Greetings! In articles about insulation, the use of penofol is constantly recommended, but I had a question, how to glue penofol to concrete, for example, if I use a non-self-adhesive version? Thank you.
Hello. We will try to answer your question.
Penofol is an energy-saving material with a layered structure. It combines the properties of polyethylene foam and thin aluminum foil. The material is characterized by lightness and small thickness, and therefore is often used on various objects (including on the balcony) for insulation, tightness, thermal, noise, steam and waterproofing. However, to ensure high-quality protection, penofol is not enough to lean against an insulated surface - you will need a special glue for penofol.
Features of adhesive installation of penofol
Glue for foam foil allows you to quickly complete work on the insulation of surfaces. Besides, adhesive method installation is easy to implement and low-cost, since it does not require any special skills or specialized tools.
Usually, when choosing gluing as a method of mounting insulating surfaces, it is necessary to take into account the bearing capacity of the adhesive layer - but when using penofol, this fact will not be decisive, since the material is incredibly light.
Rules for preparing surfaces before gluing
The right glue for penofol is not a guarantee of successful work. To ensure the solidity of the connection, the main thing is that the surfaces to be glued are prepared. On them, without fail, eliminate all defects, chips, bumps, cracks, as well as dust.
Important: Surfaces made of metal, concrete or wood can be additionally primed for better adhesion of the layers.
One of essential conditions quality result - evenness and cleanliness of the surface. So, concrete floors and walls are leveled, cracks are eliminated on them, and metal elements are treated with an anti-corrosion coating.
What can be used as glue for penofol?
Glue for penofol can be special or universal. For these purposes, professionals also allow the use liquid nails, double-sided tape, thin layer polyurethane foam. The choice of type of adhesive depends on the purpose of the surface, and on its further design.
It is very important here that the characteristics of the adhesive composition correspond to the performance of the insulation:
- the ability to withstand operating temperatures in the range of +100 ... -60 ° C;
- permission for indoor use;
- biological non-toxicity;
- adhesion resistance.
If the insulation is carried out outside, on the facade, then the adhesive composition must necessarily be resistant to water vapor and water. Requirements for non-toxicity are also mandatory, because the balcony belongs to residential premises. Therefore, the adhesive for foil foam foam must certainly have certificates of hygienic safety.
How to glue penofol correctly
To correctly glue penofol, you need the selected adhesive composition apply on the side of the material that is not protected by foil. It is important to apply the glue in an even thin layer and so that all areas of the insulation are smeared, without gaps.
When smearing, special influence is given to the edges of the panel so that the penofol does not begin to peel off during operation. In order to fix the insulation, the material must be held for 5-60 seconds so that the glue applied to it dries slightly. This will ensure the best adhesion of the composition. Then the prepared canvas is pressed against the surface to be glued, held and very carefully smoothed - until it is completely fixed.
If the penofol is fixed in pieces, between which there are seams, then these same seams are additionally glued.
Do you have any questions? Ask them in the comments!
Polyethylene is a well-known popular in household material, unpretentious and inexpensive. Many are faced with the need to glue polyethylene, for example, when arranging a greenhouse. It is worth noting that given material difficult to bond, but, nevertheless, this can be done using special adhesives.
So, to the question what kind of glue will tightly glue polyethylene, experts answer - these are BF-2 and BF-4 adhesives, as well as ice acetic acid, xylene and trichlorethylene. You can buy these compounds in specialized stores.
What glue to glue polyethylene
What glue to use for gluing polyethylene - composition
The easiest way is to purchase structural adhesive in the store, which includes methyl acrylate. Its properties provide rapid softening of polyethylene and its further bonding. The adhesive also contains inorganic and organic acids and xylene, chromic angrid and various additives.
The advantage of using a mixture is that no additional processing of the material is required. However, the adhesive for polyethylene is quite toxic, so it is recommended to carry out work on outdoors. The glue acquires its best properties at a temperature of + 35C, it is not afraid of moisture, but is easily flammable. It is better to buy it in specialized stores, so as not to run into a fake.
If there is a need to combine polyethylene with polyethylene, it is more convenient and easier to resort to heat treatment.
This technique allows you to get a strong inseparable seam. Among the shortcomings of the method, it is worth noting the deformation of the edges of the product.
