Adhesives - Build Your Skills Leaflet 210

Adhesives are essential for all sorts of DIY jobs, sometimes providing a quick and effective fixing on their own, and sometimes reinforcing the action of other fixings such as nails.
Some adhesives such as PVA are used in many different ways, while others are formulated for just one specialist application.
Most adhesives are supplied ready for use - in a tin, a tub, a cartridge or a tube. A few, such as wallpaper paste and floor tile adhesive, come in powder form and have to be mixed with water.

Always read the manufacturer's instructions before using any adhesive. These may contain important advice about surface preparation, application methods, setting times and safety tips.
Always keep DIY adhesives out of reach of children and pets, and store them in the dry at room temperature if possible.

Wickes Build Your Skills Leaflet - Adhesive is packed with DIY help and advice on using adhesives such as PVA building adhesive.

Wickes Build Your Skills Leaflet - Adhesive is packed with DIY help and advice on using adhesives such as PVA woodworking adhesive.

Wickes Build Your Skills Leaflet - Adhesive is packed with DIY help and advice on using adhesives such as using PVA building adhesive as a sealer.

Using PVA Adhesives

Preparation

Universal PVA building adhesive is an extremely versatile product that can be used to bond all sorts of materials, so long as one of them is relatively porous. It comes in 1, 2.5 and 5 litre sizes.
Make sure that the surfaces to be stuck are clean, sound and free from dust, grease, oil, wax or loose surface material. Stir the PVA building adhesive before use.
Apply the PVA building adhesive to one of the surfaces to be bonded direct from the tin with a brush or spreader. If you're using it to stick different surfaces together, apply it to the less porous surface. [PIC 1]

Bonding

If the components have smooth surfaces, assemble them immediately while the PVA building adhesive is still wet. It sets by evaporation, so setting times will depend on the porosity of the surfaces and the ambient temperature.
If the surfaces are uneven, mix the adhesive with filler, plaster or cement to form a paste, and apply this to both surfaces before making the bond. [PIC 2]
You can use undiluted PVA building adhesive for woodworking joints, but end grain should be primed first with adhesive diluted with one part water to five parts of adhesive. A PVA woodworking adhesive will give a stronger bond if the joint will be under continuous stress.

Sealing

You can also use PVA building adhesive as a sealer. Dilute one part of PVA Building adhesive with five parts of water for sealing porous or dusty wall, floor and ceiling surfaces. [PIC 3]
Mix the adhesive with an equal quantity of water to make a primer for gloss paint that is to be papered over, for sealing asbestos cement, and to seal in bituminous wood treatments before painting (two coats are needed in this case).
PVA building adhesive will also stop cut carpet edges from fraying, bond fabrics together and stick all sorts of arts and crafts materials.

Using Adhesives

Making woodworking joints

PVA woodworking adhesive is widely used to reinforce all sorts of woodworking joints. Wickes Wood Adhesive is waterproof, so it can be used outside as well as indoors. The components of the joint must fit reasonably well together, since wood adhesive doesn't have very good gap-filling properties. It can be mixed with powder filler to make a paste for filling uneven joints.

To glue a joint, simply spread the wood adhesive on one of the joint surfaces and bring the two parts together. For maximum bond strength, clamp the joint and leave it to set for at least 30 minutes. Use a damp cloth immediately to wipe away any excess adhesive that is squeezed out of the joint as you assemble it.

Bonding Plastic Laminates

The product you need for bonding plastic laminates to worktops and other board surfaces is Wickes Contact Adhesive. As its name implies, this bonds on contact. You apply the adhesive to both surfaces and leave it to become tacky. Then you align the edge of the laminate carefully with the edge of the board you're sticking it to, and drop it into place for an instant bond. Firm hand pressure on the surface of the laminate will ensure a strong and permanent bond to the board below.

If you are sticking laminate to thin boards (less than 25mm thick) you must add a balancing laminate to the other face of the board to stop it from warping.

Note that Wickes Contact Adhesive is solvent-based, so you must ensure that the room where it is being used is well ventilated and that there are no naked lights in the vicinity. Keep it out of the reach of children; this type of product is popular with so-called glue-sniffers.

