Best Glue For Plywood: Ensure Strong and Durable Bonding

Today, no industry is complete without the use of plywood. The multilayer veneer material, which has a strong and stable structure, has found wide application in construction and furniture production, during repair work and even in the automobile industry. To connect sheets of plywood to each other or attach them to a concrete floor floor, you can use different fastening materials, but the most convenient of them is plywood glue.

Pros of Using Glue to Plywood

Plywood glue can be purchased at any hardware store. Using glue, plywood can be attached to glass, concrete, wood, metal and other materials, and the bonding will be stronger and more durable than using nails or screws.

Working with glue does not require special training or special professional skills. The main thing is to act according to the instructions, properly dilute the composition and apply it to the surface, and this is within the power of any novice master.

In addition to the ease of use and strength of the resulting structure, another advantage of the adhesive bond is its water resistance and high wear resistance.

In rooms with underfloor heating, when heating pipes or special electrical panels are pre-installed under the concrete screed, gluing plywood to the concrete floor is the only correct solution, since nails and screws can damage the wires.

Best Glue for Plywood

Professionals use the following types of plywood glue:

  • Two-component polyurethane-based glue
  • Alcohol based glue
  • A water-based glue

The choice of the best adhesive composition determines the speed of repair and the quality of the final coating.

Two-Component Polyurethane Adhesive

Two-component glue contains two or more active components that interact with each other during operation and form an strong adhesive. Such glue are much more expensive than single-component formulations, but the strength of the resulting compound is incomparably higher.

The polyurethane adhesive forms a flexible and rigid bond at the same time and provides good adhesion to almost all existing materials.

We should mention also that this type of glue has other pros such as:

  • No additional fixation of plywood to the concrete screed with screws or bolts is required;
  • The sticky mixture does not spread, it is less messy;
  • Before work, you do not have to worry about the special cleanliness of the base, because the composition well impregnates the surface to be treated;
  • 30 minutes is all this glue needs to cure.

One of the significant drawbacks of the polyurethane compound is the release of substances hazardous to human health, which occurs when working with any polymers. After a complete curing, which takes 48 hours, the material is completely safe.

Alcohol Based Glue

This type of adhesive differs from other types in the content of synthetic resins, rubber and solvents and is used for gluing plywood to wood or cement-sand surfaces. The advantages of alcohol formulations are ease of use, high drying speed and resistance to moisture penetration.

Alcohol-based glue sets relatively quickly – in a day you can walk on the surface of the glued plywood. However, it is better to postpone further work on finishing the floor for 5-6 days. Before gluing wooden boards.

Alcohol adhesives have a significant drawback – during operation, they emit volatile oils and harmful ethers and can quickly catch fire. Therefore, when carrying out repairs with alcohol glue, you should take care of personal protective equipment and follow fire safety rules.

Water Based Glue

A striking representative of these adhesives is PVA, consisting of polymers suspended in an aqueous medium. In addition to the fact that this adhesive is able to provide strong flexible joints of sheets of plywood with each other and concrete panels, it is completely harmless and does not emit odorous substances. PVA glue can be used in hospitals, kindergartens and other institutions where people may stay during renovation.

It is recommended to use PVA only for moisture-resistant plywood, the drying time of the composition is 7 days, which greatly complicates the work. In addition, when choosing this tool for gluing plywood, it is necessary to secure the boards to the screed in advance with nails and expansion nails.

How to Choose Glue for Plywood

If you plan to use unlined plywood, then you can purchase any glue. The main condition is a dry and clean surface. To apply the composition to both adherent surfaces, it is better to use a roller or brush. After that, you can strengthen the plywood connection with nails, screws or clamps. In the end, you need to remove the excess mixture.

How to glue plywood to plywood, if you use whole sheets? It is simply necessary to cover the surfaces with a mixture, and then press them with temporary nails.

The surface of the laminated film is coated, it is recommended not to glue, but before applying the epoxy composition, it is necessary to sandpaper.

How to glue plywood to plywood, so as not to disturb the texture of the material and not cause discoloration, but at the same time get a high strength design? For internal work, PVA glue is ideal, and for external applications, phenol or epoxy glue.

The level of joint reliability is affected not only by the applied mixture, but also by strict adherence to the recommendations, because if the latter is violated, the properties of the adhesive may not be fully opened.

How Much Glue does it Take to Put Plywood on a Concrete Surface?

The flow rate depends on the number of irregularities, the presence or absence of porosity and the quality of the screed. It should be based on the recommended flow rate of 1.2 to 1.5 kg/m2, but do not forget that plywood must be laid on the foundation without voids. Only uniform pressure on the plywood for the base can ensure optimal distribution of the adhesive throughout the surface.

How to Glue Plywood?

Before starting work, you need to figure out how to glue plywood to plywood. The instructions below explain, as detailed as possible, all the subtleties of this process:

  1. Initially, the plywood sheets must be cleaned of dust and various types of contaminants. To remove the laminated layer, a grinding paper will be needed.
  2. Then the plywood should be carefully dried.
  3. It is recommended to distribute the adhesive to obtain an even layer with a roller.
  4. Now you need to press the plywood parts to each other with clamps. It is recommended to remove excess with a knife and rags.
  5. If there are large parts, then they must be attached to the nails.
  6. Finally, when the viscous mass is completely dry, the product must be released from the clamps.

Conclusion

When starting to repair the floor in your apartment, first of all, you need to analyze whether you can do this simply by gluing plywood on a concrete screed or you will have to arrange additional fasteners. A suitable adhesive material should be selected depending on the solution.

If, due to the connections under the concrete, it is not possible to use nails and screws for fastening the plywood and the base, then only two-component polyurethane glue is suitable for work. In other cases, you can use a water-based or alcohol-based adhesive.

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