On sale are mixtures for connecting polymers, which are similar in consistency to a thick paste. The kit comes with an activator. After adding it to the adhesive for polyethylene, it acquires the required consistency and can be used within a short time.
We glue polyethylene - step by step instructions
To glue polyethylene, special knowledge and skills are not required. Even beginners at home will cope with the task.
The order of work is as follows:
- Clean the surface and degrease it. Some manufacturers claim that this step is optional, but experts still recommend spending a few minutes and never skip it.
- Apply glue to the processed material. It will take only a few minutes to solidify, so the parts must be attached to each other without delay.
- Leave the glued polyethylene elements for several hours until the glue has completely set.
In general, this algorithm is similar to working with any glue. True, you should take care to use protective gloves, as the glue can cause allergic reactions and is quite toxic.
Easier to apply adhesive glue gun, which can be loaded with ready-made cartridges. The mixture of them is distributed evenly, so it is easy to achieve the desired dosage. If you are planning a large amount of work, this unit worth spending.
RELATED VIDEO
How to glue polyethylene foam
Foamed polyethylene has a porous structure, therefore it provides high-quality heat, steam and waterproofing.
Due to its low price, ease of operation and installation, it is actively used in construction. The most popular brands are Izolon, Vilaterm, Energoflex, Polifom, Temaflex.
If the need arose glue foam insulation, experts recommend two-component adhesives based on methyl acrylate. Such compounds are characterized by high adhesion and are suitable for working with polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polypropylene. An example is the well-known adhesive composition "Easy-Mix PE-PP" from WEICON.
Usually, in order to achieve high results in gluing foamed polyethylene, the following procedures are additionally required:
- surface treatment sandblasting or grinding
- physical treatment, such as thermal fire,
- chemical treatment (usually the fluorination method is used).
But when using "Easy-Mix PE-PP", you can do without additional preparation and surface treatment due to the "primer" included in the composition, which changes the structure of the materials to be glued, after which they easily adhere.
The use of Easy-Mix PE-PP glue for working with polyethylene foam both on an industrial scale and at home allows you to quickly and reliably fasten materials, while it is ready for use immediately after opening the package, it is easy to dose and mix, and also apply.
The glue has a soft pasty consistency, is not afraid of conditional "aging" and retains its properties for a long time even in open areas.
Polyethylene films are used for roofing hydro and vapor barrier. During the installation process, it is often necessary to connect the pieces into one panel, but adhesive tape does not always help out. It is impossible to fix the connection with ordinary silicate glue or PVA. How to glue polyethylene film at home, to get a reliable and impervious to moisture and steam joint? There are several effective and simple ways that do not require sophisticated equipment.
Problems when gluing polyethylene is a fairly common situation. And it's all about the characteristics of the material. It is worth understanding them - and it will be easy to avoid difficulties.
Heat bakes two layers
Things to remember from chemistry and physics
Polyethylene is the most widely used polymer in the world. Its extraordinary popularity is due to excellent properties material - impact resistance, plasticity, low gas and water permeability. For roofs, films reinforced with mesh or fabric are used, which increases the strength of the material.
Despite the advantages, polyethylene films are very rarely glued in the industry. To understand why the connection of parts is problematic, it is enough to recall school chemistry lessons. The molecule of this polymer is a long chain of similar units -CH2-. The charges inside such a molecule are distributed evenly, it is non-polar. And the higher the polarity, the more the polymer is suitable for bonding.
This device is suitable for small parts.
Connection methods without glue and solvent
The method of gluing with one's own solution, which is common for many polymers, is also not suitable - in organic solvents polyethylene is practically insoluble. The answer to the question: how to glue a plastic film is actually very simple: it is best to use welding.
Of the many methods for welding polyethylene film, two are worth highlighting:
- Welding with a heated object.
- Open flame welding.
Both methods are equally effective, but in non-industrial conditions it is still easier and safer to use the first one. However, everyone can choose for themselves the most acceptable option, given the availability necessary tools and own skills. In any case, these methods make it possible to firmly connect the parts to each other, creating reliable building elements, agrotechnical and protective structures.
When laying the film on the roof, you can do without soldering
Preparatory stages for work
Folk wisdom says: "Measure seven times, cut once." And before starting work with polyethylene, it is necessary not only to carefully take measurements, but also to think over every detail. First of all, answer the questions:
- What loads will the finished structure be subjected to?
