OUR EDITORS INDEPENDENTLY RESEARCH, SELECT, AND RECOMMEND THE BEST PRODUCTS FOR REVIEW. AT TIMES (AND AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU), WE MAY RECEIVE COMMISSIONS ON PURCHASES MADE THROUGH OUR CHOSEN LINKS. WE WILL ONLY EVER PROMOTE THE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES THAT WE TRUST AND 100% RECOMMEND. YOU MAY READ OUR FULL AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Best Wood Glue for 2024 – Updated by Burbro Editors on April 14th, 2021
Whether you’re doing a home renovation, DIY projects, woodworking or crafts, you’ll need wood glue that can create a strong bond. You’ll also want a glue that is water-proof and resistant to solvents so that it doesn’t break down over time. If you’ve been looking at the best wood glues, you’ll notice that there’s a lot of options on the market. However, this doesn’t mean that all these glues are high-quality or will hold your wooden surfaces together. In this product review, we’ll be looking at the best wood glue in 2024. We’ll also provide a wood glue buying guide to help you choose the right glue for your project, along with some tips for using glue.
Best Wood Glue in 2024
We’ve reviewed the best wood glues and compiled a list of the best products so you can quickly find the right glue for your projects. We’ve also added some essential accessories that you can get to make the glueing process easier.
1. Gorilla Wood Glue
The Best Wood Glue for Outdoor Use.
If you’re using the glue for outdoor projects, you’ll need a glue that can be used outside. One of the best wood glues for outdoor use is the Gorilla Wood Glue, which is designed to last in the elements with a strong bond. The Gorilla Glue creates an incredibly strong bond once you press wooden surfaces together. The wood will require 20-30 minutes to dry fully, and you can help the bond by using a clamp during the drying process. Once the glue has dried, you’ll need to let it sit for 24 hours so that it can cure and dry completely. Once the glue has finished drying, it’ll have a natural wood colour that helps blend the wood. This means that you won’t be able to see any repairs because the glue dries with natural wood colouring. It’s also water-resistant, which makes it perfect for the outdoors or exterior construction.
2. Titebond III Wood Glue
One of the Best Wood Glues for Furniture.
When you’re repairing furniture, you’ll need a glue that’s capable of bonding wooden surfaces with superior strength. If you’re looking at glue for furniture, then you’ll be interested in the Titebond III Wood Glue. The Titebond III Glue is a superior glue with advanced technology that makes it bond better than other glues. It also has a longer assembly time, which gives you time to fix your furniture without it drying or becoming ‘tacky.’ One of the things that we like about the Titebond III Glue is its heat and water resistance. It’s also resistant to solvents, which is ideal for anyone that wants to stain the wood on their furniture. With the Titebond III Glue, you won’t need an application brush because the glue bottle comes with a tapered nozzle. This allows you to apply a thin line of glue on the wood without needing a brush to apply it.
3. Elmer’s Carpenter’s Wood Glue
One of the Best Wood Glues for MDF Boards.
If you’re working with MDF boards or other thin pieces of wood, you’ll want to use glue to strengthen any joints or bonds. One of the best wood glues for MDF boards is Elmer’s Carpenter’s Glue. The Elmer’s Carpenter’s Glue is designed for fine carpentry and home repairs such as cabinets, flooring, or shelving. It’s non-toxic and doesn’t have fumes, which is ideal for indoor use. So, once you’re done making that perfect cut with your jigsaw, Elmer’s Glue will help hold your project together over the long term. With Elmer’s Carpenter’s Glue, you’ll be able to paint over any sections that have been covered in glue. You’ll also be able to sand it down, which makes it perfect for finishing construction. The Elmer’s Wood Glue will require about 20-30 minutes to dry, and then the glue will create a surface that’s stronger than the wood itself. You can also use clamps to help keep the wooden surfaces tight while it is drying.
4. Gorilla Heavy-Duty Construction Adhesive
The Best Wood Glue for Construction.
Whether you’re working on a construction site or you’re doing a home renovation, there’ll be times when you need heavy-duty wood glue. One of the best wood adhesives for construction is the Gorilla Heavy-Duty Construction Adhesive. The Gorilla Heavy-Duty Construction Adhesive comes in a tube that can be placed in a caulking gun for easy application. This glue is strong and durable and is capable of adhering to almost any surface. The Gorilla Construction Adhesive is designed for fast application and will begin bonding the surfaces within 30 seconds. This construction adhesive is also designed for all weather conditions and can be used indoors or outdoors. One of the things that we love about Gorilla Construction Adhesive is that you can paint and sand the areas where you’ve glued. This makes it ideal for all forms of construction or wood repairs.
5. GlueMaster’s Professional Super Glue
The Best Wood Glue for Multiple Surfaces.
