Wood Adhesives & PVAs

Wood glue from Soudal covers PVA adhesives, expanding PU wood adhesives, and fast-setting epoxy for joinery, general woodworking, and repair work. The range spans standard PVA for paper, card, and general craft use through to crosslinking PVA for MDF and timber joinery, plus waterproof PU adhesives for outdoor and high-moisture timber applications.

The right glue for the joint, not just whatever’s on the bench.

PVA wood glues are formulated for specific jobs: general-purpose PVA suits fast, light bonding, while crosslinking and aliphatic PVA formulations offer stronger, heat and water-resistant bonds suited to joinery and NZ native timbers. Expanding PU wood adhesives cure into cavities for a gap-filling bond and are available in waterproof formulations for exterior or high-moisture use. See our bonding wood guide for use-case detail, or browse the full Adhesives range for construction and specialty alternatives.

• 50g / 200ml 01305
• Great for mitre joints
• Sets in seconds
• High bond strength

• 100ml 01371
• White (dries clear)
• Ideal for paper, card & board
• Fast setting

• PART A & B 3ml each, Clear, 01324
• 2 part epoxy resin
• Sets in 4 minutes
• Dries clear

How to choose the right wood glue

Wood glue selection depends on the timber type, moisture exposure, clamp time available, and whether the joint needs to be sanded or finished.

Moisture exposure. Standard PVA suits dry, internal woodworking. Waterproof PU wood adhesive is needed for outdoor furniture, decking components, or joinery exposed to damp conditions.

Joint type and finish. Crosslinking PVA is suited to face and edge joinery, such as panel lamination, and dries clear for a discreet glue line. Aliphatic PVA is sandable once cured, useful where the joint will be planed or finished.

Gap-filling needs. Standard PVA performs best on tight, well-fitted joints. Expanding PU wood adhesive fills small gaps as it cures, useful on timber that isn’t perfectly flush.

Speed of bond. General-purpose PVA sets quickly for light paper, card, and craft work. A fast-setting structural adhesive or two-part epoxy is better suited to small components needing a strong bond within seconds to minutes, rather than the longer clamp times PVA and PU adhesives require.

Timber species. Some PVA formulations are specifically suited to NZ native timbers, which can behave differently to imported softwoods during gluing and clamping.

Technical differentiators

• Cure time: PVA glues typically clamp in 20-30 minutes with full cure overnight; expanding PU wood adhesives clamp within 30 minutes with full cure in 1-3 hours.
• Water resistance: Standard PVA is not waterproof, PU variants are rated for exterior or high-moisture joinery
• Gap fill: PVA performs best on tight joints; expanding PU adhesives tolerate small gaps
• Finish: Sandable and paintable once fully cured for most PVA and PU formulations.
• Substrate range: PVA and PU adhesives are timber-specific.

Wood adhesive application guidance

Clamp timber joints firmly while the glue cures, and use the manufacturer’s stated clamp time as a minimum rather than a target, since full strength develops over a longer cure period. Apply PVA evenly to both surfaces for face and edge joints, and wipe away excess glue before it skins to avoid a visible line once finished. Expanding PU wood adhesive needs the timber to be lightly dampened on one face before application, since the adhesive cures using moisture. For epoxy and fast structural adhesives, measure and mix components accurately and work within the stated working time before the mix begins to set. Sand and finish only once the manufacturer’s full cure time has passed, particularly for load-bearing joints.

Not sure which wood adhesive suits the job? Use our product selector tool, download the product catalogue, contact us directly, or find your nearest stockist.