DIY 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 stick to and/or soak into material fibers, then harden into one solid mass to hold two surfaces together. Most common household adhesives work by hardening.

This page offers a list of household and shop adhesives. Descriptions, surfaces best suited and adhesive charateristics are included in each listing as well as solvents to use for clean–up of wet adhesive.

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. Titebond® and Elmer's® Carpenter's wood glues are two you will find at home centers. 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. Dries in 30 to 60 minutes. Comes in 5, 2 and 1 gallon as well as quarts and smaller sizes. 3M® makes a spray form "Super 77" that is handy for quick applications. This is a strong adhesive and is waterproof. Contact cement is flammable and toxic. Solvent: paint thinner or acetone. Use with plenty ventilation, extinguish pilot lights and don't allow smoking in the vicinity when working with contact cement.
Casein Glue: Used for wood bonding. Dries in about 24 hours. This glue is made using a protein found in milk, mixed with an alkaline solvent. It is not used much today but was used in the past to bond wood. Apply with a brush. This is a very strong adhesive when not exposed to water. 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. Super Glue and Krazy Glue are two well known brands of cyanacrylate glue. This is a very strong adhesive and is water–resistant. Cyanoacrylate is flammable and toxic. 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 if a construction grade is used. If the smaller, craft grade is used, some joints can be broken easily as the glue separates from the surface. This adhesive is waterproof and non-toxic. Solvent: Denatured alcohol or heat.
Mastic: Bonds floor and wall tiles as well as gypsum board and plywood for construction. Also works to bond concrete, asphalt, leather, fabric and other common household materials so try this adhesive for repairs all around the house. Both water and resin based types are available. Quarts and gallons containers are available as well as tubes that fit a caulk gun for easy application. Sets in about 10 minutes to a couple of hours depending on the type used. Will cure in most cases in 24 hours. This is a strong adhesive and most are waterproof. Mastics may be flammable while wet and emit toxic fumes. Solvent: Resin mastic will clean–up with mineral spirits. Use water to clean up water–based mastic.
Mortar: Used to set bricks, cinder block and some stone floor tiles. A mixture of portland cement and fine sand, when mixed with water mortar will set in about 30 minutes and cure in 6 months. Mortar is very strong, non–flammable and non–toxic when mixed with water. Solvent: water while wet.
Polyvinyl Glue (White Glue): Used to bond wood, paper, ceramics and most other household surfaces. Dries in 30 to 60 minutes. Sometimes called school glue because it is frequently used by elementary school kids. Elmer's® is a familiar brand in the U.S. 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 other plastics. Use a primer to clean contaminants from surfaces to be joined before applying the adhesive. Coat both surfaces and hold union until set, 30 to 60 seconds. Cures in 4 to 30 hours depending on the size on the pipe joined and the temperature. Pint and half pint sizes are commonly available. This is a very strong adhesive. PVC cement is flammable and toxic when wet. 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 two part compound that is mixed before using. 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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