# DAP Alex Plus :: Acrylic Latex with Silicone



## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

The current build I'm working on contains more than your normal amount of GS foam covered areas and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with DAP's Alex Plus? It's labeled as being Acrylic Latex with Silicone.

One tub of 300mL brown for windows and doors is $1.85 at Home Depot. The GE Silicone II Brown runs for $4.95. Since I'm probably going to need around dozen tubes to get the job at hand done $5 a tube gets quite pricey.

I contacted DAP and asked them a few questions regarding it's potential toxicity after it's cured, and they basically told me that if a child or pet were to ingest or lick the product after it's 48 hour curing time that no harm would come to them.


I tested this stuff out on some spare foam I had hanging around, and found that the coco-husk stuck to it really well when pressed in firmly, and after curing no force could seem to render it asunder.


Anyone have any thoughts?


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

Go for it, and let us know! 


You could always do the concrete binder?


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

There's already a significant stacked rock wall up the back... So this area is going to be the land.


I'll keep you folks posted on how well it works out.


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

So far... this stuff is amazing! I'm loving it.

It's got a rather long tooling time. Unlike silicone which 'skins over' in a little under 5 minutes, this stuff is workable for almost 20 minutes. I was able to go through two and a half tubes of this stuff before I decided to press in the fiber.

Also unlike silicone, it's not got that shiny, glossy, stickiness too it. It's more like the consistency of peanut butter or cake icing. The downside to this the coco-fiber/husk has to be pressed rather firmly into it, you can't just throw it on and pat lightly like I've experienced with silicone.



I'm going to let it set for about 48 hours and then brush off and vacuum out whatever didn't adhere -- I'll keep you all posted.




Edit: And two other notes, unlike silicone, this stuff is really easy on the nose... Only a faint odour. And secondly, uncured product was easy to wash off my hands with a scrub brush... Silicone would have been picked off over the next week.


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

froggysan said:


> Edit: And two other notes, unlike silicone, this stuff is really easy on the nose... Only a faint odour. And secondly, uncured product was easy to wash off my hands with a scrub brush... Silicone would have been picked off over the next week.


Maybe that's telling us it's not going to hold up?


I hope it works out, because I will be switching to that for my 65 hahaha!


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

Well... not sure yet. But I do know that when I did a test patch on a hunk of GS that I had from another build I jabbed at it something fierce with a scrapper and couldn't get it to come off without taking chucks of foam with it.

And when I did a test on a piece of plexiglass I had hanging around... Wild, ravenous, hell hounds couldn't have pulled it off.


This stuff seems to work less like an adhesive ala silicone, and more like putty. It's actually a pleasure to work with.


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## michaelslenahan (Mar 10, 2009)

I'm about to do a background myself, so do keep us posted--I'm very interested to see the way this turns out! You say that the company claims no harmful side effects? That's sweet!

Wonder if Ed has any thoughts/recommendations on this...


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

> Thank you for your inquiry.
> 
> Once the Alex Plus is completely cured, which can take up to 14 days, it will not be harmful to your children or your pet. If your pet or child did eat it once it's cured, it will just pass through his or her system.
> 
> ...




Just comes down to whether or not this will hold up to repeated moisture long term... But then again... This stuff is caulking -- it's meant to hold up to moisture.


In 48 hours I'm going to vacuum and brush out the non-adhered excess bedding. That'll be the next sign of how well this will work.


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## Boondoggle (Dec 9, 2007)

I spent about ten years in the building trades (tile work) and have used both products extensively in that environment. I have to say the Latex product is MUCH easier to use, but, at least in a kitchen/bathroom, doesn't hold up nearly as well. After about 3 years, (with tile) you can scrape up the Latex pretty easily, silicon sticks like crazy for a long long time. Also the Latex tends to shrink a bit more 

Not that a bathtub and a vivarium are the same thing, but that can give you an idea of the difference. 

I too would be interested in knowing how this holds up over the long haul. Please keep us posted.


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

Let's just say patience has never been my strong suit. 

