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Construction adhesive is a staple on building sites. It’s used for bonding subfloors to joists, wall panels to studs and much more. It comes in a tube that fits in a caulk gun. It may contain acrylic resin, polyurethane monomers, styrene-butadene rubber or a combination of adhesive chemicals.

Apply construction adhesive to surfaces you want to join the same way you apply caulk. Construction adhesive remains flexible when dry, allowing some give between the joined surfaces. It bonds wood, concrete, metal, plastic and many other materials.

Around the house, use it to affix wall hooks and drawer handles, repair loose gate latches, stick loose tiles back in place and even attach soap dishes to wet shower walls.

Tests have shown not all construction adhesives work equally well in cold weather or wet conditions. Loctite PL 375, a water-soluble latex product, proved to have the most holding power but failed in freezing and wet conditions.

Loctite Power Grab, also latex, isn’t as strong but can withstand cold and moisture. Fuze-It from Liquid Nails, a name synonymous with construction adhesive, combines strength with cold and moisture resistance.

7/15

When you need to reattach a shoe heel, or any repair that calls for more holding power than contact cement, you need a similar formulation — rubber cement— that comes in a tube.

The best known example is Shoe Goo. Like contact cement, it’s styrene rubber dissolved in toluene, but you can squirt it into small areas. When it dries, the bond is flexible, virtually unbreakable and waterproof. Use rubber cement to bond rubber, leather, glass, ceramic and many other materials.

Elmer’s makes a comparable rubber cement that comes in a bottle with its own brush.

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Most people know this adhesive by the brand names Super Glue or Krazy Glue. Cyanoacrylate (CA) glue joins ceramic, glass, metal, wood and many other materials, and a little goes a long way. It dries quickly and also bonds to skin, so be careful.

CA glue reacts to moisture in the air to form super-strong polymers with a tensile strength (resistance to being pulled apart) approaching 4,000 pounds per square inch (psi). Because it sets quickly, you usually don’t need clamps to hold pieces together, so it’s ideal for many household repairs.

Although it forms a strong bond, CA glue doesn’t hold up well under external stress and can shatter under impact. It’s generally reserved for small repairs like decorative ceramics and glassware and other non-utilitarian household items. Some formulations are too thin to fill wood pores, but gel-types work. Gorilla Glue Gel is one of the better known products.