- What is the expected lifespan of it?
- Do you need 100% hydro stability?
Perhaps, after such questions, the need to glue many parts will disappear. For example, to isolate transported goods or preserve equipment, some parts of the polyethylene film can be fixed with metal staples or twine. And for protection building structure from moisture, it is recommended to overlap the polymer, covering individual parts.
But when there is a question of how to glue a reinforced film for a greenhouse, reliability should not be neglected. After all, such a design, as a rule, should serve for a long time, perfectly protecting plants from all kinds of weather surprises. Connection with staples and strong ropes in this case will not work, and welding (any of its proposed types) will ideal option.
Hot Welding Instructions
This method can be called the most simple, effective and safe at the same time, especially when it comes to welding at home. An ordinary iron can be found in every home, and the seams created with the help of heated objects are usually the most even and accurate.
Universal roller for gluing polyethylene
Most handy tool for this method, a roller with a built-in electric heating device can serve. This tool is ideal when you need to do a lot of work - for example, in large agro-industrial enterprises. As a rule, such devices have to be made independently. And in order for them to work well, you must at least be qualified as an electrician.
However, when it comes to how to glue plastic film for a greenhouse at home, the roller method is not very suitable. After all, not everyone has the time, patience and necessary skills to create such a device, especially when the need for welding rarely arises. Then it is worth resorting to the help of improvised means. And in everyday life there are a lot of devices that can be heated to the desired temperature - approximately 250 ° C.
How to work with an electric iron and analogues
To glue polyethylene with an iron, you just need to lay the edges of the material on a wooden lath, and then iron the parts through a newspaper or fluoroplastic film folded in half. By the way, these same safety elements will not be superfluous when gluing with other hot objects. Depending on the area of the surface to be joined, a narrow edge, spout or flat iron can be used. A wooden lath will help create a smooth and neat connection.
What temperature should the iron be heated to? Unfortunately, there are no clear recommendations on this issue, and 250 ° C is rather a relative indicator. The melting temperature depends primarily on the brand of polyethylene. Therefore, in the process of work, you need to be very careful. If the material does not connect and does not change at all, it means that the iron needs to be heated more strongly. If the seam is barely noticeable, and the film near it has lost strength, the temperature is already too high.
There is always a risk of burning through the film. To avoid this, you need to reduce the contact of the iron and the parts to be glued to one second. To prevent polyethylene from sticking to the iron, instead of a newspaper, you can cover the surface of the polymer with thin cellophane before work. To check how effective polyethylene soldering is, you need to pull the connected parts in different directions. If the seam has come apart, the process will have to be started again.
Soldering iron with a special nozzle
If the iron method is not suitable for some reason, other tools can be used. For example, a hot knife and a soldering iron tip will make it possible to create even and thin seam lines. Some craftsmen manage to connect polyethylene parts with a red-hot needle. However, you can use other improvised means. Auxiliary tools are the same as when connecting with an iron - wooden frame, newspaper or cellophane.
Homemade soldering iron for gluing polyethylene
Film welding with an open flame
You will need:
- one of the possible devices with open fire: gas-burner, alcohol lamp, blowtorch, match, torch;
- bars made of ceramic or metal.
First, the edges of the film are fixed with bars so that a narrow strip of polyethylene a few millimeters thick is visible at the welding site. The bars should be made of metal or ceramic, but in no case of wood - after all, their function is not only to keep the polyethylene immobile, but also to remove some of the heat so that the connected parts do not burn out.
After that, with the tool chosen for welding, you need to draw a conditional line along the edge of the polyethylene parts. As a result, at the place of contact of the films with an open fire, a dense connecting roller should form. In order for the welding process to be successful, it is advisable to first, empirically, select the optimal speed of the tool. It depends on the device used, and on the brand of polyethylene.
On the roof it is better to work with the device
Is it possible to glue the film with glue
Some craftsmen tried to use BF-4 or BF-2 tools to glue plastic wrap at home. After processing the parts with a 25% solution of chromic anhydride, they applied glue to the surface, but subsequently the seams on polyethylene film still had to be processed with an iron heated to 50-60 ° C. As a result, this method differed little from the connection with hot objects, even if the temperature was much lower.