I decided 24 hours was as long as I could wait for this stuff to set before removed the non-stuck excess. 15 minutes with the shop vac and a dry paint brush, and all the area I did yesterday is cleared away.



*To my absolute delight*, this stuff has placed a great hold on the coco-husk. I'm loving it. A few areas that I hadn't covered with coco-husk, but had with the Latex caulk, I found it to be still a little bit soft. I wouldn't say workable... but still soft.

I'll be able to do another 1/3rd of the area tonight. But overall, I think I'm going to give this new setup a good two weeks to cure _completely_ before I start to put anything living in there.



And in lieu of your comments Boondoggie, in the areas directly around the 'pond' and water feature, I'm going to stick to GE 100% Silicone. Since this stuff will be in direct and almost constant contact with water... The more hardy silicone is probably advised.


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## McBobs (Apr 26, 2007)

I've used the stuff before and cant say that I really like it. Over time, it really started to peel away and does not hold nearly as well even after only a couple months. On glass, after it was cured, I could pry up just a corner with a razor and then just pulling on it, I could completely remove the entire sheet. Also, if you do use it, make double sure to keep it away from the water as it turned the water a really white color. Almost milky like. Not 2 hours after it was removed, the filters had turned the water crystal clear again so I have to attribute the milkiness to the latex. Just my humble opinion, but I wouldn't ever use it again. Too much time spent in resiliconing everything. 

-Matt


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

That doesn't sound so promising. However, it does mean I will definitely go with silicone around the pond/waterfall area.

I've finished the second of three rounds of this stuff. I'm really happy with how well it's holding the cocohusk and how easy it is to work with. It just comes down to how well it holds up to abuse and moisture.


Since the tank I'm working on right now is a Tree Frog setup, not a Dart setup, it won't be host to living plants and extreme misting.



I'll keep you all posted.


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

*The Final Word*


Avoid this stuff at all costs.


Don't be lured by it's low price. Fooled by it's very low odor. Or fall in love with it's ease of use.


In brief, that low odor it has didn't want to go away. Made the water slightly milky and slimy and bubbly. When I finally started pulling the stuff out, I found it peeled away like a banana -- easier in fact. Some of it had gotten all gooey. Yes, gooey is a technical term. 


My new build that I finished up a while back over at http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/pa...frogarium-journal-50-pics.html?highlight=umpa is going to have to be partially redone.

This time... I'm sticking to GE Silicone and nothing but.


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## Cathulhu 666 (10 mo ago)

froggysan said:


> The current build I'm working on contains more than your normal amount of GS foam covered areas and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with DAP's Alex Plus? It's labeled as being Acrylic Latex with Silicone.
> 
> One tub of 300mL brown for windows and doors is $1.85 at Home Depot. The GE Silicone II Brown runs for $4.95. Since I'm probably going to need around dozen tubes to get the job at hand done $5 a tube gets quite pricey.
> 
> ...


So


froggysan said:


> The current build I'm working on contains more than your normal amount of GS foam covered areas and I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with DAP's Alex Plus? It's labeled as being Acrylic Latex with Silicone.
> 
> One tub of 300mL brown for windows and doors is $1.85 at Home Depot. The GE Silicone II Brown runs for $4.95. Since I'm probably going to need around dozen tubes to get the job at hand done $5 a tube gets quite pricey.
> 
> ...


Many years later now how would you rate it? And would you recommend it for making a plexiglass aquarium my mind set is if it will hold for that then i can use it to make my virvarimes for my T's from plexiglass but I'm trying to find something i can use for my fish and my T's but even if it's just for my T's I'd still like to know how it held up many years later 😅


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## fishingguy12345 (Apr 7, 2019)

Cathulhu 666 said:


> So
> 
> Many years later now how would you rate it? And would you recommend it for making a plexiglass aquarium my mind set is if it will hold for that then i can use it to make my virvarimes for my T's from plexiglass but I'm trying to find something i can use for my fish and my T's but even if it's just for my T's I'd still like to know how it held up many years later 😅


The poster hasn't used this forum since 2009...


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