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] Find out more

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Aggregate.
• Biomass.
• Construction adhesives market.
• COSHH.
• Cross-laminated timber.
• Deleterious materials in construction.
• Fire resistance.
• Glulam.
• Grout.
• Hazardous substances.
• Laminated veneer lumber LVL.
• Mastic sealant.
• Plywood.
• Polymer discovery.
• Sealant.
• Structural adhesives.
• Sustainability.
• Sustainable materials.
• Timber.
• Timber preservation.
• Volatile organic compounds.

[edit] External references

• ‘Building Construction Handbook’ (6th ed.), CHUDLEY, R., GREENO, R., Butterworth-Heinemann (2007)