Using Super Glue: A State of the Art Approach
The roughness of the surface contributes to the successful connection of parts with glue. But the properties of the polymer in question are the opposite - it is distinguished by its ideal smoothness. And yet, how to glue a plastic film for a greenhouse using only one of the ordinary factory adhesives? Until recently, it was believed that this was impossible.
Recently, however, varieties of superglues specifically designed to work with plastic film have appeared on the market. Among the advantages of such products:
- lack of smell;
- water resistance;
- elasticity;
- connection strength.
When dry, they can be thinned with acetone. However, they must be used with caution, avoid contact with the skin and household surfaces, because the composition contains potent solvents.
Noteworthy are products based on ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate, which were developed by chemist Harry Coover during military experiments in the United States back in the middle of the last century. Such types of glue are now available due to mass production, create fairly strong bonds, and are also suitable for working with rubber and metal.
Is the choice of glue for joining parts justified?
Is it worth using glue for polyethylene at home, including for roofing works? One of the main problems when used in everyday life can be its toxicity. In addition, not all products on the market are of sufficient quality. And it is simply impossible to check the effectiveness of the glue when buying. At the same time, when using one of the types of welding, there are more chances to get an excellent result.
Using glue for polyethylene
As you can see, there are many ways to glue a plastic film at home, and everyone can choose the most suitable one for themselves. In addition, there is always the opportunity to turn to professionals who will not only give useful advice but can also be of practical help.
Owners often face this problem. summer cottages, greenhouses, home craftsmen, and even car owners. After failures, people start looking for information on the topic. Is it possible to glue polyethylene at all? In the article you will find the answer to this question.
Polyethylene and its properties
Polyethylene is a very common material with many excellent properties. It is used for insulation, for packaging, for moisture protection, is an excellent electrical insulator, absorbs the most dangerous view radiation - neutrons and therefore used in protection against them, completely chemically resistant. This latter sometimes turns from a virtue into a disadvantage. How to glue polyethylene? Bonding is a chemical process and a bit electrical, oddly enough. Molecules of glued substances are attracted to each other with the help of the dissimilarity of their electric charges.
That is, there should be in nature (and on the market) such an adhesive that adheres well to polyethylene, and when hardened, firmly holds the glued parts. So, the problem is that it is very difficult to glue polyethylene. Its molecules are electrically very "balanced", hence the extraordinary chemical resistance of the material. And unwillingness to stick together with anything. Nevertheless, the industry has found how to glue polyethylene. True, not all of this is suitable for the home, but something may come in handy. Here suitable ways, selected by the resulting strength rating:
- Polyethylene welding
- Adhesive Weicon Easy-Mix PE-PP
- Epoxy plus oxidant
Polyethylene welding
The strongest seam is obtained by welding polyethylene. If done correctly. The fact is that polyethylene is molded in hot form, usually under very great pressure, which reaches hundreds of kilograms per square centimeter. And when it is reheated at atmospheric pressure until melting, it tends to shrink, a little, but this is enough to make it difficult to weld. Two types of welding can be distinguished: film welding and welding of thick polyethylene (canisters, pipes, etc.)
To weld the film, heated objects or a special apparatus for gluing polyethylene, or rather, welding, are used. It works like this: both layers of film are pulled over a heated wedge, and then immediately welded with a pair of compressed rollers. At correct selection temperature and pressure of the rollers, an excellent result is obtained - complete tightness of the seam.
But with a little practice, you can learn how to glue polyethylene even with an electric soldering iron or iron through paper so as not to spoil its sole. The clean edges of the film are superimposed on each other and through the paper they are led with the edge of the sole of a heated iron.
A soldering iron with a clean tip, when turned on through the voltage regulator, welds the seam even better, and it does not need paper. You can also make a collar on the sting with a small, conveniently shaped metal nozzle. Then the sting can be used for its intended purpose, and the polyethylene will not be stained with solder or soot from the flux.
Bonding thick polyethylene is more difficult, and good skill is required here. Most The best way heating: gas portable burner (it is convenient to work with), or a hair dryer with a nozzle for a narrow jet + 250 ° C.
The course of action may be as follows:
- Thoroughly clean and dry surfaces before welding.
- Prepare polyethylene filler for the seam. It is best to take a narrow piece of the same material.
