Are all solvent free grab adhesives created equal?

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Hello all.

So I'm currently using Grip Fill solvent free gab adhesive at £2.79 a tube to stick some skirting in the rooms.

Can I use the cheaper no nonsense brand (£2 a tube) or is GripFill longer lasting? I'll need about 20 more tubes.

Thanks.
 
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Personally, I am not a fan of solvent free adhesives on bare plaster. A number of people on this site seem to use fixing expanding foam.

For what it is worth, the house that I am currently working in had new skirting boards that were only fixed at the upper end with screws. Some of the wall/top of skirting gaps were pretty big. I filled them with two pack filler and noticed that if I pushed the lower part of the skirting with my foot it opened the gap at the top. I ended up drilling holes lower down and squirting in expanding foam in to the holes. They no longer rock.

I have never used expanding foam to fit skirting but it will be much cheaper than Gripfill and provided that you spray any bare plaster with water, I would expect it to adhere better.

If you do go down the foam path, spend a fiver on the acetone base foam remover- just in case.
 
Hello all.

So I'm currently using Grip Fill solvent free gab adhesive at £2.79 a tube to stick some skirting in the rooms.

Can I use the cheaper no nonsense brand (£2 a tube) or is GripFill longer lasting? I'll need about 20 more tubes.

Thanks.

Mmmmm. £40 on glue

Or £3 on some screws.

Have you got a drill?
 
Mmmmm. £40 on glue

Or £3 on some screws.

Have you got a drill?

TBF if the skirting is pre-primed MDF ( not something that I am a fan of) I can see why the OP would not want to use screws. If you use screws you need to sand through the primer to flatten the filler. That requires numerous coats of primer/undercoat to obliterate the now bare MDF.
 
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Mmmmm. £40 on glue

Or £3 on some screws.

Have you got a drill?
I have a drill, but there are network cables behind the skirting which is pre-primed and purpose built for cabling.
 
Foam adhesive is great for skirting , about 2 cans did the whole house .
 
Personally, I am not a fan of solvent free adhesives on bare plaster. A number of people on this site seem to use fixing expanding foam.

For what it is worth, the house that I am currently working in had new skirting boards that were only fixed at the upper end with screws. Some of the wall/top of skirting gaps were pretty big. I filled them with two pack filler and noticed that if I pushed the lower part of the skirting with my foot it opened the gap at the top. I ended up drilling holes lower down and squirting in expanding foam in to the holes. They no longer rock.

I have never used expanding foam to fit skirting but it will be much cheaper than Gripfill and provided that you spray any bare plaster with water, I would expect it to adhere better.

If you do go down the foam path, spend a fiver on the acetone base foam remover- just in case.

Foam adhesive is great for skirting , about 2 cans did the whole house .

Would this be good enough please? http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-expanding-sticky-foam-hand-held-750ml/4108h
 
Yes, after use, dribble a little lighter fuel in nozzle to keep it clear.
 
Others might be able to recommend a better product. I just wanted to point out a couple of things.

Other than buying the foam cleaner- https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-foam-gun-cleaner-500ml/60133

Most cans of foam need shaking before hand and inverting to use them. I am only aware of one that works at any orientation.

be aware that when you finish squirting the foam, the stuff in the nozzle sometimes continuous to ooze out. I normally place the can on a plastic bag. Expanding foam can easily be removed from polythene but not so easily from floorboards/etc. If you do not plan to use the can for the next hour or so, hold the can upright and lightly "squirt" the nozzle. It will send the propellant out of the tube and clear it. If you do not plan to use the rest of the tube for a few days, remove the nozzle and spray the top of the can with the foam remover. If you plan not to use the rest of the can for a month or so, expect to bin it even if you used the foam cleaner.

If I have a tiny job and know that I am only going to use a very small amount, I purchase the expanding foam from the PoundShop. It is 2 quid for 250(?)ml

If you are purchasing the Screwfix brands of filler perhaps consider buying spare nozzles https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-expanding-foam-spare-straw-5-pack/430hp

Additionally be aware that foam expands a LOT. Spraying surfaces with water will speed up drying time and adhesion. The propellants used are heavy and flammable. Do not smoke whilst working with them. If any foam creeps out of the gap at the top it can be sanded back with ease, but you may sand through the pre-primed finish.

The foam will not stick to your cat cables, which I assume will be in place before you fit the skirting but if you want to fit the skirting and pull the cables through, then foam is not the product for you. There is too much risk of blocking the void with excess foam.
 
Yes, after use, dribble a little lighter fuel in nozzle to keep it clear.

I had never thought of lighter fuel. AFAIK the cans of gun cleaner are acetone. Unfortunately, as an ex-smoker/ex-Zippo owner I no longer have any lighter fuel.
 
I had never thought of lighter fuel. AFAIK the cans of gun cleaner are acetone. Unfortunately, as an ex-smoker/ex-Zippo owner I no longer have any lighter fuel.
Available at most £ shops, drop in the top destroys any leakage , even frees up a nozzle with dried foam in it.
 
I recently used gripfill, the solvent stuff, for the first time ever. I used it to gapfill/help stick the starter uprights for a stud wall to the brickwork - to be honest I wasn't hugely impressed - it was very dry (new and in date) to the extent that the bead wouldn't even stay on the wood without me pressing it on a bit. Did the job as the screws squished it all in tightly but I think I'll stick with the no nails stuff in future.
 
You sort of get used to press-push-shimmy with GripFill green. The yellow (non-solvent) stuff is a lot better on pre-finished as any residue just wipes off with a damp cloth
 

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