Titebond

Titebond wood glue is what most people ask for when they’re gluing up a table, a cabinet or a workbench top. The same name also covers construction adhesive and siding caulk, and each line is rated for a specific job. Woodworkers, builders, contractors and weekend DIYers all use it.

Titebond is the adhesive brand of Franklin International, based in Columbus, Ohio, which has been making adhesives for more than 80 years. The brand made its name with wood furniture manufacturers and woodworking pros. Today the lineup covers wood glues, construction and flooring adhesives, caulks and sealants.

Titebond wood glue: Original, II Premium and III Ultimate

Choose the glue for where the piece will live. Titebond Original handles indoor furniture, cabinets and shop projects, and a well-clamped joint ends up stronger than the wood around it. Titebond II Premium and Titebond III Ultimate are the glues for pieces that will get wet. A common mistake is buying III because the higher number must be better, then rushing a big glue-up that Original would have handled fine.

Titebond rates its wood glues for water resistance to ANSI/HPVA Type II and the tougher Type I. The grade is printed on the bottle. In both tests the glued joint gets soaked and still has to hold, which covers outdoor furniture, bathroom vanities and cutting boards that get washed every day. For a boat or anything that sits in standing water, use a glue made for constant submersion. Read the grade on the bottle and match it to how wet the piece will get: Type I for the harshest exposure.

Spread an even coat, enough that a thin bead squeezes out along the whole seam when you clamp, and clamp firm without crushing the joint. On a wide tabletop, glue one or two boards at a time so there’s time to get the clamps on. When a project mixes wood species, bring every board to the same moisture content before gluing. Tape off any area you plan to stain, because squeeze-out soaks into the wood and blocks the stain. If a glue line will show on dark wood, you can tint any Titebond water-based wood glue with dyes or pigments. Leave the clamps on until the squeeze-out turns rubbery, then wait at least 24 hours before you plane, sand or put any stress on the joint.

If a part ends up in the wrong spot, heat and moisture will soften cured glue. Lay a damp rag over the joint, warm it with an iron or heat gun, and work a thin putty knife into the seam. II and III are the hardest to get apart. For an heirloom that may need repairs someday, Titebond Genuine Hide is the traditional glue that can be taken apart again. Titebond’s liquid hide glue reacts to humidity, which makes clamp time hard to judge. Spread some on a scrap next to the clamped piece and take the clamps off once the scrap is dry.

Titebond also makes Wood Molding Glue. Buy the size you’ll use while it’s fresh, because opened glue thickens and darkens as it ages. When dried glue seals the spout shut, run the cap under warm water for a minute and wipe the tip before closing it after each use.

Titebond construction adhesives

For general framing, paneling and repair work, Titebond makes Heavy Duty, PROvantage Heavy Duty, Fast Set Polyurethane and GreenChoice Heavy Duty construction adhesives. Fast Grab FRP is for fiberglass-reinforced wall panels.

Titebond Subfloor Adhesive is the one for plywood and OSB subfloors. It’s solvent-based, grabs hard right away and stays flexible after it sets. It also fills the gaps between joist and sheet, which makes the floor stiffer and stops squeaks. It bonds to wood, engineered lumber, particleboard, OSB, and wet, frozen or treated lumber. Titebond backs it with a 25-year Silver Subfloor Warranty against squeaks and pops. The Flathead Valley averages a 16°F winter low, and this adhesive goes on down to 0°F and won’t freeze in a cold truck.

It dries by releasing solvent into the materials, so at least one surface has to be porous. Bonding one non-porous material to another slows or stops drying. For plastics, polystyrene or polyethylene foam board, or anything that stays underwater, use an adhesive rated for that material.

Cut the tip straight across for a 3/8- to 1/2-inch bead. Run the bead down every joist under one sheet, set the sheet within 15 minutes, and nail or screw it off as the American Plywood Association recommends before gluing for the next sheet.

WeatherMaster sealant for siding, windows and trim

WeatherMaster Sealant is Titebond’s caulk for windows, doors, shutters, exterior trim, siding, gutters and vents. It comes in over 200 colors matched to today’s most popular siding colors from any manufacturer, so the bead blends into the wall. It sticks to damp surfaces, comes out of the tube in cold weather, stays flexible without shrinking or cracking, and resists UV, mold and mildew. Printed color chips vary slightly, so run a bead on a scrap of the actual siding before you pick a color. If you’d rather paint, water-based paint can go over it within an hour. The Translucent version can’t be painted.

