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How to apply liquid rubber

Updated: 23 October 2026

The tin is already on the bench, and the video you watched used one temperature and one cure for every brand. That is how a sound patch stays tacky or washes off. How to apply liquid rubber depends on which liquid you bought. A dry-only roof coating, Gorilla’s gap coating and a damp-surface system such as Bostik Waterstop do not share a rate, a weather window or a cleanup. This page is the method for the tin in your hand. Product choice sits on the [liquid rubber comparison](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/liquid-rubber). A qualifying purchase through our links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The tin is already on the bench, and the video you watched used one temperature and one cure for every brand. That is how a sound patch stays tacky or washes off.

Our top picks

Gorilla Gorilla Waterproof Coat & Seal, black, 473 ml

Best overall

Gorilla Gorilla Waterproof Coat & Seal, black, 473 ml
9.0/10about £19.30
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Gorilla Gorilla Waterproof Coat & Seal, black, 946 ml

Rank 2

Gorilla Gorilla Waterproof Coat & Seal, black, 946 ml
9.0/10about £30.20
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Tapel Tapel liquid rubber roof coating, white, 1 L

Rank 3

Tapel Tapel liquid rubber roof coating, white, 1 L
8.0/10about £19.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Which instructions belong to this tin
  2. 2.Prep and how much to put on
  3. 3.Temperature, rain and cure
  4. 4.Tools, solvent and skin

Which instructions belong to this tin

Sort the label into one method. A Skyguard-type coating wants a clean, dry deck, about 1 litre per square metre, 5–30 °C, no thinning, and a full cure of up to 7 days at 20 °C. Gorilla wants a 30-second stir, 10–48 °C, no gap over 6 mm, and a full cure of 24–48 hours. The UK page says it works on wet and dry surfaces. The membrane guide says avoid damp weather. Keep both lines. Tapel’s tip says 10 °C or above, with both a damp line and a dry line. Do not invent a seven-day cure for it. Pouring 1:1 platinum onto a shed is the mistake liquid rubber vs silicone is there to stop.

Prep and how much to put on

For a Skyguard-type sheet, sweep off grit, let the deck dry, and repair holes. Stir. Do not dilute. Brush or roll at about 1 litre per square metre, working towards an exit. A 1 m by 1 m patch is about one litre, not a wipe from a 473 ml tin. Gorilla is measured in millimetres. Clean the joint, stir for about 30 seconds, and keep the gap at or under 6 mm. From 6–99 mm, use patch tape rather than more liquid. Wipe a fresh spill with a dry cloth, and water-test only after the full cure. Do not use 1 litre per square metre as the dose for a 6 mm gutter joint.
Gorilla Gorilla Waterproof Coat & Seal, black, 473 ml

Testsieger

Gorilla Gorilla Waterproof Coat & Seal, black, 473 ml
9.0/10about £19.30
View offer

Temperature, rain and cure

Skyguard wants about 5–30 °C, a dry deck, and no hot direct sun. Touch dry is about 6–8 hours at 20 °C. Full cure can take up to 7 days. Do not walk on the fresh film, and do not water-test it the same day. Gorilla is applied at 10–48 °C, with a full cure of 24–48 hours. Dry in about 24 hours is inside that band, not a promise for a thick coat. The service range of about −40 °C to 100 °C is not the application temperature. A dry-only roof tin does not inherit Waterstop’s damp-surface claim. Tapel’s only temperature figure here is 10 °C or above. A ponding roof or a plastic gutter is a reason to stop before any of these numbers.

Tools, solvent and skin

Brush or roll. The Health and Safety Executive prefers that to spraying, because spray puts more solvent in the air. Skyguard lists VOC up to 499 g/L and a flash point of 35 °C. Clean tools with white spirit when the sheet says so. Keep the lid on. Gorilla skins if the lid is loose, and it ruins brushes. Wipe a fresh spill with a dry cloth. Do not clean skin with white spirit or thinners. Soap and water are for hands. If the deck is soft or the detail is a flashing, call a roofer.

Common questions

Do I apply liquid rubber to a dry roof or a damp one?
Match the tin. A Skyguard-type sheet wants a dry, sound deck and bars damp or frozen surfaces. Gorilla’s UK page says the liquid works on wet and dry surfaces, while its membrane guide says avoid damp weather. Bostik Waterstop is sold for damp surfaces, and it is not in this amazon.co.uk set.
What temperature does the tin in my hand need?
A Skyguard-type coating is about 5–30 °C for air and substrate. Gorilla’s black liquid is 10–48 °C, with a full cure of 24–48 hours. Tapel’s tip says 10 °C or above and does not give a full cure. Do not borrow seven days, or 48 °C, for a tin that does not print them.
How thick is 1 litre per square metre?
On those trade roof sheets it is the minimum rate, about one litre for a square metre. Porous decks may need more. Gorilla is not dosed that way. It fills a gap up to 6 mm. A grams-per-metre paint table will under-size a Skyguard-type coat and over-size a gap tin.
When is it touch dry, and when is it cured?
Skyguard is touch dry in about 6–8 hours at 20 °C and fully cured in up to 7 days. Gorilla’s full cure is 24–48 hours. A thick coat takes the long end. Touch dry is not the moment to walk on the film or to water-test it. Test after the cure the label gives.
Should I brush, roll or spray?
Brush or roll. HSE treats spray as the higher solvent exposure, and Skyguard can sit near 499 g/L VOC. Gorilla allows brush, roll, trowel or pour, and a 30-second stir. Do not copy a contractor spray pressure from a different urethane onto these tins. Ventilate whichever method you use.
How do I clean tools and skin?
White spirit is for tools when the roof sheet says so. A dry cloth is for fresh Gorilla spills. Skin gets soap and water, not solvent and not thinners. Keep lids on so the tin does not skin over, and do not leave solvent-wet rags heaped in the shed.

Related pages

Best liquid rubber

Liquid rubber buying guide

Liquid rubber for a roof and gutter

Liquid rubber

Liquid rubber vs silicone for roofs, gaps and moulds

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 19 October 2026.

  1. Skyguard liquid rubber data sheet (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. Skyguard 5 litre liquid rubber (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. Gorilla Waterproofing Liquid Black (UK) (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bostik Waterstop flexible waterproof coating (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. HSE paint and coatings FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE latex allergy (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Bauder on BS 6229:2025 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. Assimilated Regulation 1935/2004 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  9. Plasti Dip liquid electrical tape (retrieved 19 October 2026)