# Compaktuna



## tzen (Nov 22, 2007)

I figured I'd pose this question here so I could get the focused attention of our building experts:

In NathalieB's viv thread, the method of background construction used is foam, covered in thin-set flexible mastic, and then a material called _compaktuna_ that is mixed 1:1 with water, then about 4 parts peat and applied. Nathalie reports that roots grow into it much better than the coco or peat on silicone method.

There has been a lot of interest in building this way... But what is a US available product that would replicate campacktuna?
Here is the product link: Compaktuna


----------



## tzen (Nov 22, 2007)

Anybody?


----------



## Catfur (Oct 5, 2004)

I don't know about a product that will exactly match the specifications, but from the looks of it, this is a variety of concrete bonding agent. A number of brands of concrete bonder are available on the US market (ACE, Quickrete and others). You could also contact the manufacturer and see if they have any US distributors.


----------



## pilo0024 (Aug 22, 2006)

tzen if you find out let us know. i've been wondering that myself.


----------



## NathalieB (Apr 23, 2007)

what you could do is send an e-mail to the manifacturers of the concrete binder that is available in stores near you and ask them wich of their product is similar to the compaktuna or flevopol that is used over here. you can send them the product's specs sheet.

or maybe somebody should start importing/exporting it, but I can't imagine you wouldn't be able to find something similar (maybe not exact the same thing but compaktuna and flevopol aren't exaclty the same thing either and they both work fine)


----------



## tzen (Nov 22, 2007)

Boy, this has been a fun time suck.

It's pretty funny that when you search for flevopol on Google a ton of the top hits you get are from Dendrodoard and other vivarium, esp. PDF, websites. Same for some of the other products. Apparently those in the concrete industry don't spend their time online discussing the alternative uses and relative merits of their products.

There were some good threads from DB; here is a concise one:
http://www.dendroboard.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=24846


And here are some substitute candidates:

*Flevopol*: The one, the only, the original... and not apparently available in the US either.
*Weldbond* has been used and tested, with moderate success and endorsements, but it sounds like most felt it wasn't superior to silicone.
*ACE concrete bonder* has been used by many, but mostly got panned.
*Quikrete concrete bonding adhesive *has also been used but poorish reviews.
*Concrete Acrylic Fortifier 861014 by Quikrete* sounds like a much more promising product by Quickrete.
*Acrylic Bonding Liquid 05370 by Damtite Waterproofing* looks really promising to me.
Finally on some of the European boards they have used a Sika product, which may be this: *Bonding & Fortifier C132390 by Sika*.

The site I linked to for some of the products had decent info as well as other products too, but if you don't want to buy in bulk, these products are either at your local HD or Amazon carries them.

Without reading the materials sheets or, better yet, doing some real trials, I am betting on the Damtite product or the Quickrete Concrete Acrylic Fortifier. 
Plus, how cool of a name is _Damtite Waterproofing_?


----------

