It’s been about 200,000 years since we humans (Neanderthals, really) started using adhesives. The tar they created from birch tree bark was an admirable, but unsophisticated way to bind stone tools.
Today, adhesives can bind everything from broken eyeglasses to glass skyscrapers. That’s because adhesives of the 21st century are much more versatile – and much, much stronger.
When you’re talking about the types of adhesives used in construction, you’re talking an even higher level of performance. On many surfaces they’re easier to use, more durable, and better at distributing loads than mechanical fasteners like screws and nails.
New products are popping up in commercial construction by the month, each with its own set of properties and proper uses. There’s no time like the present to review the types of adhesives you may come across in future construction specs.
When you’re under the gun to meet specific compatibility or other requirements, material is a logical first step in distinguishing one solution from another. The product will need to play nicely with its future home, whether that’s metal, glass, wood, or another surface. The adhesive’s chemical makeup will also impact its ability to hold up against corrosives, mechanical stress, and extreme temperatures.
There are a range of common adhesive materials available to meet your needs:
Let’s start at the top with the most powerful material.
Epoxy is a structural material, through and through. It can bond metals, glass, stone, ceramics, and composites.
This product consists of resin and a hardener, which takes a skilled worker or special equipment to mix.
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Epoxy Adhesive Pros |
Epoxy Adhesive Cons |
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Exceptional strength |
High-cost |
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Resistant to chemicals |
Brittle |
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Resistant to moisture |
Challenging to use |
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Bonds to range of materials |
Must use whole mixed unit |
Epoxy adhesives are common in heavy-duty applications that need both strength and durability. These include:
This synthetic adhesive is a popular tool in many a caulking gun and aerosol can. It adheres to many wood, metal, concrete, and plastic materials. Its chemical makeup allows it to absorb movement and vibration without damage.
One-component polyurethane adhesives come ready to use but at a lower performance. Two-component versions require mixing before application but perform better under stress.
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Urethane Adhesive Pros |
Urethane Adhesive Cons |
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Flexible for stress absorption |
High cost |
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Resistant to chemicals |
Cures slowly |
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Resistant to moisture once dry |
Moisture-sensitive during curing |
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Resistant to heat |
Need to clean, dry, & (maybe) prime |
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Bonds to variety of materials |
Messy, difficult cleanup |
Unlike epoxy adhesives, urethane products are ideal for builds that experience movement or significant temperature changes. Due to their water-resistant properties, they’re common in:
Acrylic is seemingly everywhere – see phone cases, your wife’s nails, and construction product shelves. For the latter, you’ll find it attached to metals, composites, plastics, and ceramics. It can bond wood, drywall, and tiling, even if they’re highly porous.
Don’t let the odor scare you away – acrylic adhesives are harmless and have some valuable qualities. Just like urethanes, they come in both one- and two-component versions.
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Acrylic Adhesive Pros |
Acrylic Adhesive Cons |
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Fast curing time |
Low physical strength |
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Resists shear, impact, peel stress |
Low chemical resistance |
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Resistant to heat & UV |
Low moisture resistance |
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Surface prep is minimal |
Smells awful |
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Bonds to variety of materials |
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Nontoxic |
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Low price |
Despite that versatility, acrylic (which includes latex) falls under “good” in the good-better-best hierarchy of adhesives in construction. Acrylic is often the adhesive of choice when you need quick bonding that still has a little sturdiness. Popular uses include:
Project managers overseeing critical load-bearing elements of a build will certainly care about this one. There’s a clear, defined line between structural and decorative types.
Structural adhesives are high-performance agents that can withstand significant loads. They must offer a minimum tensile shear strength in the 700-1,200 range.
Key applications for structural adhesives include:
Basically, when the joint plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the structure, you need an adhesive beyond what’s at Lowe’s or Walmart. Structural adhesives are most often epoxies, but can work as certain polyurethanes or acrylics. They come in liquid, paste, and film forms.
If part of your project calls for bonding decorative materials that don't require high-strength adhesion, non-structural adhesives will work just fine. They also have functional purposes in moving, watertight joints.
These versatile products can:
While not suitable for load-bearing or permanent bonds, non-structural adhesives offer quick fixes and sealing.
Available in a variety of formulas – including emulsion/dispersion types, neoprene contact adhesives, and solvent-based options – these products open up a lot of flexibility for interior finishing use. There are even natural and renewable product lines. Remember: Always match the adhesive type to your requirements, and follow expert guidelines on what's truly heavy-duty and what's not.