- Heat the edges of the seam before melting, let them “settle” a little. But do not get involved in this process.
- Start introducing the additive (see item 2), fusing it evenly into both sides of the seam to a thickness equal to the material.
- Let the seam cool completely.
The same method is applicable when deciding how to glue polyethylene foam. The surface of polyethylene foam is not very conducive to bonding, and it is better to weld it carefully.
Another way to weld thick polyethylene, see the video:
Gluing with acrylate glue with filler
The best adhesive is Weicon Easy-Mix PE-PP. It is specially designed for materials with poor adhesion. Most liquids "stick" to polyethylene very poorly, and are simply squeezed out from the point of contact of the surfaces.
But this glue has an additive of tiny glass beads that does not allow the glue to leave the place of gluing, forming a gap. required thickness. Therefore, the bonding surface is sufficient and the adhesive, when cured, holds the surfaces together firmly. It is difficult to find better than gluing polyethylene.
Surfaces must be thoroughly degreased and dried before bonding. Adhesive can only be supplied from the branded packaging mixer. Best Temperature to perform work +21...+23 °С. Glue in a liquid state is suitable for no more than 2-3 minutes. Having applied a layer, it is necessary to join the surfaces immediately. The complete readiness of the seam (the highest mechanical strength) for polyethylene will be achieved in a few hours (4-5 according to the experience of working with glue). Exposure of the adhesive joint is carried out at a temperature of +15 to +70 degrees.
Gluing with epoxy glue
This is the most accessible method, if we talk specifically about gluing, and not welding. Before gluing polyethylene, you need to prepare the surface.
Epoxy glue is not a glue for bonding polyethylene, but, nevertheless, phenol formaldehyde resin has a very decent adhesion to the surface of polyethylene. In this case, you need to act like this:
- Roughen surfaces sandpaper and then degrease and dry.
- Treat both surfaces with a 15-25% solution of chromic anhydride or 20-30% potassium dichromate. (Caution, caustic substances and dangerous carcinogens!) You can take another strong oxidizing agent: a strong solution of potassium permanganate. It is not inferior in efficiency, but much safer. After treatment, dry the surfaces again.
- Prepare epoxy according to instructions.
- Apply glue to both surfaces in a thin layer and join.
- To withstand at a temperature of +30...+45°C for several hours, but it is better to hold for a day until ready.
Conclusion
In the case of high strength requirements, welding should certainly be preferred. If welding is still accompanied by keeping the seam warm at about seventy degrees for several hours with slow cooling, then the seam will have a slight brittleness. The abrupt cooling of the seam makes it brittle, especially in cold conditions.
Filled acrylate glue does not require mechanical surface preparation, except for unconditional cleaning and degreasing, which must always be done before gluing. You can even try to experiment with other acrylate adhesives by introducing an additive in the form of crushed chalk or cement. It is possible that you will be able to get a high-quality and very inexpensive recipe.
Epoxy glue is the most difficult to use, and the strength here is not the highest. But in last resort, and that might be the way out.
Polyethylene film is used in construction for the most part as a waterproofing or heat insulator, when it comes to film greenhouses. It has polyethylene and certain sound-proofing properties, but not enough to be used as an independent sound insulator.
To glue polyethylene, you must first purchase the kind of glue that is used for gluing plastic.
Is it possible to glue polyethylene?
When installing waterproofing or a greenhouse, it is often necessary to glue several pieces of polyethylene together to get a film right size. But how to glue a plastic film, and is it possible to do this at home?
The question is not as simple as it seems at first. It is also known from the school chemistry course: the higher the polarity of the polymer material, the better it lends itself to gluing. The polyethylene molecule, written with chemical symbols, is very similar to a long chain consisting of identical units - CH2-. This uniformity suggests that electric charges inside the polyethylene molecules are distributed evenly, i.e. it is non-polar. Therefore, polyethylene sticks together very poorly.
Welding of a polymer film: a - using an electric soldering iron; b - using a run-in for an electric iron; c - open flame.
Very often, adhesive mixtures are used for bonding polymeric materials, which are prepared from the same materials (or similar ones) dissolved in a suitable solvent. But this will not work with polyethylene - it practically does not dissolve in organic solvents.
