Soudal T-Rex, what it sticks and when to use it
Soudal T-Rex is the one people come in and ask for by name, and it is worth knowing what it actually does before you buy a tube of it, because it is not the right answer to every job and I would rather you got the right tube than the popular one.
What it is
T-Rex is Soudal's SMX polymer range, and the short version is that it is an adhesive and a sealant in the one tube, so it bonds two things together and it seals the join while it is doing it. That is the whole reason it exists, because the old way of working was one product to glue and a second one to seal, which meant two tubes in the bag, two lots of clean up and two things to run out of halfway through.
What it sticks to
Timber, brick, metal, PVC, stone and rendered walls, which covers most of what turns up on a job around here. It is a neutral cure, so you do not get the sharp vinegar smell that comes off an acetic silicone, and it does not attack a mirror backing or mark natural stone the way some sealants will, which is why it ends up on splashbacks and bathroom fixtures where a cheaper sealant would cause you a problem you only find out about later.
It stays flexible once it has cured, so a join that moves a bit with heat or with the house settling is not going to crack the bead out, and it holds up outside in the wet.
The grab is the bit that saves you time
The strength is the headline, but the initial grab is the part you actually notice. It takes hold straight away, so on a lot of jobs you are not standing there holding a piece of trim against a wall or rigging up a clamp and coming back tomorrow. Overhead work is where it shows up most, because that is where holding something in place for five minutes is genuinely miserable.
Where I would use something else
It is not a gap filler for painting, so if you are filling a shadow line under a skirting board before you paint it, use an acrylic gap filler instead, because that is what sands and takes paint properly. It is not a thread sealant for plumbing either. And anything structural still gets a proper fixing, because an adhesive is there to hold a join together and not to carry a load that a bolt should be carrying.
If you are standing in the aisle not sure whether the job wants T-Rex or a silicone, come in and ask us, because that is a 30 second conversation in the shop and it is an hour of videos at home.
Shop related products
- T-Rex Power Fast Grab White 290ml. The general one, and the one most people want.
- Soudal T-Rex Crystal Clear. For joins you would rather not see.
- Soudal T-Rex Power Fast Grab, Steel Grey. Good on Colorbond and galvanised work.
- T-Rex Power Fast Grab Jet Black 290ml. For dark trim and dark roofing.
Did you know we also stock the rest of the Soudal range in the shop, including the all purpose silicones in seven colours, the water resistant PVA glue and the two part adhesive kit, along with the smaller 125ml T-Rex tubes. They are not all on the website, so give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
You will find the wider range in our hardware collection, and if you are running an account with us, trade pricing and monthly billing are both set up and ready to go.
Guru knows this range better than I do, so if I am not in the shop, ask him and he will tell you straight.
Cheers,
Candeece
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