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
We're expanding our collaborative mission by launching DB Intelligence, an exclusive market research advisory panel. Built environment professionals can now get paid to share their expertise on industry trends, products and services.
Panel members receive direct financial incentives for participating in research projects like short surveys, 1-2-1 interviews and focus groups. Register today to shape the future of the construction sector.
Building Safety Wiki Interviews
Chief executive of the British Woodworking Federation.
Planning condition discharge in England and Wales
A brief exoplanation from a building compliance expert, with further links.
Overheating guidance and tools for building designers
Guidance for dealing with element of building fabric control that have increasing importance.
Shading for housing, a design guide
From the Good Homes Alliance and British Blind and Shutter Association.
UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC)
A shared framework for describing skills needs.
Social media ban consultation comes to close
CIOB urges UK Government to consider social media’s role in careers guidance in ban debate.
The latest of eight Skills England apprenticeship units
The addition of battery manufacturing welcomed by ECA with a warning about the risks of fast-tracked apprenticeship units.
Building Control Independent Panel final report
A precis of a key report led by Dame Hackitt with full recommendations and link to the government response.
Building Safety recap April, 2026
A short and longer run-through of the month, with links to further information and sources.
CIAT May 2026 briefing.
From medieval scribes to modern word art.
ECA welcomes crackdown on late payment and push for clean energy, whilst CIOB seek fixed cladding removal timeframes.
Cyber Security in the Built Environment
Protecting projects, data, and digital assets: A CIOB Academy TIS.
Managing competence in the built environment
ITFG publishes new industry guide on how to meet the ICC principles.






















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.