Glueing aluminium ?

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Hi folks,

I need to hide some awful gold coloured carpet dividers between rooms in our house. These are gold anodised aluminium I-sections that the carpet tucks into from each room under each door.

Pulling the carpet out and lifting each divider and replacing with silver coloured ones will be too much hassle and work and disruption.

So I have been wondering how to hide the gold ones. I wondered about painting them in situ but there is far too much chance of getting paint onto the carpet – especially with me doing it !

I recently saw 20mm wide, 2mm thick strips of silver anodised aluminium at a local store and these would be ideal – they look good and there is plenty of clearance under the doors – but how to fix them on top of the dividers ?

Screws would be too visible and clumsy looking, so I want to know what sort of glue to use. I tried a forum search and looked at the Loctitie website but am none the wiser.

Any suggestions for a glue to secure anodised aluminium together ?

 

Many thanks.

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

A good many tears ago, I was involved in using a structural aluminium adhesive . It worked a treat, but I am afraid I cannot remember the details. However it does exist!

Andrew.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Yes andrew you are right its used in sports car chassis as well and like you cannot remember the name, I think it was made by permabond

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

I’m pretty sure Epoxy would work, but is this a good idea?

• Glue just as messy as paint.
• 2mm is quite thick, possibly enough to stub toes, or be dislodged by a hard hitting vacuum cleaner brush or boot.  Glue doesn’t like sideways swiping.
• Does it matter if the new and old bond so firmly that they can’t be separated when the carpet has to be replaced?
• Aluminium strip may need to have the edges chamfered so it blends in and looks pretty.
• Again for looks, make sure the strip isn’t so soft that it scratches instantly into a plug ugly mess.   Quite a lot of DIY store Aluminium is soft.

I’d experiment on a small scale before committing on a large scale.  If the trial goes at all badly, probably better to replace the old grippers.   Not messy, choice of colours, and designed with to take a beating from feet and cleaners.

Dave

[Martin KyteParticipant @martinkyte99762]

I would use silicone sealant. You have a large bond area so it should work well. It will also have a bit of give. I’ve used it for bonding stainless steel racks to bathroom tiles to avoid drilling holes. A friend used to make display cases with wooden ‘angle’ edging and glass sheet using only sealant as a bonding agent.
It’s cheap and easy to apply.
regards Martin

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

Hello John,

Dave’s comments are certainly worth noting.

Personally, I think any colour of aluminium gripper/threshold strip can look a little unsightly.  Not sure how practical this would be for you, but this is how I addressed the issue (issue to me that is).  Yes, hassle and disruption as you put it maybe, but the finished result, I believe, is more than worth it.

A length of hardwood (oak works well) between the frame stops, glued to the floor (some form of grab adhesive), the same width as the stops and to clear the door bottom.  Normal edge gripper strips positioned from the hardwood threshold to suit the carpet, and then treat as fitting the carpet to a skirting board.  Hope that makes sense.

I guess the most disruptive part would be, if required, trimming of the door bottoms, as the hardwood strip would need to be around 1/2″ thick.

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

All suggestions welcome, but just to answer some of SoDs:

1. Potentially yes, but glue is clear and also much more viscous, so it won’t splash like paint can. Also with glue I can apply a narrow strip of glue along each edge of the aluminium strip away from the carpet, and then safely invert the strip to stick it onto the carpet divider.

2. The tops of the dividers are about 10mm below the carpet level, so no problem there.

3. No. We will never want brass/gold coloured trims, and I have gone though the whole house changing all the door handles, locks and hinges from brass to silver metal coloured ones.

4. The strips have rounded edges as supplied.

5. Fair point. The gold strips are not scratched, but we will have to see how it goes.

 

Yes, I will try one first. To change a gripper section; carpet from each side would have to be teased out from the gripper section and rolled back, which would probably need one of those knee kicker things. Then the gripper section would need to be prised up from its fixings into the surface underneath – concrete or wood ? Then nine new gripper sections would need to be purchased and fitted, and the carpets tensioned to fit neatly and smoothly back in place. The latter process probably requiring a carpet fitter to do it right. Doing this to all nine door strips would be too much aggravation and cost.

If I can securely-enough glue a ready made aluminium strip onto each gripper divider, it will be much easier process.

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

I’d use SikaFlex EBT+ adhesive / sealant. Stronger than RTV silcone and sticks well to anodised aluminium.

Robert.

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Silicon sealant/adhesive is something I had not thought of. Thanks both.

Ditto hardwood strips – but I would bond them onto the existing divider – I am not going down the road of releasing all the carpets, and lifting and replacing all the dividers.

Interesting ideas.

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Clean with acetone and then use Araldite – don’t get that on the carpet!  –  or live with gold !

Ps, they glue aeroplanes together with it !!

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

The trick I use when gluing Aluminium, is to have some kind of abrasive like scotchbrite. Put glue onto the surface and on the piece of scotchbrite. Using chopsticks or tweezers , abrade the surface keeping it wet with the adhesive. Don’t clean it , do on the 2 pieces, then assemble. This takes away the oxide layer and keeps the oxygen out. You will get the best possible adhesion with this method.

This works really well with epoxies, like the the 24 hr Araldite, also with loctite range of adhesives as well.