When you have DIY projects, there may be times when you need to bond wooden surfaces to other surfaces that aren’t made of wood. If you need a glue that’s ideal for multi-surface, then you’ll want to look at GlueMaster’s Professional Super Glue. The GlueMaster’s Professional Super-Glue can set and bond within 15 seconds, making it perfect for woodworkers and hobbyists. Whether you’re fixing furniture, building a puzzle or putting together scale models, this super glue has you covered. With GlueMaster’s Professional Super Glue, you’ll never have to worry about using a brush to apply the glue. This is because the bottle comes with a narrow tip that can control the amount of glue that’s being applied. If you go for this super glue, you’ll want to wear gloves to avoid any contact with your skin. This glue can glue your fingers together within seconds, which can cause a lot of problems.
6. Gorilla Clear Glue
The Best Wood Glue for Crafts.
One of the main reasons people use glue is because they’re doing crafts and need an adhesive that can be used for their project. If you need glue for your project, then you’ll want to look at the Gorilla Clear Glue. The Gorilla Clear Glue is designed for smaller surfaces such as crafts and can be applied to multiple surfaces. It comes with a crystal clear colour, making it perfect for crafts and art projects that require glue. Once this glue has been applied, you’ll need to clamp the surfaces together for 2 hours and then let your project sit for 24 hours so that the glue can finish curing and create a tighter bond between the surfaces. While this glue is designed for porous surfaces, it can be used on almost any surface. All you’ll need to do is dampen the surfaces and then apply the glue, and it’ll create a tight seal with a strong surface bond.
Wood Glue Buying Guide
Every project is different, and we want you to find the best glue for your project, so we’ve created a comprehensive buying guide that you can use to determine which type of glue is right for you.
We’ll be talking about the features that you’ll want to look at when choosing glue, so if you’re new to using glue, then you can use our buying guide to help you through the process of selecting the right glue.
Benefits of Using Wood Glue
The main reason that people use glue is that it’s an adhesive that can help bond surfaces together. The glue can be used for general construction, repairs and hobbies. When you use glue, it’ll make a stronger bond, which will help your projects last longer.
Often, people will use glue along with nails and screws to add extra strength to the items that they’re building. It’s difficult to compete with the binding strength you get from screws, but glue can add extra strength to the screws, especially if you coat the screws in glue before drilling them.
Sometimes, when people use glue on their projects, it’s because they can’t use nails or screws. This is because the wood is too thin or porous and may crack if you drive in screws and nails. However, glue is a gentle way of bonding surfaces without breaking the materials.
How to Choose the Best Wood Glue
In this section, we’ll look at the various types of wood glue and some features that you may want in your glue. If you’re unsure what to look for when choosing the best wood glue, you’ll want to read this section.
Here are some things to consider when choosing wood adhesive.
1. Types of Wood Glue
You’ll want to consider the type of glue you’re buying to ensure that it’s right for your project. When it comes to glue, there are about five types of glue that you can choose, such as:
- Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) – The PVA glue has become one of the most popular glues because it’s strong and creates a solid bond between the wood surfaces. It also doesn’t yellow over time, which makes it perfect for woodworking and craft projects.
- Polyurethane Glue – The Polyurethane glue is designed to create a solid bond, but it may be tricky to use at first. The reason that people love the Polyurethane glue is that it doesn’t have much moisture, which prevents the joins from swelling like you get when you use water-based glues.
- Cyanoacrylate Glue – The Cyanoacrylate glue, otherwise referred to as CA Glue, is a form of super-glue that you’d find in brands like Krazy Glue. This type of adhesive is usually used for crafts like model planes, but it can be used for light woodworking or wooden projects.
- Animal and Hide Glue – The animal and hide glue is the original glue; however, very few people use it for large woodworking projects. People will often choose a PVA glue because it’s easier to apply and have a stronger bond.
- Epoxy Glue – The epoxy glues can be used as an adhesive to connect wood surfaces. The epoxy glues have a chemical reaction that hardens and attaches to the surfaces of any materials that it’s touching. You can also add colour to epoxy glue to have a flare to your woodworking.
While there may be other glues that you can use for wood, these are the more popular types of glue that you can use. These glues are also easy to access and can be bought online in large quantities.
2. Glue Strength
Before choosing a glue for your project, I need to consider the type of project you’ll use it for. If your glue doesn’t have enough strength, then the glue may begin to chip away and crack over time.
For example, if you’re using lightweight glue for rough construction, then the wood won’t bond together because the glue isn’t strong enough to make the joints or surfaces bond.
On the other hand, if you used construction adhesive for your DIY project, then the glue would be too heavy, and it wouldn’t work very well. This is why you need to look at your project and then choose a glue that’s well suited for your project.
3. Dry Time
When you’re choosing an adhesive for your projects, you’ll need to consider the glue’s dry time. If the glue takes too long to dry, it may ruin your project or make it more difficult for you to complete your project.
