Gun the bead into the joint with steady, continuous pressure and tool to a concave profile within the 15 minute tack-free timeConfirm joint faces are structurally sound, clean, dry and free of oils, grease, wax, curing compounds, release agents, laitance, coatings, adhesives, loose particles, rust, paint and efflorescence
Remove protrusions and sharp edges that could puncture or locally thin the sealant bead
Reinstate voids, blowholes and spalled arrises with a high-strength non-shrink mortar and allow to cure; carry out structural repairs with the FORSPEC epoxy crack repair range
Where a detergent wash has been used, rinse thoroughly with clean water and allow the joint to dry completely
Design the joint between 5 mm and 35 mm wide to a width-to-depth ratio of 2:1, with a minimum sealant depth of 5 mm at every point
Mask both arrises where a precise line is required
Prime internal dry, dense, smooth or non-porous surfaces, metal, glass, timber and PVC with one coat of ACTFLEX SUPERPRIME 008; prime external surfaces or substrates carrying moisture with ACTFLEX EP250
Seal within 24 hours of the primer reaching initial touch dry, or re-prime; never allow primer to pool in the base of the joint
Install closed-cell or bi-cellular polyethylene backing rod approximately 25% larger than the joint width, after priming and never before, or apply polyethylene bond-breaker tape where the depth cannot accept a rod
Roll the rod to the required depth with a blunt tool that will not puncture it
Trim the nozzle at 45 degrees, slightly under the joint width, and extrude with steady continuous pressure keeping the nozzle ahead of the bead
Maintain full contact with both joint faces and the backing rod without entrapping air; use multiple passes on wide joints
Tool the bead to a concave profile within the tack-free time of 15 minutes at 25C and 50% RH, using a dry tool or clean water and never detergent, soap solution or solvent
Remove masking tape immediately after tooling while the sealant remains pliable
Check the bead is in full contact with both faces, at the correct depth against the rod, concave in profile and free of three-sided adhesion
For cove fillets in FORSPEC membrane systems, apply a continuous bead to wall/floor and wall/wall junctions, changes of plane, drains and penetrations and tool to a 15 mm x 15 mm concave fillet externally in accordance with AS 4654.1 and AS 4654.2
Allow the fillet to skin and develop strength before membrane application, typically 24 hours at 25C and 50% RH for a 15 mm fillet
Apply the membrane over the cured fillet, carrying the coats a minimum of 50 mm onto each plane so the detail is fully encapsulated
Protect from rain and standing water until tack-free; a 10 mm bead reaches full cure in approximately 5 days