A new system combines the strength of many construction and tube adhesives with the speed and convenience of a hot melt glue stick. Unlike some other adhesives, which often take 12 to 24 hours to cure, this system cures in 5 minutes.

The PAMTite product, from Pam Fastening, has a combination of specialty polymers. The proprietary blend results in an adhesive that has instant tack to virtually any material, including: concrete, glass, plastics, glossy tile, metals and more. For the remodeler or installer, this means having one type of adhesive that bonds to many materials without costly and frustrating cure times.

The adhesive has instant tack, so as soon as two materials are pressed together, the bond begins to form and is fully cured in 5 minutes or less with no clamps necessary.

Another benefit of the system is that it is non-toxic and has extremely low VOC content.

The second part of this new adhesive system is the applicator. The HB 220 is an industrial grade tool, capable of withstanding 24-hour use in a production environment. This 220-watt tool is a powerful glue gun that is built to last. Before this introduction, most remodelers and installers used 60 Watt glue guns that could not dispense enough glue for serious jobs. The HB 220 is designed for continuous use, and can dispense pound after pound of adhesive without delay. Its adjustable thermostat enables use of various types of adhesives, and can even reach its maximum 428 degrees F temperature in less than 5 minutes.

THOROUGH RESEARCH
Extensive market research showed that installers are frustrated with waiting 12 to 24 hours for adhesives to cure. This limits the amount of work that can be done during the day and creates the need to return to a job site after the waiting period. This means added travel time and fuel expense, and the adhesives themselves can be quite costly.

One area where this is pronounced is in the application of carpet tack strips to concrete slabs. The installer frequently has to wait up to 24 hours before stretching carpet over the tack strip. Some adhesives provide faster results, enabling the installer to stretch carpet in a handful of minutes. This is even true for applying tack strips to finished concrete and old concrete that has become particularly hard with time.

PAMTite is ideal for general purpose use and on-the-fly fixes. The adhesive can be used in conjunction with longer-curing adhesives where required. For example, if an epoxy must be used on a stair tread, the adhesive can be used to immediately secure the stair tread and hold it in place while the epoxy sets up. This concept of using the product as a clamping aid applies to many other applications involving any type of fixture or bracket. By holding these pieces in place securely, the adhesive enables the installer to have two free hands.

HEAT AGAIN
Since the adhesive can be reheated over and over, it is a very forgiving product to work with. If a piece of adhered material needs to be repositioned after the adhesive has cured, the product can be reactivated using a heat gun. By heating the material to 130 to 150 degrees F, the adhesive will become soft and allow the pieces to be moved. Afterwards, the adhesive will simply cool and cure. By comparison, construction adhesives require significant work to remove, often including use of razors, toxic solvents, and other tools.

Common applications for the adhesive include:

•          Molding work: quarter round, chair rail molding, kitchen cabinets, specialty molding
•          Hardwood floors: starter rows, t-molding, bull nosing, hollow spot filling, repairs
•          Transition strips: wood, metal, vinyl, etc.
•          Ceramic tile: kitchen back splashes, bathroom floors and walls
•          Facilities maintenance: signage, fixtures, corner and wall guards
•          Cove molding: carpet cove, vinyl cove, corners, bases
•          Tack strips to concrete
•          Weather stripping repair
•          General purpose repairs