Some wood adhesives act fast, which means that they dry within seconds after being applied, and other adhesives need 20-30 minutes for them to dry. Typically, when the glue takes a while to dry, then the bond is stronger as long as you’ve clamped the wood together while the glue was drying.
If your project is time-sensitive, then you’ll want to choose a wood adhesive that can dry within 5-20 minutes so that it’s not holding you up or causing complications to your project.
4. Glue Shelf Life
You don’t want to buy a bottle of glue and then realize that it’s all dry when you go to use it because the glue has a short shelf life. If you’re going to be saving your glue for future projects, then you’ll want to find a wood adhesive that has a longer shelf life.
Some bottles come with lids that are designed to prevent air from entering the bottle of glue. This is intended to prevent the glue from drying out by being exposed to the open air.
While glue can’t last forever, we recommend that you choose an adhesive with a shelf life of at least 3-6 months. You can also make the glue last longer by closing the bottle quickly after each use.
5. Glue Thickness
When you’re choosing an adhesive, you’ll need to consider the thickness of the glue so that it’s easier for you to apply. Some glues are very thick, making them difficult to use, while others have a water base, which makes them runny.
You’ll also need to think about the type of wood that you’re using the glue on because the water-based glue can make the wood swell. If you’re using adhesive on thin MDF boards, you’ll want to be careful that you don’t use too much glue or else it can get the wood wet and make it swell.
If you find that the adhesive is too thick, you can always use a brush to make it easier during the application; however, it’s better to find a bottle with a thin nozzle and glue with the right thickness for your project.
6. Glue Color
If you’re using the glue for finishing carpentry, then you’ll want to make sure that you choose an adhesive with a natural wood colour so that it blends in once it’s finished drying.
Some of the older adhesives would turn a bright yellow colour once the glue was finished drying. This would leave a nasty colour on the wood, and it’d be obvious where you had used glue for repairs.
We recommend choosing a natural coloured adhesive and making sure that the glue can be sanded down and painted over. This will help you hide any repairs that you’ve made by covering it with paint.
How to Apply and Use Wood Glue
Once you’ve chosen the right glue for your project, it’s time to learn how to use glue for your projects. If you’re new to using adhesives, then this guide may be helpful for you.
Here are some tips for using wood glue.
- ALWAYS clean the surface before adding glue to ensure that the adhesive can touch the surface of the wood and create a stronger bond. If there’s material in the way, then the bond may crack over time.
- Use masking tapes around any joints to ensure that the adhesive can’t leak out of the joints. This will create a nice seal and ensure that the adhesive has time to dry before it leaks out.
- Apply the adhesive with a brush so that you can create a thin layer. When you’re bonding surfaces with glue, it doesn’t take very much adhesive to make the two surfaces stick together.
- Use clamps to hold the surfaces together while the adhesive is drying. The clamps will hold the surfaces tightly together and give the glue a chance to cure without the bond-breaking before it’s completely dried.
- When you’re sticking the pieces together, you should rub the wood together so that the glue is spread evenly across both surfaces.
- Only attach one piece at a time. If you’re trying to glue multiple pieces together, then the wood may dry crooked if there’s too much pressure on the joints.
- WAIT and let the adhesive dry. After you’ve applied the adhesive, you’ll need to be patient and wait for the adhesive to dry. If you don’t wait, then you may ruin the bond and cause it to separate.
- When you’ve finished glueing, there may be areas where there’s excessive glue oozing out of the joints. Take a chisel and scrap this glue off to create an even edge and then sand the joint to make it even.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When we were writing this review of the best wood glue in 2024, we found a lot of questions being asked about glue. In this section, we will answer these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about wood adhesive.
Here are some FAQs about wood glue.
1. Is PVA Glue the Same as Wood Glue?
The Term PVA Glue refers to Polyvinyl Acetate Glue and is one of the common types of glue. The PVA Glues can be used for woodworking and bonding wood surfaces together. It’s also one of the strongest adhesives that you can find.
2. Is Wood Glue Stronger than Wood?
Some glues can create a bond that’s stronger than wood. However, you’ll need to wait for the glue to set and cure so that the bond between the two surfaces will have time to bond.
3. Is Gorilla Glue as Good as Wood Glue?
Gorilla Glue is a well-known brand name, and their company sells glue. While there are many glue brands, Gorilla is one of the more popular brands on the market.
4. Is Wood Glue Stronger than Screws?
It’s challenging to get the binding strength you can get from using screws, but you can strengthen the bond between wood by using glue. You can also coat your screws in glue to make them bond once the screws have been set.
Summary
We hope that this article has helped you find the best wood glue for 2024. If you’re new to using glues, then you can use our comprehensive buyer’s guide to help you choose the right adhesive for your project.