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Choosing the Right Adhesive for Your Home Repair Job

Choosing the Right Adhesive for Your Home Repair Job

Many different kinds of adhesives are available in the market. With the advent of new manmade materials new technologies were needed. Before choosing the adhesive, be sure about the material that needs to be glued and the strength of the adhesive needed to glue it. You can see on the adhesive’s label itself the strength of the glue and the type of materials on which it can be applied. Follow the instructions on the label before using the adhesive.

Your choice of adhesive basically depends on the surface you will use it on and the conditions the joint will be exposed to. The surface may either be porous like wood, paper, drywall or cloth. Or it can be smooth like glass, ceramic, plastic or metal. If you’re working with a non-porous, smooth surface, use super glue or two part epoxy. The edges of ceramics may be porus and need to have the edges primed with a coat of glue and allowed to dry apart. Then, both edges can be reglued and pressed together till a strong bond develops. Use hot glue or wood glue if you are working on a porous surface. Other choices for large areas are panel adhesive.

Flooring can be porous or nonporous and extra care must be used in selecting the adhesive. Moisture from below and above the surface will require a multi-purpose glue. Additionally, the load or traffic the surface will be subjected to also must be considered. Outside furniture needs a moisture proof adhesive like titebond glue or polyurethane glue. Polyurethane needs some moisture to cure and is waterproof. Contact cement is fine to use for porous as well as non-porous surfaces. Some uses especially for paper or veneer can be glued with a spray on glue such as Consider also the time an adhesive takes to cure. In general, super glue, hot glue and water-based contact cement dry very quickly.

Epoxy chemically cures in less than one hour. In comparison, carpenter’s glue and silicone sealant take hours to dry and cure respectively. Also be sure if the adhesive you should use is heat-resistant or water-resistant. Normally, water-based contact cement, super glue and silicone sealant are all heat-resistant and water-resistant. Hot glue is water-resistant and wood glue is heat-resistant. White glue is neither water-resistant nor heat-resistant. Cleaning up is another area of consideration when you are choosing which type of glue to use for your home repair job. Super glue and silicone sealant can be cleaned with acetone. Some glue like water-based contact cement, wood glue and white glue can be cleaned with water.

Before you buy an adhesive for your home repair job, read the labels on different adhesives so you know the strength of the glue and the surfaces on which you can apply the glue. Do not forget to read the warning labels. Avoid inhaling the glue and always carry out the glue work in well-ventilated areas.

By: Leslie J West