Permabond came out with a 2 part acrylic compound in the early 80’s. One was an activator, the other bas the bonding agent. In the original documentation is where the above about abrading a surface came from. Used the light brown liquid on both surfaces after they had been cleaned with a solvent to remove any grease or other contaminates. The opaque paste went onto one side over the activator, and assemble. It came in a fast curing, around 90 seconds, and a slower curing at a few hours.

Silicon will be a good choice , as it will at some time be required to be removed. Acetic acid cure will attack the aluminium over time. You want a neutral cure silicon or a SikaFlex adhesive.

Neil

Here is one of the Permabond ali structural adhesive.

https://www.permabond.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/TA4246_TDS.pdf

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

JBWeld for me. masking tape and then sheet of paper down each side to ensure carpet stays free of JBW. I’ve seen chuck soft jaws stuck on with it so should be upto vacuum cleaner hits.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

For goodness sake stay away from silicone sealants its in the name

[Robert Atkinson 2Participant @robertatkinson2]

I suggested EBT+ because it’s not silicone but is flexible. Ther is a lot of force on these strips when stepped on. A completly rigid adhesive like epoxy is likely to crack. Toughend acrylic (I use Loctite Multibond 330) is good for bare aluminium but not so good on anodised surfaces.

Robert.

[noel shelleyParticipant @noelshelley55608]

The answer to many odd jobs, CT1 ! Not cheap at about £14 a cartridge but even open has a long shelf life if you keep the end sealed. It’s a bit like Roberts silkaflex. I ALWAYS have a cartidge on the go, it even works underwater or wet surfaces and will stick or seal almost anything.  Noel.

[Mark EasingwoodParticipant @markeasingwood33578]

I would consider trying, “Georgian Bar Glazing Tape”. It is a foam rubber?  cored double sided tape, 1mm thick, and available in various widths, and in either black or white. The foam rubber core means a degree of flexibility, so it won’t crack. Less messy to use, but you do need to line it up carefully, as once it touches it is stuck!!

Available from several places, including Mighton Products.

 

[Alan CharlestonParticipant @alancharleston78882]

Hi John,

Have you considered getting some adhesive aluminium tape and sticking it onto the existing gold coloured dividers? The tape is commonly used to stick foil faced insulation blankets together and the glue sticks like the proverbial to a blanket. If it doesn’t work just peel it off and clean up any residual glue with kerosene.

Regards,

Alan C.

[HowiParticipant @howi]

Oh! do come on folks, get real.

Do the job properly, rather than botching it, you will probably end up doing it anyway and spend far more time and money.

You could have had the job done by now rather than wasting time posting on here.

It’s a simple and straight forward job anyway!

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Really ?

Nine doorway carpet dividers, 18 carpets unhooked and rolled back. The dividers removed and new ones bought and fitted. Then 18 carpets put back and stretched tight and hooked back in.

Versus fixing nine metal (or plastic, come to think of it), strips on top of what is there.

What is the trick, and do you live near Hereford by any chance ?

(Thanks all, for the other ideas).

[John HinkleyParticipant @johnhinkley26699]

I suggest you look at 3M double-sided tape, like this, for example:

3M double-sided tape

It’s available in clear and various widths.  The actual “sticky” bit is about 1mm thick, flexible, and will mould itself to the contours of the existing divider as well as the underside of the replacement.

I used it to secure workpieces, both MDF and aluminium, to the baseboard of my 3D router.  To say it held fast would be a massive understatement!  It was a pig to remove, but then that’s the idea, isn’t it?

(I didn’t buy from the advertiser in the link, but one supplying the same stuff.)

John

 

[John Doe 2]

On John Doe 2 Said:

 

I have gone though the whole house changing all the door handles, locks and hinges from brass to silver metal coloured ones.

Gosh! 😮 So you don’t like Gold then?! Aurophobia is apparently a thing, who knew.

Edit: I must agree though I do prefer silver to gold for fittings.

[martin haysomParticipant @martinhaysom48469]

what howi said. its the only way. what ever you glue on there will take just as long as doing the job right  and then it come off

ps the Araldite used on aircraft is nothing like the stuff bought from DIY shops

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

This sort of strip leaves a low point just where you don’t want it – under the door. THink of a colour you like and glue down strips of felt to fill the gap and stop draughts.

[John Doe 2Participant @johndoe2]

Double sided tape, another good idea.

No, we don’t like brass or gold coloured fittings – just our personal preference – to us they look and feel a bit old fashioned compared to silver coloured metal fittings. If everyone all liked the same colour, life might be a bit dull !

Like I say, if Howi or Martin can show me how it would be easier – and quicker – to unhook 18 carpets, purchase nine new dividers, remove the old and fit the new, and reattach and stretch all the carpets for all nine doors, without employing a carpet fitter as well, then I am genuinely all ears.

Perhaps there is an easy way to do it that I don’t know about ?

[Bo’sunParticipant @bosun58570]

I have to say John, I think Howi and Martin have the right idea.  While “doing the job properly” might appear a lot of work initially, the finished result will be better (whichever route you choose), and you won’t need to do it again, which will invariably happen by sticking bits on.

It’s a bit like words you hear on this forum from time to time.  “Buy cheap buy twice”, except it’ll probably be more than twice.

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