Qualified Remodeler Magazine

APR 2016

Qualified Remodeler helps independent remodeling firms to survive, become more professional and more profitable by providing must-have business information, namely best business practices, new product information and timely design ideas.

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marketing claims that can seem to stretch credulity at times, yet one more ini- tialized super-ingredient might cause some eyes to roll. But, SMP seems to live up to the claims being made of greatly improved versatility. "What we're looking for in the industry is a type of sealant that can provide performance in all diferent aspects, so it's kind of an all-in-one sealant," says Paul Majka, an applications engineer with Henkel, the parent company of sealant makers OSI and Loctite. Up until the past two or three years, he notes, when SMP-based oferings frst started coming to market, con- tractors had to ask themselves a number of questions when making a selection. "Should we use silicone on the exterior?" for example, though it might not be appropri- ate on all substrates, might have been one of these questions, he suggests. Or, what about a polyurethane-based product for a bedding joint, though it might have some difculty with UV exposure? "Te installer needed to know a great deal about each product." OSI's QuadMax sealant features SMPs in a solvent-free formula that results in very low emission of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs). Remodelers can use the product for both interi- or and exterior applications to bond and seal a wide range of materials, from laminate and dry- wall to masonry, granite, fberglass and PVC. For improved productivity, it can be applied in temperatures ranging from 0 F to 140 F, and it's paintable in only 30 minutes. Its versatility across a range of materials can eliminate a raft of questions for remodelers — especially when dealing with replacement projects. "Tere are so many diferent scenarios you can run into with replacement windows and doors," Majka says. Consider, for example, OSI designed its QuadMax sealant to bond and seal a wide range of materials within interior or exterior applications. It can be applied in temperatures from 0 F to 140 F and is paintable in 30 minutes. Circle 9 on inquiry card Eliminate the Jobsite Mess By Laurie Banyay A CO M M O N CO M PL A I N T of contractors while on the jobsite is the leakage, or drooling, of adhesive cartridges. Franklin International, maker of Titebond adhesives and sealants, tack- led that problem head on and developed what it dubs the Drool-Free Cartridge in its fast set polyurethane construction adhesive product. Dan Kaufman, director of sales, distribu- tors and co-ops for Franklin International, explained the uniqueness of his company's new product is twofold. One is that the fast set adhesive is polyurethane-based. "It's the Cadillac of adhesives," he says. "It's very strong and can be used on a variety of substrates, including nonporous surfaces. The unique way polyurethane chemistry cures is because it's a chemical reaction, as opposed to solvents being related into the atmosphere to cure or water-based products needing to evaporate. Polyurethane is a moisture-cure product so it cures using ambient moisture in the air to trigger the reaction once it is exposed to the atmosphere. That's why it can be used in plac- es where other adhesives cannot." The second unique feature is, of course, the aforementioned drool-free cartridge. "Typically, contractors are working fast," Kaufman says. "They gun the product on a board or joist, set the gun down, and when they go to pick up the caulk gun, they have a pile of adhesive sitting there and have to clean it up. With our product, once you set the caulk gun down after releasing the backend pressure, you have nothing else coming out of that tube. When you stop, the product stops flowing. We've been talking to professional contractors and that feature alone is enough to get their attention." Kaufman sees a lot of commoditi- zation of building materials on the jobsite, with adhesives being one of those items. "It's a line item on the build sheet," he says. "It won't make or break the bank, but it's an area where you can save a few dollars. When you put a quality product like ours into a con- tractor's hands, he has confidence he won't get a callback. We cater to professionals and take very seriously what they're expecting in their products. "Different materials, such as PVC trims, res- in-coated subfloor systems and more, are ramping up their quality levels, and product attributes are more quality-based now, which is a nice thing to see," Kaufman continues. "You have to have adhesives that work on all of those substrates." Polyurethane's strength is among its great- est attribute and contributes to its extreme versatility. "It can hold together heavier-duty materials such as granite, stone and landscape materials," Kaufman says. "One adhesive can do many different jobs. You can go from a retain- ing wall in the backyard to laying a subfloor to adhering a granite countertop. "This adhesive can adhere two nonporous sur- faces together. With solvent- and water-based adhesives, one of the surfaces coming together must be porous," Kaufman explains. "Not so with polyurethane. You don't need an escape route because it uses reactive chemistry." At the JLC Show in March, Titebond demonstrated its Drool-Free cartridge, giving merit to the "You have to see it to believe it" mantra. "We demonstrat- ed this product to the audience, and it was very well received," Kaufman says. "Once you show them the product doesn't keep running out of the tube they're enthralled with that. There are so many little irri- tations on a jobsite contractors are faced with. Anything we can do to make their jobs a little easier we can be proud of." | TITEBOND's Fast Set Polyurethane Construction Adhesive features a drool-free cartridge to reduce jobsite mess. Circle 10 on inquiry card QualifiedRemodeler.com QR April 2016 75

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