Building homes now has moved beyond just bricks and mortar. Most homes were traditionally constructed from wood and timber, joined by slats and nails. As society and technology advanced, we moved from wood to bricks, laid and cemented together by concrete. Then the introduction of glass added another dimension to house building.  Whilst the addition of a wider variety of materials enhanced the construction of housing, this also raised the issue of ensuring that the materials are joined together seamlessly and securely. Another concern in home construction is the environmental effect on the materials used, whether inside or outside the building. Constant changes in weather will surely affect the construction of the home – humidity, heat, cold, rain. As the house is our shelter, we want to be assured that the building will stand the test of time against the natural elements. We want to be safe in the knowledge that our home is secure, that it is sturdily constructed and that it will keep us sheltered from the elements.

As a key feature is the ability of the home to withstand environmental effects, that the house is weatherproofed is therefore an essential feature for the home to shield itself against heat, rain, and snow. Naturally, one thinks of the roof as the most vulnerable part of the house towards water filtration, but houses are also at risk of being waterlogged from under the ground as well. Insulation prevents water passage under hydrostatic pressure inside the structure.  Thus, the choice of insulation material is crucial to ensure the durability and reliability in protecting the structure.

Such concerns are significant, especially in a country like China which has one of the highest home ownership rates in the world, with approximately 90% of families owning their own homes. Rapid urbanisation is seeing an exponential growth in the Chinese property market, be they in the first-, second- or third-tier cities. Typically, in this modern climate, most properties being built in China are high rise apartments, to accommodate the number of homeowners clamouring for a piece of the property market.  The high-density property market in Chinese cities means space is restricted. While homeowners have no choice but to sacrifice floor space in return for location, they then look for compensation in the building and fixtures instead. While most structures are quite standard, homeowners are becoming more sophisticated and demanding fixtures that are not only efficient and durable but aesthetically pleasing as well.

Another material that has grown in demand for use in home construction is glass.  While glass is one of the most widely used material in home construction, the variety of its use has expanded beyond just connecting or defining spaces.  The aesthetic value of glass in homes has led to increased use of the material in home construction, and while that adds to the desirability of glass usage in home construction, its practicality is also a boon.  This has seen advances in glass making to include many features from tempered to insulated and multi-layered glass.

The vigorous advances in building materials with the creation of many new materials such as plastics, insulation foams, plaster boards, particle boards and many other synthetic materials in home construction gives rise to the new concerns on how to join all these different materials together in an efficient manner.  While traditionally cement, plaster, screws and nails were used to bond and seal these materials together, advances in the construction industry have seen adhesives becoming highly considered for its ease of application, and ability to provide good adhesion for better performances. 

Adhesives in the construction industry has many advantages.  The application of adhesives on surfaces that require bonding ensures equal load distribution throughout the surfaces thus reducing localised stress.  Chemically, adhesives are also able to withstand environmental challenges leading to prolonged life spans.  Adhesives are also sought after for its ability to bond different materials, such as glass to wood, metal to plastic, concrete to wood, tiles to foam or ceramics and more.

The steady recovery of China’s real estate has seen the building industry evolving rapidly to cater to more modern and sophisticated demands of homeowners. Standardisation in the industry has seen high end adhesive products developing briskly.  There is growing demand for construction adhesives with better instant grab to hold surfaces together with a focus on environmentally friendly, solvent free and UV curing technologies.  Adhesives and sealants today need to offer higher performance features like strong adhesion to all types of building materials, including composites and traditional substrates like fibre cement, aluminium, wood, vinyl, and metal.

There is also increased demand for adhesives that can fill larger gaps and are highly flexible to withstand expansion and contraction without cracking or losing adhesion.  The industry is also advancing its technologies to develop all-weather adhesives and sealants with extreme temperature applications. Thus, one of the driving forces for adhesives in building applications is the need to research and advance creation of various technologies to create a total solution for the industry. These technologies span from adhesives like Hot Melt Polyurethane Reactive (HMPUR), Hot Melt Polyolefin (HMPO), Hot Melt Pressure Sensitive (HMPSA), Butyl, Amorphous Polyalphaolefin (APAO), Polyurethane Two-Component (PU 2K) to Water-based Adhesives (WBA).

While advancements in these technologies are seeing robust growth for adhesives in the construction industry, users are also at times overwhelmed with the wide variety of options available to them.  Time and cost efficiency are always key considerations as well.  The ease of utilising adhesives and sealants from a single manufacturer takes away the stress of searching for multiple adhesives for the different uses in different areas when constructing a building. 

Recognising this need, Bostik has strategised the development of its technologies and is the reason Bostik is continually pushing the envelope to create a range of adhesives that will provide a total solution for building components. Bostik’s commitment to be a reliable partner has seen it focused on developing technologies to forward the use of adhesives in the building industry, from outdoor to indoor applications, from glass insulation and weather-proofing applications to underground waterproofing and waterproof roofing; upholstering furniture to flooring, and wood working; to foil facing insulation, kitchen exhaust systems, heating and air conditioning to structural insulated panels and doors. Durability and versatility are aspects of Bostik’s adhesive solutions that makes it stand out as a world-class leader in sealing and bonding technology in the construction industry with safe and environmentally features to ensure a friendly and desirable adhesive of choice as a household solution.

Brian Dong

BUI APAC Business Director, GBU Durable Goods, Bostik

Brian DONG joined Bostik as BUI Business Director of the BU Durable Goods in Jan. 2021, an Arkema company, a leading global adhesive specialist in construction, consumer and industrial markets.

Prior to joining Bostik, Brian Dong took different executive roles in Commercial, Market development and R&D in China chemical Industry within a start-up company, Arkema and Dow Chemical during her 15 years’ career.

Brian has a master degree in Polymer and an advanced master degree in MBA. He brings to Bostik more than 10 years of experience on high performance materials in Building Industry.

For more information, please visit us at: www.bostik.com