Tub surround adhesive

Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member
I need to reattach the edges of a tub surround in several places. Along an outside edge, the surface is painted cement board. There are also two places where the corner piece has come loose along an edge, so both surfaces will be the plastic tub surround itself. Online information says that DAP Beats-The-Nail Tub Surround Construction Adhesive is specifically designed for these surfaces, but I can't find anyone who carries it locally, so it would be a special order item for me.

What experience do you have with adhesives in this situation? Several years ago I had a catastrophic failure with the tub surround adhesive which a Home Depot employee directed me to, Loctite brand, IIRC. The information on that label indicated that it was the right adhesive for the job, but it could hardly have been more wrong. I'd like to avoid having this minor repair job turn into a disaster, if possible.

Thanks,

Stan
 
Sealant failure can be frustrating and costly in some situations, and your approach is a good one. Its imperative that the substrate materials are compatible with the sealant being applied to, to achieve a bond with a pull out value.

I've dealt with supply houses and manufacturers representatives quite a bit in the past, and when it comes to material selection, you'll have to do your best to match the sealant to the substrate. If its questionable, test it on the same materials.

A sealant test is basically mocking up or using the actual joint, installing the sealant in the size allowed, manufacturer will provide depth and width, closed or open cell backer rod is typical in exterior joints to back up the sealant depth to control it.

When its cured, the technician will cut a tab of the sealant from the middle of the joint, they will then perform a pull test and measure how far it stretched until failure, then determine if it meets the criteria. That's commercial construction and testing done by a supplier/mfr rep or independent testing firm. Nice to know, but you don't need to go that far LOL !

Cementitious board with paint, what kind of paint? Is it bonded correctly to the cement board? You can try to apply a material you think is a match, then check it once cured, if it pulls off easily, you have your answer.

Now with any joint, its important that it be prepared per the manufacturer, prior to installing the sealant, so if it needs to be cleaned, primed, (there is sealant primer for some types of sealant) or whatever, do that carefully. If the paint is a problem, remove what you need to to get to the cementituous board.

However, Dow 795 looks like a match, click on characteristics, it lists what it will bond to, both concrete/masonry and paint is a match, so is plastic, but the fiberglass tub surround may need to be checked out for adhesion. I would bet it will bond to that no problem. This is an excellent material, I've installed it on dozens of commercial buildings, on the exterior, as well as done the testing, both field/on the job, and lab with manufacturer representatives in attendance. One thing that stands out is asking the question you did here, I did that on every job to insure the right material was installed or was tested to confirm it meets the criteria.

I'd bet a good silicon will work here, one off the shelf, but if you want something that performs and is industry standard in commercial construction Dow 795 is an excellent choice and was always well supported by the manufacturer on warranty if installed correctly.

There is some interesting reading on the Dow site, testing, mock ups etc.
Dow 795

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Thanks for the typically good advice and information, Billy. Your comment that plain, off the shelf silicon would probably work is what I was hoping to hear, mainly because purchasing the Dow 795 would involve several hours of driving, or the complication and delay (and expense) of ordering the delivery of a single tube. I think I've come up with an application method that will maximize the chance of a successful outcome, so I'll probably go with the less than perfect product and put extra care into the repair job.

Stan
 
I kinda over do it, but there's a lot to know about materials and such. It may be helpful to someone else here, and you at least know of a well proven high performance product, in case you ever had more of a need, sometimes its worth the extra expense or work. I'm in the same situation, I don't even know who carries it locally, I've never seen it anywhere else except a supply house, the local one here carries Sika, for commercial work. I would however, order it if I saw the need for that particular material, as I know its performance well.

The short answer really is, get a decent silicone sealant, mock up part of the joint with it, then check to see if its got adhesion, if so its good.
 

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