If you’ve been in the industry for decades, you remember a time when the use of adhesives for stone attachments was a forbidden practice. The development of modern, high-tech, high-performance adhesives has changed that considerably. Adhesive attachment, either by itself or in combination with mechanical anchorage, is a common and highly successful means of securing stone elements as well as completing cosmetic and/or structural repairs. This success does not occur, however, without a thorough understanding of the properties, capabilities, and limitations of the adhesive being used. An appropriate product must be selected, and careful attention must be paid to the storage, handling, surface prep, mixing, and application to ensure satisfactory results. This presentation will address many of the questions commonly asked regarding the use of adhesives with natural stone.
Learning Objectives:

• Review the basic modern “families” of adhesive types, including epoxy, polyester, polyurethane, polyaspartic, cyanoacrylate, and various hybrids.
• Identify the various properties common within adhesive family types, such as bond strength, ductility/brittleness, VOCs, viscosity, temperature resistance, and UV resistance.
• Review what types of adhesives are commonly successful in various applications, as well as which products should be avoided.
• Explain how the handling, mixing, surface prep, and application techniques can influence the long-term performance of the adhesive in its intended role.

This course has been approved for CEU credit through the following organizations:

• AIA         NSI-T05, 1 LU|HSW
• LACES:   NSI-T05, 1 LU|HSW PDH