Adhesives
Adhesives are bonding agents used to join materials by glueing. Adhesives can be used in construction in many situations:
- Carpet laying.
- Ceramic tiles.
- Countertop lamination.
- Drywall lamination.
- Flooring underlay.
- Glulam.
- Heating, ventilation, air conditioning connections.
- Timber jointing.
- Manufactured housing.
- Pre-fabricated panels.
- Resilient flooring.
- Roofing.
- Wall coverings.
The most common types of adhesive are as follows:
- PVA (polyvinyl acetate): A general purpose woodwork glue, with some water resistant properties.
- Synthetic resin: A strong water-resistant woodwork glue.
- Epoxy resin: Used for metals and plastics.
- Acrylic cement: Used for acrylic and some types of plastic. The adhesive ‘melts’ the surface of the plastic and fuses it together.
- Casein: Made from sour milk. A cold setting adhesive in the form of a powder which is mixed with water.
- Urea formaldehyde: A cold setting resin glue. Although moisture resistant, it is usually restricted to timber members used in dry, unexposed conditions as it loses strength after prolonged exposure to water or heat.
- Resorcinol formaldehyde: A cold setting glue that is suitable for timber members used in external situations. Will set at temperatures down to 15°C and does not lose strength at high temperatures.
- Phenol formaldehyde: A warm setting adhesive that requires a temperature of above around 86°C to set.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Acrylic.
- Cable tie.
- Clamp.
- Construction adhesives market.
- Crimp.
- Cross-laminated timber.
- Deleterious materials in construction.
- Epoxy adhesives.
- Fillers.
- Glulam.
- Grout.
- Mastic sealant.
- Polymer discovery.
- Putty.
- Sealant.
- Strap.
- Structural adhesives.
- Types of fixings.
- Volatile organic compounds.
[edit] External references
- ‘Building Construction Handbook’ (6th ed.), CHUDLEY, R., GREENO, R., Butterworth-Heinemann (2007)
Featured articles and news
Embedding AI tools into architectural education
Beyond the render: LMU share how student led research is shaping the future of visualisation workflows.
Why document control still fails UK construction projects
A Chartered Quantity Surveyor explains what needs to change and how.
New planning reforms and Warm Homes Bill
Take centre stage at UK Construction Week London.
A brief run down of changes intentions from April in an onwards.
Reslating an ancient water mill
A rare opportunity to record, study and repair early vernacular roofs.
CIOB Apprentice of the Year 2025/26
Construction apprentice from Lincoln Mia Owen wins this years title.
Insulation solutions with less waste for a circular economy
Rob Firman, Technical and Specification Manager, Polyfoam XPS explains.
Recycled waste plastic in construction
Hierarchy, prevention to disposal, plastic types and approaches.
UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard V1 published
Free-to-access technical standard to enable robust proof of a decarbonising built environment.
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Why talking about prostate cancer matters in construction.
The Architectural Technology podcast: Where it's AT
Catch up for free, subscribe and share with your network.
The Association of Consultant Architects recap
A reintroduction and recap of ACA President; Patrick Inglis' Autumn update.
The Home Energy Model and its wrappers
From SAP to HEM, EPC for MEES and FHS assessment wrappers.
Future Homes Standard Essentials launched
Future Homes Hub launches new campaign to help sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards.
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.
Planning reform: draft NPPF and industry responses.
Last chance to comment on proposed changes to the NPPF.
A Regency palace of colour and sensation. Book review.
Comments
[edit] To make a comment about this article, or to suggest changes, click 'Add a comment' above. Separate your comments from any existing comments by inserting a horizontal line.