--- title: "Glue and adhesive — which one for which job" description: "20 answers on choosing the right glue and adhesive for the material, with the reason behind each and what fails." url: https://atoneplace.net/which/glue/ site: "At One Place" --- # Glue and adhesive 20 materials and what works on each. | For | Use | First alternative | | --- | --- | --- | | Plastic | It depends entirely on which plastic — identify it first, because solvent cement is unbeatable on some and useless on others. | Cyanoacrylate (superglue) | | 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. | MMA structural adhesive for low surface energy plastics | | Wood | PVA wood glue for anything indoors; a water-resistant grade (Type I / D4) or polyurethane for anything that gets wet. | Polyurethane glue | | Metal | Two-part epoxy for anything structural, cyanoacrylate for small dry parts, and MMA where the surface cannot be properly prepared. | Methyl methacrylate structural adhesive | | 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. | Cyanoacrylate | | Shoes | A flexible shoe repair adhesive — polyurethane or a neoprene contact cement — never superglue, which cracks within a day of walking. | Neoprene contact cement | | Fabric | A washable fabric adhesive or a fusible bonding web — and never superglue, which reacts with cotton violently enough to burn. | Flexible fabric adhesive | | 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. | Clear two-part epoxy | | PVC pipe | PVC solvent cement with its matching primer — and PVC, CPVC and ABS cements are not interchangeable. | CPVC cement | | 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. | Ready-mixed dispersion adhesive | | 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. | Flexible frame adhesive (B-7000/T-7000 type) | | 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. | Rubber-toughened cyanoacrylate | | 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". | Two-part epoxy | | Acrylic (Perspex, Plexiglas) | A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair. | Thickened acrylic cement | | Concrete | Epoxy or a construction adhesive for bonding to it, and a chemical anchor resin — not glue — for anything that carries load. | Polyurethane construction adhesive | | Leather | Contact cement for a permanent flexible bond, or a leather-craft PVA to hold pieces while you stitch them. | Leather-craft PVA | | Silicone | Effectively only more silicone, and even that needs a primer — and any silicone residue left on a surface stops everything else sticking too. | Silicone-specific cyanoacrylate primer | | Paper | A glue stick or PVA for everyday work; wheat starch paste or methylcellulose for anything you want to survive — and never tape. | PVA | | Foam | A foam-safe water-based adhesive or low-temperature hot melt — solvent adhesives dissolve polystyrene on contact. | PVA or white craft glue | | Polycarbonate | A urethane or silicone adhesive is safest; solvent cements work but polycarbonate is unusually prone to stress cracking days later. | Neutral-cure silicone | - [Which glue works on plastic?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-polypropylene/) — 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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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 glass?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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. - [Which glue works on PVC pipe?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-tile/) — 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?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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 glue works on rubber?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-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. - [Which glue is waterproof for outdoor use?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-outdoor/) — 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". - [Which glue works on acrylic?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-acrylic/) — A solvent cement run into the joint by capillary action — not a tube adhesive, which will always look like a repair. - [Which glue works on concrete?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-concrete/) — Epoxy or a construction adhesive for bonding to it, and a chemical anchor resin — not glue — for anything that carries load. - [Which glue works on leather?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-leather/) — Contact cement for a permanent flexible bond, or a leather-craft PVA to hold pieces while you stitch them. - [Which glue sticks to silicone?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-silicone/) — Effectively only more silicone, and even that needs a primer — and any silicone residue left on a surface stops everything else sticking too. - [Which glue works on paper?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-paper/) — A glue stick or PVA for everyday work; wheat starch paste or methylcellulose for anything you want to survive — and never tape. - [Which glue works on foam?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-foam/) — A foam-safe water-based adhesive or low-temperature hot melt — solvent adhesives dissolve polystyrene on contact. - [Which glue works on polycarbonate?](https://atoneplace.net/which/glue-polycarbonate/) — A urethane or silicone adhesive is safest; solvent cements work but polycarbonate is unusually prone to stress cracking days later.