Soudal T-Rex adhesive, what it sticks and when to use it
Somebody comes to the counter holding two things that need to become one thing, and the question is always the same, which is what will actually hold it. Soudal T-Rex is the tube I reach for more often than any other when the answer is a hybrid adhesive rather than a silicone or a builder's glue, and it's worth knowing why, because it isn't the right answer for everything and I'd rather say so than sell you the wrong tube.
It bonds most materials to most materials
A lot of adhesives are fussy about what they'll stick to and fussier again about the surface being bone dry, which is fine in a workshop and useless on a job where it rained on Tuesday. T-Rex will bond timber, metal, glass and plastic, and it'll go onto a surface that's still slightly damp, so you're not standing around waiting for the sun to do you a favour. That's the practical difference and it's the reason it lives in the van rather than in the cupboard.
It grabs straight away
If you've ever held a bracket up against a wall with your arms shaking, waiting for something to catch, you already know why this matters. T-Rex takes hold as soon as you press the two surfaces together, which means you're usually not messing about with clamps or props while it sets. Apply it, press it, move on to the next thing.
It stays flexible once it has cured
This is the bit people miss. Some adhesives go off hard as a rock, and then the timber moves the way timber always does and the bond cracks. Others stay so soft they peel away in a year. T-Rex sits in between, so it holds strongly and still has enough give in it to cope with expansion, contraction and the general shoving a real fixing gets. It's also a neutral cure, so it won't go after sensitive surfaces, and it handles being outside.
When I'd reach for something else
If you're sealing around a shower or a basin, an all purpose silicone is the better tool and we stock plenty of it. If the joint is structural, that's a conversation about brackets and fixings rather than a conversation about a tube. And if you're gluing something you'll want to take apart again one day, T-Rex is a poor choice, because taking it apart is exactly the thing it's designed to stop you doing.
Shop related products
- Soudal T-Rex Crystal Clear Sealant and Adhesive. The one to use where you don't want the joint to show.
- T-Rex Power Fast Grab White Sealant Adhesive 290ml. The standard tube for general work in white.
- Soudal T-Rex Power Fast Grab Sealant Adhesive, Steel Grey. For steel and darker surfaces where white would stand out.
- T-Rex Power Fast Grab Jet Black 290ml. Black, for dark timber and powder coat.
- Soudal All Purpose Silicone Charcoal 300ml. The silicone I'd use for a seal rather than a bond.
Did you know we also keep T-Rex Power in the smaller 125ml tubes in store, in Turbo White, Flexi White and Crystal, along with T-Rex Power Bond in bright white. Those ones aren't on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
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If you're standing in front of the fixings wall wondering which tube you want, just ask, because I'm usually somewhere nearby and I've got opinions about glue.
Cheers,
Candeece
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