Tec7: The wonder product Norwegian craftsmen love
Whether you're a tradesman or an office worker, you're bound to have a relationship with Tec7. On the building site, in the marina, at the campsite and in the most unimaginable places, both above and below water, you swear by Tec7 to glue, grout and fasten things so they really fit. But did you know that Tec7 was actually invented by Japanese earthquake researchers?
Developed by ‘earthquake scientists’ in the 70s
The story behind Tec7 starts in Japan in the 1970s, when they were researching how to make tall buildings more resistant to earthquakes.
The result was an adhesive made of MS polymer, which was launched in 1978 by Kaneka Corporation. MS polymer could withstand vibrations, was extremely strong and had a long service life. This was the origin of Tec7, which was launched in 1989 by the Belgian company Novatech.
We had a chat with Jan Bergh, Sales Manager at Relekta AS. When they were awarded the Norwegian and Swedish agency for Tec7 in 2000, he was given the responsibility of building Tec7 into a well-known and eventually beloved brand for both craftsmen and private individuals throughout Norway through sales to wholesalers and distributors.
- ‘Since we started on the eighth of May 2000, I've driven a bigger and bigger circle from my home office in Mjøndalen. We now have six salespeople on the road and sales of over NOK 130 million in products in the Tec7 and Relekta 101 series,’ says Bergh.
What is Tec7?
Tec7 is a super-strong and flexible adhesive, jointing and sealing compound made of MS polymer. It can be used both indoors and outdoors - for grouting, mounting, sealing, repairing and bonding - even under water. For insulators, it can be used for wall penetrations and jointing.
- A major advantage in our extreme Nordic climate is that Tec7 can withstand repeated freezing and thawing without losing its properties. So it's not a crisis if you forget to empty the car at the end of the working day, even if the temperature gauge reads fifteen degrees centigrade,’ says Bergh.
Tec7 is watertight and airtight and adheres to virtually all dry and wet surfaces, with the exception of PP and PE. The product can also be used under water. It fully cures when it comes into contact with humidity. Relekta states that the product has a cartridge shelf life of at least 18 months. Tec7 can be painted over, unlike silicone, for example.
- In addition to being very effective, Tec7 is also an environmentally friendly product, odourless and completely free of toxic substances and solvents. It is also food approved and meets the emission requirements of BREEAM-NOR,’ says Bergh.
Norwegians love Tec7
Tec7 has been on the Norwegian market for almost 23 years and is one of the products we sell that perhaps most people have heard of. There's a lot of talk about Tec7 on various online forums, where you hear statements like:
‘Why does everyone love Tec7?’
‘God's gift to mankind’
‘It works for everything!’
But Tec7 isn't just a craftsman's wonder mix. It's used for almost everything by Ola and Kari Nordmann. In a podcast episode of ‘Enklere hantverk’, published by Relekta AS, they talk about many creative uses:
Everything from the guy who used Tec7 to patch his slightly too long jeans, to the guy who used Tec7 to attach the soles of his mountain boots or create white sides on his tyres,
Just a few examples of how versatile Tec7 is. So much so, in fact, that it has become a verb to ‘tekke’ something.
Tec7 and 101 series
At tekniskisolering.no you can buy (in addition to Tec7) several quality products in the Tec7 series and Relekta's own 101 series; caulking gun, cartridge kit, GT7 universal spray, crystal clear sealant (Trans CLEAR), Trans INOX and the construction foam PUR Pro.
- ‘The construction foam has a very high noise reduction capacity compared to many of the alternatives on the market, and it can be left in the insulator's car to freeze, thaw and freeze,’ says Bergh.