Silicone and acrylic are sealants that are very similar in terms of appearance and texture. Sealants or adhesives are in almost any home or apartment where the aim is to fill every form of gap or opening. The choice between acrylic or silicone depends on various factors, especially the application areas where you will be applying the two sealing compounds.
What is an acrylic sealant?
Based on an acrylic polymer, an acrylic sealant is often recognised by different names that include decorators acrylic, painters caulk, or even decorators caulk. An acrylic sealant adhesive is more traditional, and is the preferred choice when searching for an economical sealant and filler. Some also have external uses, and acrylic sealant mainly serves internal purposes. An acrylic sealant plastic is a more elastic sealant ideal for a working environment, such as cracks in masonry.
Silicone sealant and its uses
A silicone sealant has a basis on a silicone polymer. It is cured to form a flexible rubber that is tough and also ideal for all forms of industrial applications and applications at home. There are three main types of silicone sealants: acetoxy cure, alkoxy cure, and oxime cure. An acetoxy cure silicone sealant is an acetic acid curing, and its vinegar-like smell recognises it. It has many uses when working on different forms of internal applications. Oxime cure and alkoxy cure, on the other hand, are both neutral curing silicones. Thus, which silicone sealant to use depends on the type of application.
Read more: How to Apply Silicone Sealant
Their uses are mostly on external applications due to their waterproofing properties and comparatively superior adhesion. Therefore, they have a greater tendency to withstand the rigours of different external weather conditions. In addition to this, the neutral curing silicone sealants can be ideal on any surface that is sensitive to acetic acid.
Acrylic sealant vs. silicone sealant
The one main advantage that acrylic adhesive tends to have over silicone sealant is paint or paintability with various kinds of paints. However, this cannot be said when it comes to silicone sealants. Silicone sealants easily outperform the acrylic counterparts in other areas. For instance, silicone sealants are much more durable than acrylic sealants, as they are more flexible.
Secondly, acrylic adhesives are more prone to outside weather and climate conditions when they are applied externally. Atmospheric conditions must always be preferably warm and dry if the acrylic sealant is to stand the test of time and prevent the curing sealant from being washed off the joint. Again, this is not the case for silicone sealants, as they are easier to tool and finish, unlike their acrylic counterparts.
Even after curing an acrylic sealant, its waterproofing and weather-resistant properties are nowhere near a silicone sealant.
To summarize, if a paintable sealant best suits an external application, most experts will recommend the use of a silicone sealant, rather than an acrylic one. However, acrylic vs. polymer sealant or caulk vs. silicone depends on their advantages and disadvantages, and the different applications. Therefore, substituting silicone or acrylic is solely dependent on the goals and requirements of the job that you are undertaking.
