant for the task at hand. Contact us today and take advantage of our expertise.