Adhesive dry time, set time, and cure time are all terms used to describe each phase throughout the drying process for an adhesive. It’s important to understand the differences between these terms, so you can choose the right Liquid Nails construction adhesive for your project.
In this blog post, I will break down each term and explain the other factors that affect the drying process of Liquid Nails and talk about additional qualities and capabilities of this amazing product.
The Liquid Nails Drying Process: How Long Does It Take to Set, Dry and Cure?
The drying process varies depending on the specific Liquid Nails product being used. Be sure to check the instructions to make sure the adhesive will meet your project’s requirements.
Liquid Nails Set Time
Set time is the amount of time it takes for the adhesive to become hard enough so that it can’t be repositioned. Keep in mind that the adhesive has not reached its maximum bonding strength at this stage, so be sure not to stress the joint just yet.
Most Liquid Nails products will take approximately 15 minutes to set.
Dry Time
Dry time refers to the amount of time it takes for the adhesive to become fully dry. Maximum strength of the bond is not completed yet. Furthermore, factors such as temperature or humidity can impact the drying times.
For Liquid Nails adhesives the dry time varies between 1 hour and 24 hours. In case you’re asking yourself if the product dies clear, here’s the answer: Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive does not dry clear!
Cure Time
This is the amount of time it takes for the adhesive to reach its maximum bonding strength. The minimum cure time for Liquid Nails is 24 hours and it reaches its maximum shear strength in 7 days.
Once the adhesive has cured, you can even put some paint on it. So in case you asked yourself if Liquid Nails is paintable, the answer is yes! Here’s a brief list of the brand’s adhesives you can paint over:
- Liquid Nails Heavy Duty
- Lquid Nails Extreme Heavy Duty
- Liquid Nails Fuze It
How Do You Speed up Drying Liquid Nails?
One way to accelerate the drying time of construction adhesive is to increase the temperature in your work environment. You can use a:
Space Heater
A space heater can be utilized to increase the temperature of the workspace. Just make sure not to position the heater too close to the adhesive or materials you are dealing with.
Hair Dryer
Set the hair dryer to the high heat setting and hold it about 6 inches from the area where the adhesive has been applied. We do not recommend to use the hair dryer for more than just a few minutes at a time to avoid damaging the material.
Fan
Put the fan towards the area where the adhesive has been applied and turn it on to the highest setting. The fan’s airflow will help to evaporate the moisture from the wet adhesive, thus allowing it to dry faster.
Sun
If you can, try moving your project outside into the sun. The sun can offer the perfect amount of heat to help speed up the drying process.
Conclusion
Liquid Nails is a strong and reliable construction adhesive that can be used to bond a variety of materials and surfaces together, for example concrete. To achieve lasting results, you have to stick to the described set, dry and cure times. And with that, you’re good to go. Happy crafting!