Fixing Wall Panels and Cladding

Adhesives can be used as an alternative to nails or clips for fixing wallboards and timber cladding, either direct to the wall if this is flat, or to a framework of wall battens otherwise. Wickes Wall Panel Adhesive comes in a cartridge which fits a standard cartridge gun. Simply apply beads of adhesive to the rear face of the panel or board and stick it in place.

Fixing Battens and Mouldings

Wickes' high-performance building adhesive, called Forget Nails, can be used in all sorts of situations where nails or fixing pins are traditionally used. For example, it will bond skirting boards, architraves, dado and picture rails in place. It is also ideal for putting up battens to carry curtain tracks and roller blinds, or for sticking down carpet gripper strips on solid or timber floors. Forget Nails comes in cartridge form.

Sticking Wall and Floor Tiles

Ceramic wall and floor tiles need a special adhesive, and Wickes has a range of products to suit every situation. For wall tiles you can select Non-slip Wall Tile Adhesive, and there's also a waterproof version for shower cubicles and bathroom splashbacks. All-purpose Tile & Grout sticks and grouts. For floor tiles, you need a powder floor tile adhesive. Wickes' standard type is ideal for most jobs, or there's Rapid Set Tile Adhesive for quick results. Grout the gaps with Floor and Wall Tile grout, or use Wickes grey or white Floor Tile Grout.

Sticking Other Floor Coverings

For sticking down sheet vinyl flooring or cork floor tiles, you can use Wickes' Multi-purpose Floor Adhesive or, for small areas, their Spray Adhesive. Follow the instructions on the container.

Hanging Wallpaper and Borders

When it comes to paperhanging, you can either mix your own paste using Wickes Allpurpose Wallpaper Adhesive, which comes in packs to hang 5, 10 or 20 rolls, or use ready-mixed tub paste. If you're hanging washable or vinyl paper or putting up borders, you'll need some ready-mixed Border Adhesive. And if the walls are bare plaster, you'll need a packet of size to seal them and reduce their porosity.

Putting Up Coving

When it comes to putting up plaster coving, there's another specialist adhesive available. It's Wickes Coving Adhesive, which is available in powder or ready-mixed form. You simply apply it to the back of the coving and stick it in place. See packs for more detailed usage instructions.

Wickes Build Your Skills Leaflet - Adhesive is packed with DIY help and advice on using adhesives such as using wood adhesive and clamps.

Using wood adhesive
For the strongest bond, clamp woodworking joints after gluing and assembling them.

Wickes Build Your Skills Leaflet - Adhesive is packed with DIY help and advice on using adhesives such as using contact adhesive.

Using contact adhesive
Align the laminate with the board to which it is being stuck before bringing the two surfaces together.

Wickes Build Your Skills Leaflet - Adhesive is packed with DIY help and advice on using adhesives such as using Forget Nails, Wickes high performance building adhesive.

Using Forget Nails
Apply Forget Nails to the rear face of whatever you're fixing and then press it into place.

Problem Solver

Problem The decorative leather facing on a desk is peeling off at the corners.: Wickes Solution Use PVA adhesive to bond it back to the desk top. Apply the adhesive to the wood, then bed the leather back in place and weight it down.
Problem The concrete lintel above a window is so hard that a even hammer drill won't make holes for wallplugs to hold a curtain support batten.: Wickes Solution Use Wickes Forget Nails to bond the batten to the wall. In case the plaster bond to the lintel is weak, cut back the plaster along the batten line and bond it directly to the lintel, then make good with filler or patching plaster.
Problem Some cork tiles in the bathroom have come away from the floor following an overflow and flood.: Wickes Solution Use Wickes Spray Adhesive to bond the tiles back in place. Leave the floor bare for a few days first to ensure that the dampness has dried out.
Problem A hot iron has seriously marked the laminate on a kitchen worktop: Wickes Solution Use contact adhesive to stick a new layer of laminate over the damaged surface. If the front edge is post-formed (rounded over), screw on a square timber lipping first and fill the gap between it and the curved edge with filler before sticking the new laminate on.
Problem The concrete garage floor is intolerably dusty.: Wickes Solution Seal it with a solution of PVA building adhesive, made up by diluting one part of adhesive with five parts of water. Apply two coats for an effective seal. Alternatively use Wickes Concrete Dustproofer and Surface Hardener.