Choosing the correct adhesive for woodworking — especially door, window, and stair construction — is essential to ensure longevity, easy-of-use, and the overall aesthetics of the project. There are a huge variety of products on the market, and it can be challenging to find the right one. This guide will help you choose the right product for your project.
Woodworking glues come in three main types: PVA (polyvinyl acetate), Epoxy, and Polyurethane.
PVA is perhaps the most well known woodworking adhesive, as it is water-based and non-toxic. As such, it is ideally suited for DIY, Craft, and Hobby applications. In fact, you will probably find PVA in most garages around Australia.
For simple, everyday timber projects such as craft and hobby projects, PVA is the glue of choice. Fortis AD317 PVA offers easy, user-friendly application and cleanup, with minimal hazards. It is suitable for both interior and exterior use, and has excellent resistance to humidity.
For knot-filling and boat-building applications, epoxy glues are best suited due to their stability and resistance to salt water. Fortis 822 Knot Filler offers unmatched clarity, fast cure time, and bubble release. It is perfect for filling of imperfections in rough sawn, dressed, or recycled timber.
For general applications, polyurethane adhesives provide the most durable bonds. They are very versastile, able to bond wood, most metals, fibreglass, composite, and cement sheeting. As a result, Polyurethane is fast becoming the industry standard for the commerical manufacture of doors, windows, and stairs.
For most projects, the right choice of polyurethane adhesive is Fortis AD5205. It is a universal, solvent-free, and long-lasting wood adhesive suitable for just about any application. However, for specific uses — such as vertical application — you may prefer a specialised product.
Vertical Application: Fortis AD515 is suitable for vertical application, making it ideal for on-site stair installation, as well as gluing to steel beams (prior to fastening with screws or nails) and joists. It is fast-curing, high-strength, and odourless, in an easy-to-apply single component cartridge, and can even be used on damp joists.
General Use: Fortis AD5205 is the adhesive of choice for general use. It provides excellent water-resistance after curing, gap-filling, and can be coated and stained as desired. It is available in pack sizes from 550g up to 220kg, so it is perfect for everything from small projects to commerical applications.
Longer Working Time: Some projects require all the properties of Fortis AD5205, but with a longer working time than 10 minutes. Fortis AD5405 is similarly a universal wood adhesive, but with a 40 minute working time, available in the same range of pack sizes.
The ultimate decision of which glue to choose depends on the specifics of your woodworking project. As a rule of thumb, for Craft & Hobby: PVA, for Boats & Knot-Filling: Epoxy, and for everything else: Polyurethane, and specifically Fortis AD5205.
Please note that the specific properties, applications, and usage instructions for these products can vary, so be sure to review the full details for each product. If you can't find the information you're looking for, contact our customer service directly for any assistance.
Our full woodworking range is available through our Online Retail Store — Fortis AD5205, Fortis AD317 PVA, Fortis 822 Knot Filler, Fortis AD515, and Fortis AD5405. To order in commercial quantities, contact us. If you're not sure which product is right for your woodworking project, phone us on +61 3 9706 5448. Take the step towards durable, long-lasting, and visually appealing woodworking projects today!
