Glue for gardens!

Masonry adhesive: What you need to know

Want to build a brick mailbox enclosure? Don’t learn by trowel and error! Our guide on masonry adhesives will steer you directly to the right methods and products for all your masonry projects.

Mortar vs masonry adhesive: Which is right for the job?

Mortar is a thick paste made from mixing cement, water, and sand. It’s primarily used as a sort of glue when building structures with stone, brick, or blocks. While it’s the traditional material, it also takes a fair amount of time and labor to mix and apply. Mortar also has the potential to be messy and requires a lot of cleanup.

Masonry adhesive is a product that vastly simplifies the process. Most masonry construction adhesives come in cartridges and are easily applied with a caulking gun. This reduces the time needed for mixing and troweling. It dries faster than mortar and is waterproof.

Masonry adhesive is perfect for a number of jobs like cracked veneer, brick walls, single stone repairs, landscape blocks, retaining caps, non-treated wood, and other non-structural additions. It also can be used for retaining walls up to three blocks high, but it’s not suitable for vertically hanging stone decals.

How to apply masonry adhesive

Masonry adhesive is simple to apply. All you need is a utility knife, gloves, a caulking gun, and a cartridge of masonry adhesive.

  1. Clean the surfaces you’re bonding. Make sure they are dry and free from dust and grime. 
  2. Pre-fit your pieces for accuracy.
  3. Load the adhesive cartridge into the caulking gun and cut the applicator tip at a 45-degree angle, keeping in mind the desired bead size.
  4. Apply the adhesive in a continuous zig-zag stream. 
  5. Fix the pieces together and apply extra support if necessary. Cure times may vary from product to product; check the manufacturers label for exact duration.
  6. Clean up uncured glue with acetone. Cured adhesive can be scraped away with a utility knife.

Loctite masonry adhesives are gap filling, so if you have an irregular surface on your stone, just add a little extra glue in the void and press firmly to seal the gap.

Find the right adhesive for masonry

Several Loctite products can be used for masonry work. Premium ingredients and advanced technologies allow Loctite adhesives to provide a wide range of usability. For work on outdoor landscaping specifically, turn to Loctite PL 500 Landscape Block Adhesive to handle the job.

Want to see your other options?

Here’s where you get the best construction adhesives.

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