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When you’re on a construction site and need adhesive, you not only need something strong, but you need something tailored for the surface in question. Whether you need a construction adhesive that works with metal, tile, wood, concrete, and beyond, we’ll give you a rundown of the best construction adhesive options for your situation. Beyond the specific surface you’re working with, you also need to keep in mind that adhesives dry at different rates. They aren’t all created equal when it comes to strength, either. You can’t just grab the strongest adhesive and trust that it will work.
How It Works
Construction adhesives generally work by forming a bond on a molecular level. Without going into great detail on the matter, that knowledge alone should stand as a good reminder that not all adhesives work for all substrates.
It stands to reason that materials with nonporous surfaces like glass and metal need adhesives chemically designed for the task. Wood glues, on the other hand, work by forming physical bonds. This article about adhesives from Explain That Stuff offers a helpful metaphor about wood glues: They form a physical bond, weaving into the surface pores, much like the way a climber’s fingers work into holes on a rock face. When the glue then dries, it has essentially become a part of the wood. So, when you’re buying construction glue, check on the product label to make sure it works with your substrate.
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Best Construction Adhesives
- Our Bostik Heavy-Duty Construction adhesive is a premium-grade polyurethane, designed for subfloor and floor joist assemblies. It reduces squeaks and nail pops in subfloors and stair treads. It’s also foam-compatible and great for dry-scape construction. It works with wet and frozen lumber, too.
- Our Laticrete Prime-N-Bond adhesive primer enhances the adhesion of mortars to smooth, non-absorbative substrates that have a difficult time forming a bond to mortar before tile installation. It’s a ready-to-use, single-coat primer that can be applied with a brush or roller.
- Now, as we’ve noted, it’s true that most construction adhesives are designed for specific substrates. Others are tailored for broader applications, such as our Ardex Multi-Purpose Adhesive and Sealant. It’s a flexible and strong single-component, modified silane, polymer adhesive, and neutral curing sealant. It’s great for replacing tiles and affixing bathroom accessories, but it also works with glass, metal, wood, ceramics, and plastic. You can use it under water, as well.
- Laticrete Latapoxy 300 Epoxy Adhesive is great for tile, from resin-backed tile, to mosaics, marble, stone, and agglomerates. It features superior crack prevention and sound isolation adhesive mortar. It’s also a single-component adhesive mortar, which means you don’t need to devote additional time and money into membrane or mat systems. It’s an efficient choice all around—it bonds to most clean surfaces, it spreads easily, and it’s easy to clean up, too.
- Our Laticrete HYDRO BAN Adhesive Sealant is a fast-curing, hybrid elastomeric adhesive and sealant that meets all green building requirements without sacrificing one bit of strength. It works for a wide array of substrates, including polystyrene.
Discover Our Entire Selection of Construction Tools
When you’re on the job and need construction adhesive, don’t just reach for anything. Make sure you grab a construction adhesive that will form a heavy-duty bond with the substrate in question.
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If you have questions about construction adhesives or any of our products, we’re here for you! Reach out to us at 1-800-709-0002.