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Top 5 Handiest Building Chemicals

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For DIY, home improvement, building and repairs; for filling cracks in the pouring rain, repairing damaged pipes, sealing gaps around windows, or even fixing a hole in a boat hull while in the water; building chemicals make the job quick and easy.

Here is our guide to the top five handiest, most versatile and useful chemical products that belong in every toolbox.

1. Sealant

Caulks or sealants are used to seal cracks and gaps between building materials, both indoors and outdoors. Sealants are usually more flexible than caulk and are therefore the better choice for use in areas that heat and cool, expanding and contracting. Caulks are often more suitable for painting over. Both are applied using a gun.

Thanks to technological advancements in recent years, sealants and caulks are now easier to apply, faster to dry, stronger, longer lasting, and available with a wide range of additional benefits choose from to suit your needs.

2. Expanding Foam

Also known as spray foam, expanding foam’s most common use is insulating, followed closely by sealing. This can of liquid foam quickly expands and hardens once sprayed. It is ideal for sealing the gaps around the entry or exit of pipes, cables and wires; when the gap is less than 3 inches wide. This is essential for energy efficiency, to help keep your home warm, and to avoid damp and moisture damage. It is also handy for filling in large holes in walls. Once dried, it can usually be trimmed, sanded and painted. 

3. Adhesive

There’s much more to adhesive than your standard household glue. Building adhesives will stick just about anything to anything, providing a rapid and easy way to complete a huge number of jobs. They come in an easy to use bottle with an elongated nozzle, and are available in a variety of colours. Some offer dual functionality and can also be used as a filler for gaps and cracks. Most are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, and can be painted over once dried.

4. Filler

With filler you can fill large or small holes, 
leaving a smooth, paintable and permanent finish, hard and strong enough to even support nails or screws. Ideal for repairing plaster, wood, brick, stone and rendering, filler is suitable for both interior and exterior use. The wide range of fillers available boast different benefits such as heavy duty, non-shrinking, crack resistant, and quick setting; they are also available in a variety of formats such as tubes, tubs and powder.

5. Cleaning Wipes

Builders’ cleaning wipes such as the Everbuild Multi-Use Wonder Wipes, will quickly and easily clean up wet and semi-cured paint, sealant, adhesive, bitumen, expanding foam, oil, grease, and silicone. Excellent for tidying up tools and work surfaces, particularly on sites with no water, they’re also a must-have anti-bacterial cleaner for hands. Having a product like this on standby eliminates the need for a combination of other products such as rags, white spirits, water, washing-up liquid, hand wash, etc.

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