The Role of Adhesive Curing Accelerators and How to Choose One | Winter Tile Installation Measures
For Winter Tile Installation, Consider an Adhesive Curing Accelerator!
Have you run into any of the following during winter tile installation or exterior work?
❄︎ The adhesive cures more slowly than expected
❄︎ You can’t do the grouting scheduled for the next day
❄︎ The tile shifts slightly
❄︎ The curing period stretches out, pushing back the whole schedule
These issues occur because lower temperatures slow down the adhesive’s curing reaction.
This article focuses on adhesive curing accelerators designed for modified silicone adhesives, and organizes the key ideas for managing your schedule during cold-weather installation.
●︎Why Does Adhesive Cure More Slowly in Winter?
The modified silicone adhesives used in most tile installations cure through a reaction with moisture.
This reaction is strongly affected by temperature. As a general rule, the rate of a chemical reaction is said to roughly halve for every 10℃ drop in temperature. In other words, curing that takes 24 hours at 20℃ could take considerably longer at 5℃.
The following points deserve particular attention.
☑︎ The surface may appear cured while the interior is still uncured
☑︎ The substrate temperature may be lower than the outside air temperature
☑︎ Insufficient humidity can delay the reaction
Because these issues can’t be judged by appearance alone, cold-weather installation is prone to schedule problems.
●︎Common Measures Taken During Cold Weather
To address this, job sites commonly take the following measures.
1. Extending the Curing Period
This is the safest approach, but it extends the schedule and increases labor costs.
2. Heating with Jet Heaters and Similar Equipment
This works quickly, but cost, safety management, and proper use become concerns.
3. Using a Fast-Curing Adhesive
This means switching to a different product, but it comes with a higher price and a shorter open time,
making it a product that’s difficult to handle.
4. Adding an Adhesive Curing Accelerator
This method adds a small amount of accelerator to your existing modified silicone adhesive to speed up the curing reaction.
In recent years, this option — the adhesive curing accelerator — has been attracting attention.
●︎What Is an Adhesive Curing Accelerator?
An adhesive curing accelerator is a supplementary material added mainly to modified silicone adhesives to speed up the curing reaction.
It’s fairly simple to use, following the steps below.
Add the specified amount to the adhesive
Mix thoroughly and evenly
Apply promptly
※It’s important to follow the recommended amount — adding too much can affect bonding performance
●︎An Example of a Leading Adhesive Curing Accelerator
Here we introduce “MS Accel,” a curing accelerator we recommend.
It comes in a bottle, so you can just open the cap and press it even while wearing work gloves — making it even more efficient! ♪
●︎Benefits for Schedule Management
The biggest benefit of an adhesive curing accelerator isn’t simply “shorter curing time.”
Its real value lies in stabilizing your schedule.
Examples of Schedule Stabilization
Grouting becomes possible the next day
Scaffold removal stays on schedule
Staffing proceeds as planned
Unexpected extensions of the curing period are avoided
All of these directly affect job-site costs and profit margins.
In renovation work especially, a single extra day can easily cost several hundred thousand yen.
In that sense, an adhesive curing accelerator should be thought of not as a “material” but as a “schedule management tool.”
●︎Precautions for Use
When using it in cold weather, it’s important to check the following.
In particular, curing progresses quickly after mixing, so prompt application is necessary.
Precautions for Use
Use and store at 5–35℃
Strictly follow the specified dosage
Manage the temperature range in which it can be added
Manage the open time
●︎What Kinds of Job Sites Is It Suited For?
☑︎ Winter exterior renovation work
☑︎ Nighttime installation
☑︎ Projects with a tight schedule
☑︎ Job sites with a fixed scaffold removal date
Under these conditions, using an adhesive curing accelerator becomes an effective option!!
●︎Summary: Thinking of It as “Insurance” for Cold-Weather Installation
An adhesive curing accelerator isn’t essential on every job site.
But viewed as a way to hedge the risk of schedule delays, it’s a highly reasonable option.
For cold-weather installation, the following three points matter.
Understand the reaction characteristics
Understand the job-site conditions
Choose the appropriate countermeasure
To maintain installation quality while keeping your schedule stable, why not consider an adhesive curing accelerator as one of your options?
Flexible adhesive for interior and exterior tile
MT-BOND-FLEX
Adhesive for interior and exterior wall cast stone tile
ME-05
MS Accel can also be used with the modified silicone resin adhesives we sell.
Be sure to use them together!!!
Latest Articles
View All
CONTACT
General Inquiries