We live in a throw away society, meaning that when something breaks it tends to get scrapped and replaced. We don’t even think about fixing things, they simply go in the bin or skip.
However, as we’re encouraged to throw away less, it’s good to consider how items with only minor problems can be repaired. Thanks to the range of modern adhesives now available, most things can be easily fixed, so you don’t need to discard favourite items just because of a bit of damage.
Household Items
Many of the items we use every day can suffer minor damage – you knock the handle off a favourite mug, for example, or snap a piece off an ornament just before the person who gave it to you comes to visit. For ceramic items modern superglue is perfect, although it sets quickly so make sure you line the parts up carefully. It can also stick your fingers together, of course, so have some nail varnish remover handy in case of accidents – cooking oil works too, in emergencies.
For wooden items like furniture or picture frames there are plenty of PVA type wood glues. These are easy to use and you can clean up excess with water. Items may need to be clamped in place while they set, however.
There are a range of craft glues on the market which can be used to fix items such as lampshades and pelmets, sticking back the felt on the rear of place mats and many more simple fixes around the home.
Tools and Outdoors
Bonding metal objects used to be trickier unless you were a dab hand with a soldering iron or welding kit, but thanks to the latest metal bonding adhesives available from suppliers like http://www.ct1ltd.com/en/metal-to-metal-adhesive.html, even metal repairs needn’t hold any fears.
Fixing metal to metal can be done with a range of different materials including steel and aluminium. Some of these glues also allow you to bond metal to other objects, so they’re good for jobs like re-attaching handles to garden tools or fixing metal house numbers to brickwork.
There are a variety of other outdoor fixes that can be carried out using adhesives, for example fixing guttering or repairing garden furniture. Make sure you choose a glue that is weather resistant and won’t crack or dry out over time.