Recommended adhesive for insulation to aluminum sheet.

[plh]

What is the recommended adhesive to bond insulation such as Owens Corning Foamular to smooth bare clean aluminum sheet? This is not a structural application. Any issues using Sikaflex Polyurethane (general purpose)?

 

[simple]

I've been wondering the same thing and did a little internet searching as I am starting a utility trailer build.

I haven't tried Sikaflex. I bought several tubes of Loctite PL3x premium and am about to give it whirl. It's also a polyurethane adhesive.

Loctite PL Premium

Bonds that are 3X stronger than traditional adhesives. Weather and water resistant.

www.loctiteproducts.com

I posted some results further down in the thread.

 

[plh]

I've been wondering the same thing and did a little internet searching as I am starting a utility trailer build.

I haven't tried Sikaflex. I bought several tubes of Loctite PL3x premium and am about to give it whirl. It's also a polyurethane adhesive.

Loctite PL Premium

Bonds that are 3X stronger than traditional adhesives. Weather and water resistant.

www.loctiteproducts.com

Great idea, and around $2.50 a tube less than Sika

 

[smbisig]

I have not experience with Sikaflex when it comes to insulation, but I can tell you that it bonds very well to everything else I have used it for on my Alu-Cab Canopy Camper. Just make sure you have a dedicated pair of pants and shirt because the stuff can spread like crazy lol.

I have used Sikaflex 221 for my flex solar panel on the roof, sealing the camper to the Gladiator, installing the window, and everything else that required drilling a hole in the camper like the heater.

 

[dstefan]

You could also try a test with some 3M LSE (Low Surface Energy) VHB. i’ve had great luck using it to stick all sorts of weird things to aluminium. Including UHMW, which, almost nothing sticks to. It would certainly be less messy.

 

[plh]

You could also try a test with some 3M LSE (Low Surface Energy) VHB. i’ve had great luck using it to stick all sorts of weird things to aluminium. Including UHMW, which, almost nothing sticks to. It would certainly be less messy.

I'm using VHB to adhere the external aluminum sheet to the steel exoskeleton. For sure it would cost more than a Sika type product.

 

[simple]

With my install, I'm hoping to apply adhesive in the field and run a bead around the perimeter to keep any moisture from condensing between the foam and Aluminum. I'll probably leave some gaps in the bead at the bottom of the foam to allow moisture to drain out if any gets trapped.

 

[plh]

I assume the glue is primarily to hold the foam sheet until some kind of lining covers it up ?
I would go with a spray adhesive like 3M 77
Or use contact cement applied wet.

Correct - lining probably FRP or ~1/4" birch or lauan ply - not firm on that choice yet

 

[pcstockton]

Spray 90

 

[plh]

Spray 90

Looks like a better choice than 77

 

[NatersXJ6]

Looks like a better choice than 77

it’s at least 13 better.

I’ve been impressed by the spray 90. It seems like high $$$ but I used it to put commercial carpet squares on the diamond plate floor of my RTT. I was almost sure it would peel off in our 115 degree summers, but still firm and happy.

 

[Dave in AZ]

Watching

 

[Ramdough]

Test everything and your prep.

I found that some of the better adhesives reject the foam I used and my cleaning and sanding of the foam made it worse.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[simple]

Circling back on what I'm seeing with the loctite PL3X.

I bonds to the EPS and XPS foam fairly well on cut edges. It doesn't bond well to the face of XPS Foamular 250. After reading reviews and the specs that it bonds foam, I was underwhelmed with how it performed.

The extruded surface of XPS is really smooth. It may work better if the surface is roughed up.

I also tried PL8X fast grab and it really didn't want to bond to the face of XPS.

 

[plh]

I've tabled experiments until it warms up here. Probably April :-(