COMPARISON
Caulks and sealants compared by tack-free time
98 products in our catalog state a time for tack-free surface, from 5 minutes (GREAT STUFF (DuPont) GREAT STUFF Big Gap Filler Insulating Foam Sealant) to 1.2 days (Tremco Vulkem 116). The median is 30 minutes. The table shows the 25 shortest, built only from numeric times in manufacturer documents.
Fair-comparison rule: Read the exact milestone and conditions on each product page. Similar numbers can describe different tests, substrates or stages, and a faster time is not automatically a better product.
Comparison table
| Product | Manufacturer-stated minimum | Condition/source |
|---|---|---|
| GREAT STUFF (DuPont) GREAT STUFF Big Gap Filler Insulating Foam Sealant Smart Dispenser can | 5 minutes | See product page |
| GREAT STUFF (DuPont) GREAT STUFF Fireblock Insulating Foam Sealant Can | 5 minutes | 70 ± 5°F, 50 ± 5% RH, 1 in. bead, 6 in. length |
| GREAT STUFF (DuPont) GREAT STUFF Gaps & Cracks Insulating Foam Sealant Smart Dispenser can | 5 minutes | 70 ± 5°F, 50 ± 5% RH, 1-inch bead |
| GREAT STUFF (DuPont) GREAT STUFF Pestblock Insulating Foam Sealant Can | 5 minutes | See product page |
| Loctite (Henkel) LOCTITE TITE FOAM Big Gaps Insulating foam sealant | 6 minutes | At 73°F (23°C) and 50% relative humidity. |
| Loctite (Henkel) LOCTITE TITE FOAM Gaps & Cracks Insulating foam sealant | 6 minutes | At 73°F (23°C) and 50% relative humidity. |
| Pecora 896 Silicone Sealant Medium-modulus neutral-cure silicone sealant | 8 minutes | By ASTM C679. |
| Loctite (Henkel) LOCTITE Super Flex 24 Flexible sealant and adhesive | 10 minutes | Cured at 25°C and 50% relative humidity. |
| Loctite (Henkel) Polyseamseal Painter's Caulk White | 10 minutes | Depends on temperature, humidity, porosity and depth of sealant |
| Loctite (Henkel) Polyseamseal Tub & Tile Adhesive Caulk White | 10 minutes | Depends on temperature, humidity, porosity and depth of sealant |
| MAPEI Mapesil T Plus 100% Silicone Sealant All colors | 10 minutes | 73°F and 50% RH |
| DAP ALEX FAST DRY Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone White | 15 minutes | See product page |
| DAP ALEX FLEX Premium Molding & Trim Sealant White / Antique White | 15 minutes | See product page |
| DAP ALEX ULTRA Advanced Latex Sealant White | 15 minutes | See product page |
| DAP DAP ALEX ULTRA Advanced Latex Sealant Siliconized acrylic latex sealant | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| DAP DAP ALEX ULTRA Premium Latex Sealant Siliconized acrylic latex sealant, Canadian sheet | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Everbuild (Sika) Everflex 125 One Hour Caulk Quick-paint acrylic caulk (UK) | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Everbuild (Sika) Everflex 175 Universal Acrylic Sealant Paintable acrylic sealant (UK) | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Everbuild (Sika) External Frame Sealant Sealant for window and door frames (UK) | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| GREAT STUFF (DuPont) Multipurpose White Insulating Foam Sealant White foam sealant with Smart Dispenser | 15 minutes | At 70 ±5°F and 50 ±5% relative humidity, 1 inch bead diameter, 6 inch length. |
| Sika Sikaflex WS-202 FK with SikaBooster B-1M Two-component accelerated sealant | 15 minutes | At 20°C and 65% relative humidity. |
| Tremco Tremflex 834 Siliconized acrylic latex sealant | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| LATICRETE LATICRETE LATASIL Silicone sealant | 17 minutes | At 77°F (25°C) and 50% relative humidity. |
| DOWSIL (Dow) 732 Multi-Purpose Sealant One-part acetoxy silicone | 20 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Everbuild (Sika) Tecnic Hybriflex 55 Hybrid polymer sealant and adhesive | 20 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
Quick answers
Which has the shortest stated time for tack-free surface?
Among the 98 products in our catalog with a numeric milestone for tack-free surface, the shortest is GREAT STUFF (DuPont) GREAT STUFF Big Gap Filler Insulating Foam Sealant at 5 minutes.
How wide is the range for tack-free surface?
Stated times run from 5 minutes to 1.2 days, with a median of 30 minutes across 19 manufacturers.
What can change the order?
Temperature, humidity, thickness, airflow, surface preparation and what the manufacturer means by this milestone can all change which product is right. We keep the manufacturer wording on each product page so you can check before relying on a number.