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What is a High Tack Adhesive?
What Is a High Tack Adhesive?
A high tack adhesive — also known as an instant grab adhesive or quick grab adhesive — provides an immediate, strong bond without the need for bracing or mechanical fixings. The term “tack” refers to how quickly an adhesive forms a strong initial hold before curing. High tack adhesives contain polymers that deliver this instant grab while curing to a strong, flexible finish. They’re extremely versatile, bonding materials such as wood, metal, concrete, brick, and plastics.
How to Apply a High Tack Adhesive
The majority of high tack, instant grab adhesives are either supplied in plastic cartridges or foil sausages. These are then applied to the substrate with either a cartridge caulking gun, or a sausage caulking gun. The more high performance and high tack your adhesive is, the higher the ratio your caulking gun will need to be. For example, a high tack adhesive like Ritetack will need to have a high ratio caulking gun of around 26:1 as it has such a high viscosity. A cheap, lower-end caulking gun will not be able to apply enough pressure to extrude the adhesive. Battery powered caulking guns are also popular if this is a type of adhesive you use regularly.
The standard practice for applying a high tack adhesive, or any adhesive for that matter, is to extrude it in vertical beads with approx. 30-40cm between the beads. This depends on how large the material is that you are gluing. A heavier item may need more adhesive, so the gaps between the vertical beads will be smaller. This may restrict the airflow between the beads which assists with curing – which is why it is vital you leave enough space, where possible. The other reason for vertical beads is if the installation is outdoors, the rainwater can flow between the vertical beads, instead of sitting along the top horizontal beads and placing stress on this connection.
How Long Does High Tack Adhesive Take to Dry?
High tack adhesives usually set within 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the brand, temperature, and materials used. Full curing can take several hours or overnight, as the adhesive continues to strengthen over time. Always allow the bond to cure completely before applying load or stress.
Common Applications
Common applications for high tack adhesives can include wall panels and cladding, skirting boards and trims, mirrors and signage, decorative panels and timber framing.
Limitations and Material Compatibility
These adhesives are often permanent due to their extreme high tack formula making removal of the glued material sometimes difficult. If you are after some tips for removing cured and uncured adhesive, you can find them here.
However. not all materials respond well to high tack adhesives – particularly some plastics and coated surfaces. Some adhesives can have solvents or other components that can cause crazing. Crazing is a network of fine cracks that appear on the surface of plastics like acrylic (PMMA), polycarbonate or ABS. The technical data sheet from the manufacturer will often explain what materials are not safe to use with the adhesive.
Final Thoughts
When you need speed, strength, and accuracy, a high tack adhesive is a great choice. Picking the right type for your materials and job makes a big difference to how well it performs and how clean the finish looks. If you want a reliable option, try high tack adhesives like Ritetack — made for instant hold and strong, long-lasting bonds on many different surfaces.