Adhesives are used in the timber industry for the factory production of glue-laminated timber (glulam), Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL), plywood, finger jointed timber and composite timber I beams.
They are also used to bond wood onto a variety of panel products such as particleboard, plywood and fibreboard.
Adhesives — compounds bonding two items together — can be extremely strong, and are increasingly being used in the construction of timber structures.
Adhesives are also used for non-structural applications such as furniture, doors and fixing veneers.
They may come from either natural or synthetic sources. Traditionally, adhesives were sourced from animals (blood, casein) and vegetables (starch, soya beans).
Although these glues were useful they were susceptible to high humidity. Synthetic resins were developed to be more structurally reliable and durable, and are the most commonly used adhesive for timber.
Availability
There are a wide range of different adhesives available from competing companies.
Typically, they are available from building supply companies or direct from the manufacturer for large quantities of specialist adhesives.
