Sikaflex: The Ultimate Guide for Builders

The Ultimate Guide to Sikaflex Construction Adhesives & Sealants

Sika is one of Australia’s best know construction product suppliers, and their flagship construction adhesive product, Sikaflex, has 101 uses on site.

The Swiss company has been around since 1910 and now has hundreds of products in its range designed for everything from sealing joints, to fireproofing, to installing floor coverings

What is Sikaflex used for?

Designed specifically for the construction industry, Sikaflex provides the essential seal in construction work to keep buildings watertight and airtight. By creating a reliable and long-term seal against water or drafts, buildings can be deemed more efficient. This is becoming increasingly important as more and more companies strive for Green Star certification and NABERS ratings by building energy efficient structures.

This polyurethane sealant is ideal for caulking joints in concrete, brick and cladding in both internal and external applications. Designed for construction professionals, the Sikaflex range is reliable and easy to use, providing a quality finish with every 600ml sausage.

Watch how easy it is to use Sikaflex in this video.

Which type of Sikaflex should I use?

The Sikaflex range of construction adhesives comes in different varieties, including FC (fast curing), AP (all-purpose construction) and Pro (a high performance version).

Our customers typically use these three main types, although there are many others available for specialist applications. Here is a quick run down of the features of the top 3 varieties.

Types of building sealants in the Sikaflex family:

Sikaflex 11FC

Sikaflex 11FC was first introduced in the late 60s as one of the very first single-component polyurethane adhesive sealants for construction. This one-component product provided an innovative alternative to messy and time consuming two part sealants that were common at the time.

Sikaflex 11FC has grown in popularity due to its excellent adhesion to porous substrates, high movement capacity and durability in different environments. FC stands for fast curing, and the current iteration of the product was a quicker setting and more tough version of the original product developed in the sixties.

Sikaflex 11FC offers the perfect balance between adhesive and sealant, with strong adhesion and bond force as well as high and durable elastic movement capability.

It is typically used for:

• Sealing vertical and horizontal joints
• Soundproofing pipes between concrete and sheathing
• Caulking between partitions, seam sealing, sealing in metal and wood construction
• Ventilation construction
• Use as a multipurpose adhesive for indoor and outdoor bonding
• Bonding window sills, thresholds, stair steps, skirting boards, baseboards
• Adhesive for prefabricated elements

Sikaflex AP

The All Purpose Sikaflex is a great general purpose sealant for sealing joints in building construction such as movement and construction/isolation joints around windows and doors, facades and cladding in concrete, brick, wood, metal and PVC sections and structures. It provides good weathering resistance, a short skinning time and is non-sag on vertical and soffit joints up to 30 mm wide. Like all Sika construction adhesives, it comes in an easy to use one-part sausage ready for use with a caulking gun.

It is typically used for:

• Expansion joints in buildings and civil structures above and below ground
• External walling and cladding joints
• Sealing around window and door frames
• Construction joints
• Infill panel joints; joints in precast concrete elements
• Sealing penetrations in walls or floors for ducts, piping etc
• Retaining walls
• Curtain walling
• Sanitary installations

Sikaflex Pro

Sikaflex Pro is an elastic joint sealant that is ideal for expansion joints, construction, walling, cladding, sealing penetrations and more. It is available in a range of colours to match architectural features, and skins in 2 – 4 hours under average conditions. The Pro version complies with a range of building specifications and is ideal for many common applications, as well as sealing joints in water retaining structures such as water reservoirs.

It is typically used for:

• Expansion joints in buildings and civil structures above and below ground
• Construction joints and joints in precast concrete elements
• External walling and cladding joints
• Infill panel joints
• Curtain walling
• Sanitary installations
• Sealing around window and door frames
• Flexible draught proofing
• Sealing penetrations in walls or floors for ducts, piping etc
• Retaining walls
• Sealing joints in water retaining structures (water reservoirs)

Do I need to use a primer with Sikaflex?

If you are working with porous materials it’s a good idea to consider a primer such as Sika Primer 3N. This primer promotes better adhesion to porous materials like concrete. It is a one part, fast drying mixture that is ideal for use with concrete, masonry, wood, metal and plaster.

Tips for getting the best bond with Sikaflex

Bonding is all about adhesion (and maintaining adhesion), and there is never a one-size-fits-all solution.

Getting the best bond will depend on a number of factors but the most important thing is to begin with a clean substrate.

• Always ensure the area to be bonded is completely clean, either chemically cleaned with a solvent or mechanically cleaned using a brush, blower or pressure hose
• Consider a primer if you’re working with plastics or porous surfaces like brick
• On metals and glass, cleaning with solvents like isopropanol, acetone or ethanol is essential to remove processing agents on the surface
• Ensure the substrate is strong enough to actually bear the load, for example sticking heavy tiles to a thin wall. This includes checking the wall treatment, for example, the paint or render, will not come away under the load of what you’re bonding to it
• Always refer to the technical data sheet for proper installation instructions, as well as referring to the SDS for recommended safety precautions. Technical data sheets and MSDS can be found at the bottom of the product pages on the Jaybro website.

Jaybro specialises in supplying in bulk to the building and construction industry. Get the best price on Sikaflex by requesting a quote on bulk quantities - shop online for individual Sikaflex sausages.

We deliver fast right across Australia and New Zealand, so whether your job is in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide or in a regional area we can ensure your order is delivered as fast as possible.

This information is provided as an introductory guide only and does not constitute professional advice. Ensure you make your own independent enquiries at your workplace before deciding if a particular product is right for you. Consult the regulations and standards applicable to your area and check with your workplace health and safety representative for further information. Jaybro does not warrant the accuracy, content, completeness or suitability of the information on this site (or any site owned by the Jaybro Group) for your individual purposes. Any price or saving claim is correct at the time of publishing, and subject to change without notice.