For metal roofs, gutters and RVs, use WeatherMaster ULTIMATE MP. It bonds to Kynar-coated metal, galvanized steel, aluminum and copper and stays flexible as the panels move. WeatherMaster Concrete Joint Sealant self-levels into horizontal cracks and expansion joints in driveways, patios, sidewalks and garage floors. Let it flow over backer rod, and apply it above 40°F.

X-TREME foam sealants

Titebond’s X-TREME foams come in three versions, and the can you pick matters more than the brand. Use the Window & Door foam around window and door frames, because it expands gently and won’t bow the jamb the way a general-purpose foam can; open and close the sash before the foam cures to check. Use the Multi-Purpose foam for gaps around pipes, vents and rim joists where nothing can be pushed out of square. Use the Fireblock foam where a wire or pipe passes between floors or into the attic and the code calls for fireblocking. Fill a gap about halfway, since the foam grows as it cures, and trim the excess once it has set.

Other Titebond lines

Titebond also makes 531 PLUS, a two-part coating that cuts moisture coming up through a concrete slab by 75% to 90% so wood or resilient flooring can go down the same day. Its specialty glues include Melamine, Cold Press Veneer and Tongue & Groove Glue.

Titebond specs

Product	Spec	Figure
Subfloor Adhesive	Application temperature	0°F to 100°F
Subfloor Adhesive	Service temperature	-20°F to 120°F
Subfloor Adhesive	Working time, 1/4-inch bead	About 10 to 20 minutes
Subfloor Adhesive	Type	Synthetic elastomeric polymer, 67% solids
Subfloor Adhesive	Color	Light tan
Subfloor Adhesive	Standards exceeded	ASTM D3498-19, APA AFG-01, ASTM C557
Subfloor Adhesive	Cleanup	Acetone or mineral spirits
Subfloor Adhesive	Shelf life	18 months, tightly closed at 75°F
Subfloor Adhesive	Sizes	10 oz. cartridge (5491), 28 oz. cartridge (5492)
WeatherMaster Sealant	Gap fill	Up to 1 inch wide
WeatherMaster ULTIMATE MP	Joint movement	±50%
WeatherMaster Concrete Joint Sealant	Service temperature	-75°F to 300°F
WeatherMaster Concrete Joint Sealant	Tooling time, 1/4-inch bead	About 10 to 15 minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Titebond II waterproof?

Titebond II is water-resistant, not waterproof. The joint holds after it gets soaked and dries out again, but a joint that stays wet, like a post set in damp ground or a planter that never drains, needs a glue built for constant submersion. Let the joint cure fully before it sees water, because a joint that gets wet the day it’s glued isn’t yet as water-resistant as it will be.

What Titebond sealant should you use on a metal roof?

WeatherMaster ULTIMATE MP works with all types of foam, which matters where the bead meets the foam closure strips under ridge cap and trim. It sticks to damp surfaces and can go on in extreme weather, so a roof that’s wet with morning dew or a cold fall day doesn’t have to stop the job. It’s also UV-resistant, so a bead facing the sun all day holds up.

How long does Titebond wood glue take to set and dry?

Setting and drying are two different clocks. The joint sets enough to come out of the clamps long before it’s fully dry, and Titebond says to wait at least 24 hours before putting any stress on it. A cold shop, a humid day or a heavy glue line all slow both clocks down, so keep the glue and the piece in a warm room while it cures.

How do you use Titebond wood glue for a strong joint?

Dry-fit the whole assembly and lay out the clamps before any glue goes on, because the working time starts as soon as the glue is spread. Glue grips best on freshly planed or sanded wood, so skip faces that are dusty or burnished by a dull blade. End grain soaks glue up fast: give it a thin first coat to soak in, then a second coat before you assemble. Titebond’s Titebrush spreads an even coat without wasting glue.

How do you open a new bottle of Titebond wood glue?

Twist the spout counterclockwise to open it, and turn it back until it stops to seal the bottle between uses. If a dried plug still blocks the tip, push a finish nail or a straightened paper clip through the opening to clear it. For shops that go through glue from bulk containers, Titebond’s Wood Glue Pump dispenses it without opening and closing a cap all day.

How do you unglue Titebond wood glue?

Wet glue wipes up with warm water and a rag, so the easiest time to fix a mistake is before it sets. Once it has cured, white vinegar worked into the seam slowly softens it, and adding heat speeds that up. Before regluing, scrape or sand both faces down to bare wood, because fresh glue doesn’t bond well over old glue.