While a sealant is not a true adhesive, structural sealants have some adhesive qualities.
Certain silicones perform well enough to support glass, metal, composite, and ceramic panels. For starters, this contractor-friendly material has excellent resistance to moisture and UV light. Once you install structural silicone, it stays elastic after curing, accommodating movement and providing a reliable bond.
The adhesive properties of these silicones work well in:
The adhesive’s installers, as well as anyone else paying close attention to deadlines, should take interest in the product’s bonding method.
The way a construction adhesive hardens can influence outcomes at project sites with high humidity, extreme temperatures, or the need for a fast cure time. Other important selling points (or stay-away points) include:
One of the most prominent types of adhesives that subcontractors use is tape. Adhesives also take the form of epoxy, glue, liquid, paste, film, and pellets.
Each of those product types falls under at least one of the three bonding methods:
These construction adhesives harden as they lose water or another solvent. There are many subtypes of bonding products that use this curing method:
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Compatibility |
Benefits |
Uses |
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Thermoplastic Adhesive (i.e. Hot-Melt) |
Plastic, metal, glass, wood, rubber, ceramics |
Cools & hardens quickly; can reactivate with heat; strong & durable bonds; many compatible surfaces |
Woodworking, bonding insulation, attaching trim & molding |
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Solvent-Based Adhesive |
Metal, plastic, wood |
Strong bonding; application-specific types available |
Flooring, laminating, bonding veneers & laminates |
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Water-Based Adhesive |
Wood/paper |
Eco-friendly; easy to clean with water; adheres well to porous materials |
Woodworking, drywall installation |
If there’s a common theme in physically hardened adhesives, it’s that they’re easy to transport and apply. That said, it’s usually best to leave them for less-critical wood-bonding applications.
These construction adhesives harden through a chemical reaction. The process makes them more capable in structural situations that require a durable bond.
Common uses include:
Chemically cured construction adhesives include many of the materials you already learned about. Popular choices include:
Pressure-sensitive adhesives – which you might know as PSA or contact adhesives – are probably the easiest to understand. These adhesives just need a little nudging to bond to a substrate.
The perks of pressure-sensitive construction adhesives are immediate and obvious:
Common materials in pressure-sensitive adhesives include rubber (natural or synthetic), silicone, and acrylic. As for the actual formats, tape is by far the most famous. It sounds absurd to the layman, but some construction tapes can hold building elements structurally in place.
Many designers and installers go with structural tapes vs. sealants or other adhesives for a variety of reasons:
You’re most likely to seek out tape for sealing seams, joints, and overlaps, especially in door and window installations. Of course, there are other contact adhesives for more specific construction uses:
Seeking a tailor-made solution for glazing windows, installing large surface areas, or bonding insulation? This category might be for you.
Manufacturers design some products to meet specific performance mandates for specific tasks. Combing this category and working with a distributor might help you find a quick solution without needing deep technical knowledge.
Facade adhesive products improve the results of an exterior wall installation. There are two types in this category, each with its own specialties:
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Architectural |
Glazing Tape |
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Purpose |
Bonds & seals panels to buildings |
Seals & bonds glass |
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Qualities |
Strong, resists thermal expansion, weather-resistant, UV-resistant |
Excellent adhesion to glass & frames, moisture-resistant, UV-resistant, compressible |
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Uses |
Attaching metal panels to facades, bonding composite panels, concealed bonding |
Windows, doors, weather-resistant sealing for skylights & glass facades |
Construction mastics are somehow broad and specific at the same time.
They share certain characteristics, primarily their thick, paste-like consistency. However, they can consist of a variety of base materials:
More importantly, they’re suitable for bonding large, vertical surfaces. They display nice gap-filling properties for:
Mastics are a unique beast. While some are chemically cured (i.e. silicone and polyurethane options), their pasty form and application method are different from other chemically cured adhesives.
Modern adhesives are just about everywhere in commercial construction specs – from primitive bonding of insulation boards to big-brain tasks like structural glazing.
Like with most construction materials, there’s a dizzying array of options for bonding and sealing products. When choosing an adhesive type, focus on:
New materials, products, and job site challenges are constantly in the pipeline, so stay on your toes. You can learn more about adhesives and other construction product best practices with our free newsletter: