Which glue works on glass?
Which glue works on glass?
UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet.
Glass is non-porous and chemically clean, so mechanical keying does nothing and the bond is entirely chemical. The persistent enemy is water: moisture migrates along the interface and hydrolyses the bond, which is why a glued glass joint that seemed perfect fails months later in a bathroom or a dishwasher. Silane primers exist precisely to form a covalent bridge between glass and adhesive that resists that. The second consideration is expansion — glass moves very little with temperature, so bonding it rigidly to metal or plastic builds stress until something gives, and the something is usually the glass. Aquariums are a special case worth stating: use only 100% silicone with no mildewcide, since the fungicides in bathroom sealant are toxic to fish.
The options, ranked
| Option | Good at | Bad at |
|---|---|---|
| UV-cure acrylic adhesive | Water-clear, cures in seconds under a UV lamp or sunlight through the glass, and is what glass furniture is assembled with. | Needs light to reach the joint, so it cannot be used with opaque parts or deep in a shadowed corner. |
| Clear two-part epoxy | Strong, gap-filling and works without light; the practical choice for glass-to-metal fittings. | Yellows over years in sunlight, and a visible glue line spoils a decorative repair. |
| Neutral-cure silicone | Flexible, waterproof and tolerant of movement, which is why aquariums and shower screens use it. | Low strength in shear; it seals rather than structurally bonds, and nothing sticks to it afterwards. |
| Cyanoacrylate | Fast and adequate for a small ornamental repair. | Fogs glass white as it cures, is attacked by water, and fails within months in a dishwasher or a damp room. |
Technique that changes the outcome
- Clean both faces with isopropanol and let them dry completely — glass cleaner leaves a film
- Support the parts in position with tape before curing; a glass joint cannot be adjusted afterwards
- For UV adhesive, cure through the glass, and check the joint is not shadowed by a fitting
- Handle the joint gently for 24 hours even when the adhesive says seconds
What goes wrong
- Dishwashing anything glued — heat plus water beats almost every consumer adhesive
- Silicone containing mildewcide inside an aquarium
- Repairing a broken drinking glass or anything that holds hot liquid
Compiled practical guidance rather than a published standard. Product formulations vary by brand and market, so read the label — and where the work is structural, electrical or gas, the regulations that apply where you are govern rather than anything here.
Other glue and adhesive questions
| For | Use |
|---|---|
| Plastic | It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others. |
| Polypropylene and polyethylene | Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic. |
| Wood | PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet. |
| Metal | Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared. |
| Ceramic and pottery | Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof. |
| Shoes | A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking. |
| Fabric | A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn. |
| PVC pipe | PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable. |
| Tiles | A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers. |
| Phone screens | A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake. |
| Rubber | Contact cement for large flexible areas and rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate for small ones — but silicone and EPDM need a primer or they will not bond at all. |
| Outdoor and waterproof joints | Polyurethane or epoxy for rigid joints, MS polymer where the joint has to move — and check the water-resistance class rather than the word "waterproof". |
| Acrylic (Perspex, Plexiglas) | A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair. |
| Concrete | Epoxy or a construction adhesive for bonding to it, and a chemical anchor resin — not glue — for anything that carries load. |
| Leather | Contact cement for a permanent flexible bond, or a leather-craft PVA to hold pieces while you stitch them. |
| Silicone | Effectively only more silicone, and even that needs a primer — and any silicone residue left on a surface stops everything else sticking too. |
| Paper | A glue stick or PVA for everyday work; wheat starch paste or methylcellulose for anything you want to survive — and never tape. |
| Foam | A foam-safe water-based adhesive or low-temperature hot melt — solvent adhesives dissolve polystyrene on contact. |
| Polycarbonate | A urethane or silicone adhesive is safest; solvent cements work but polycarbonate is unusually prone to stress cracking days later. |
Common questions
- Which glue works on glass?
- UV-cure glass adhesive for an invisible joint, clear epoxy where it must hold load, and neutral-cure silicone where it must stay flexible or wet.
- What should I avoid?
- Dishwashing anything glued — heat plus water beats almost every consumer adhesive Silicone containing mildewcide inside an aquarium Repairing a broken drinking glass or anything that holds hot liquid
Related pages
- Which glue works on plastic? It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others.
- Which glue works on polypropylene and polyethylene? Ordinary adhesives cannot wet these plastics at all. Use a polyolefin primer with cyanoacrylate, an MMA structural adhesive, or weld the plastic.
- Which glue works on wood? PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet.
- Which glue works on metal? Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared.
- Which glue works on ceramic? Two-part epoxy for anything that will be handled or loaded, cyanoacrylate for a clean break on a display piece — and neither is dishwasher-proof.
- Which glue works on shoes? A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking.
- Which glue works on fabric? A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn.
- Which glue works on PVC pipe? PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable.
- Which adhesive should I use for tiles? A cement-based thin-set in almost every case; ready-mixed tub adhesive only on small dry walls, never on floors or in showers.
- Which glue works on a phone screen? A pre-cut adhesive gasket, or a flexible B-7000-type adhesive around the frame — superglue destroys screens and is the classic mistake.
- Which drill bit should I use for glass? Drill bit
- Which blade cuts glass? Blade
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place