Grout Sealent/Fiber Glass?

[Geck-O]

I went to a DIY shop today and I asked for some grout sealent but he didn't have any. I told him that I was going to use it for coating a structure. He then showed me this thing called a Fiber Glass Repair Kit. It was liquid fiber glass, it was like paint. You use a brush to apply it. He showed me a cut pipe which he had used the fiber glass on. He had joined the pipe back together again. It was VERY strong! Could I use the fiber glass to coat the styrafoam and grout instead of grout sealent? He said it should be quite safe as people used fiber glass to build water tanks to drink from. Could the fiberglass be used in the place of grout? The fiberglass costs about RM33 ($9.30).

 

[Geck-O]

So should I buy the fiber glass?

 

[aa410c]

grout sealant/fiberglass

i dont think that fiberglass is the way to go.it cures as a result of a chemical reaction and i am not sure that it wouldnot melt the styrene structure.
i would suggest that once you have built the basic design you coat it well with what we in england call pva adhesive/sealant.it is a water based product and will dry in approx 24 hours leaving a good seal and key for your grout to stick to.
i would suggest that you mix pva and grout together until you get a paste which you can then apply by brush. this will allow you to produce just about any shapes that you want to.you are only limited by your imagination.
paint the well dried structure with an enamle based paint(not cellulose spray paint)and allow it to air dry for as long as you can.you will then have a very sturdy,waterproof structure that will last a long time. hope this helps DAVE:main_thumbsup:

 

[Geck-O]

I think I have PVA. It's glue right? BTW, if the fiber glass doesn't come in contact with the styrafoam can I use it?

 

[aa410c]

fiberglass

i dont see why not as once it has cured and painted it is inert and willnot give off anything in terms of fumes etc. i amnot sure how you are going to keep it away from the styrofoam as i am not sure exactley how you plan to build it?

 

[Geck-O]

Well, I have already built it and I have coated it in grout. The problem is, the grout is falling crumbling very slowly. So to make sure my gecko doesn't ingest any of the grout, I have to coat it in fiber glass. I was also told that grout has some chemical thats stops mold/fungus from growing on it and if a gecko licks the grout, there will be some problems.

 

[SLY]

That's mostly BS. I wouldn't get the fiberglass repair kit. I don't like fiberglass in most applications. Can you get drywall mud? It's basically the same stuff as grout, provided you seal it.

 

[Geck-O]

What would happen if I didn't seal the grout? BTW, so my gecko will not get sick if he licks the grout?

 

[SLY]

shouldn't, no. and if you don't seal it it can grow some funky stuff, will be harder to clean, and will stain. sealant is also one more layer to keep your work durable from the wear and tear of gecko claws.