Some polymers can be glued simply because they have a rough surface. In this case, the adhesive solution fills the irregularities and, while solidifying, clings to them, tightly gluing pieces of material. But with polyethylene, this will not work, because it has a perfectly smooth surface.
Therefore, if we talk specifically about the gluing process, then gluing a plastic film at home is almost impossible. Yes, and in industrial it has never been glued until now.
But although pieces of polyethylene cannot be glued together, they can be welded, or, more precisely, soldered, which has been successfully done for many years in industry, having developed many methods for such welding. But of this many ways, there are only two that can be applied at home.
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Hot welding of polyethylene
Welding the film with an electric soldering iron: a - type of seam; b - device of an electric soldering iron for welding a film.
The most convenient way to do this operation is with a metal roller with a heating device inside. But to make such a device at home, you need to have a fairly high qualification of an electrician.
Therefore, people's ingenuity found a completely satisfactory replacement for such a tool - an ordinary iron. Because different grades of polyethylene film melt when different temperatures, then no specific recommendations for temperature regime welding is not possible.
The temperature of the heating iron for welding will have to be determined by trial and error. If the temperature of the iron is insufficient, then the film will not boil, but if the iron is heated too much, the seam will turn out to be “overcooked”, weak, and the film on the sides of the seam will be easily torn. The only thing that can be advised initially is that the iron should not be too hot.
The soldering technology itself is very simple. To make the seam neat and even, soldering is best done on a flat surface. wooden surface. The edges of the film must be laid on this surface with a slight overlap on each other (0.5-1 cm). On this overlap, you need to draw a spout or edge of a heated iron. The passage should be no more than a second in one place, otherwise you will burn the film.
PVC film can be recognized by the yellowish tint of the edge of the roll.
But with this method of soldering, there is one very important negative point: the heated plastic film very often sticks to the iron. To prevent this from happening, it is better to cover the polyethylene seam before soldering thin sheet cellophane, and then go over it with an iron.
The strength of the solder can be checked by simply pulling the soldered pieces in different directions. If the seam diverges, it means that the soldering quality is unsatisfactory, and you need to repeat everything from the very beginning. Some craftsmen perform this soldering not with an iron, but with a hot knife blade, claiming that it is more convenient for them. But this is a matter of taste.
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Open flame welding of polyethylene
To reconcile polyethylene in this way, you will need:
- metal or ceramic bars;
- a tool for welding (it can be a gas burner, a blowtorch, a spirit lamp, and in the absence of these, you can use a torch or even ordinary matches).
Electrical circuit diagram connecting the "ironing" to the network: 1 - constant wire resistor; 2 - metal case; 3 - sting-horse; 4 - textolite handle; 5 - stand.
The edges of the films to be welded must be fixed with metal or ceramic bars (wooden ones are not suitable for this purpose). It is necessary to fix it in such a way that a narrow strip of film (3-5 mm, no more) is visible from under them at the welding point. The bars are needed not only for fixing the film, but mainly in order to quickly remove heat from the films being welded, otherwise they will burn out entirely instead of melting.
Next, you need to hold the flame along the remaining open edge. The flame speed will also have to be selected empirically, especially since it will be different not only for each brand of polyethylene, but also for each tool too. If the operation is performed correctly, then upon its completion a dense roller is formed, firmly connecting the two edges of the plastic film.
As an alternative to welding, when constructing greenhouses and greenhouses, two pieces of polyethylene film can be sewn together. To do this, two pieces of film are overlapped on top of each other. The overlap should be 2-2.5 cm. Then a regular medical patch is glued to the overlap on both sides. It will not hold well, but it's not scary, the main thing is that the strips of the patch lie exactly at the place of overlap one above the other.
Then, over the overlap, two seams are made with large stitches. In this case, the pieces of the film are fastened with the help of stitched threads, and the patch, having a stronger material structure, prevents the threads from tearing the polyethylene. However, this method is not suitable for waterproofing, since the seams will let moisture through.
It should be noted that both welding methods are suitable only if you need to combine polyethylene with polyethylene.
If it becomes necessary to glue the film to some other material, then you will have to look for a transparent film from another material that sticks better, and for which there are commercially available special adhesives. Alternatively, it may be a PVC film.
Connect the plastic film in the ways described or look for something new, it's up to you. The main thing is not to be afraid to experiment, because if something cannot be done today, this does not mean at all that it cannot be done tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
