Guide to Household Adhesives

Adhesives work in one of two ways: by welding or hardening. Welding adhesives dissolve the two surfaces to be joined and solidifying them into one piece. PVC cement is one example of a welding adhesive. Hardening adhesives soak into the material fibers and harden into one solid mass to hold two surfaces together. Most common household adhesives work by hardening.

This page offers a list of common household and shop adhesives. Descriptions, surfaces best suited and adhesive charateristics are included in each listing.

Aliphatic Resin: Used for bonding wood in furniture making. Dries in about an hour. Allow to set for about 3 hours before stressing the joint. This is a very strong, waterproof adhesive for structural bonding of wood and furniture. This adhesive is not flammable but is mildly toxic. Solvent: water.
Contact Cement: Used to bond wood, fabric, paper, glass, cork, felt, formica and laminates. Apply to both surfaces and let the cement dry before joining the two surfaces. Dries in 30 to 60 minutes. This is a strong adhesive and is waterproof. Some contact cements are flammable and toxic. Solvent: paint thinner or acetone. Use with ventilation.
Casein Glue: Used for wood bonding. Dries in about 24 hours. This is a very strong adhesive. Casein glue is not waterproof, toxic or flammable. Solvent: water.
Cyanoacrylate (Super Glue): Use for non-porous surfaces such as metal, rubber, plastic, ceramics and glass. Apply sparingly to one surface and join the two surfaces immediately. Dries instantly. Hold the union for 10 to 30 seconds. Allow to dry for about 12 hours before stressing the new joint. This is a very strong adhesive and is water-resistant. Cyanoacrylate is flammable and toxic. Super Glue and Krazy Glue are two well known brands of cyanacrylate glue. Solvent: acetone.
Epoxy: Used to bond virtually any surface. Mix two parts, the resin and the hardener in equal portions. Setting time can be from a few minutes to a few hours depend on the type of epoxy. Some special epoxies are available for special surfaces such as fiberglass showers and tubs.
Hide Glue: Used to bond wood. Also used for crackled paint faux finishing. Once the only glue available for woodworking, it has been replaced by aliphatic and resorcinol resins for use as wood glue. Dries in about 6 hours. This is a strong adhesive. It is not toxic or waterproof. Solvent: water.
Hot Glue: Used to bond wood, metal, leather, fabrics and plastics. Well suited for hobbies and crafts. A heat gun melts glue sticks. Glue hardens as it cools. This is a strong adhesive, but doesn't stick well to all surfaces. Some joints can be broken easily as the glue separates from the surface. This adhesive is waterproof and non-toxic. Solvent: heat.
Mastic: Bonds floor and wall tiles as well as gypsum board and plywood for construction. Water and resin based types are available. Resin types are available in a tube fit for a caulk gun for easy application to plywood and drywall. Sets in about 3 hours. This is a strong adhesive and most are waterproof. Mastics may be flammable and toxic. Solvent: water or mineral spirits.
Mortar: Used to set bricks, cinder block and some floor tiles. A mixture of portland cement and fine sand, when mixed with water mortar will set in about 30 minutes. Mortar is very strong, non-flammable and non-toxic when mixed with water. Solvent: water.
Polyvinyl Glue (White Glue): Used to bond wood, paper, ceramics and most other household surfaces. Dries in 30 to 60 minutes. This is a very strong adhesive but it is not waterproof. White Glue is not flammable or toxic. Solvent: water.
PVC Cement: Use to join pvc plumbing pipe as well as many other plastics. Sets in 30 to 60 seconds. Dries in about 2 hours. This is a very strong adhesive. PVC cement is flammable and toxic. Solvent: acetone.
Resorcinol Adhesive: Used for bonding wood when a waterproof joint is required such as with outdoor wood furniture and boat building. Dries in 2 to 12 hours; allow 24 hours before exposing to water. This is a very strong adhesive, it is waterproof and non-flammable. Solvent: water.
Rubber Cement: Well suited for bonding paper for art projects. Also good for temporary bond on virtually any surface from ceramics to plastics. Available as a spray adhesive or liquid applied with a brush. Dries in 10 to 15 minutes. This is a relatively weak adhesive. Not for structural bonds. Rubber cement is flammable and toxic. Solvent: rubber cement thinner or acetone. Use with ventilation.
Silicone Adhesive: Used to bond glass, metal, pottery, porcelain and most other surfaces. Used to caulk fiberglass and porcelain sinks, tubs and showers. Dries in about 24 hours. This is a strong adhesive. It is waterproof, flammable and toxic. Solvent: Denatured Alcohol.

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