If you want to attach wood to concrete without drilling, you can do so in different ways, each being reliable and effective. Your options are:

• Gluing wood to concrete 
• Nailing wood to concrete 
• Placing the wood in the cement 

Either of these options offers you the possibility of attaching wood to your concrete without causing a break in the structure. 

These are your three best options to attach wood to concrete without drilling. 

Keep reading to discover in detail how each method works. 

Glue Wood To Concrete

You can attach wood to concrete with glue. 

For this method, you will need:

• Clean rag
• Warm water
• Liquid dish soap 
• Possibly a stronger cleaning solution
• A heavy-duty adhesive designed for wood and concrete
• Clamps 
• Weight 

Follow these steps to attach wood to concrete using glue.

Step One: Clean both surfaces

If either the wood or concrete has dirt, debris, grease, or any other stain, this will prevent the glue from creating its strong, tight, and long-lasting bond. 

Clean both surfaces that will be glued together, even if they look clean, to ensure there aren’t even dust particles on them. 

If we are talking about dirt, dust, or debris, using a clean rag and warm soapy water should be enough to clean the surfaces. 

If there is a stubborn grease stain on the surface, you may need to use a stronger cleaning solution, such as a degreaser. 

If you use a stronger cleaner, once you are done with it, clean the surface with a clean rag and warm soapy water. 

Step Two: Let the surface dry.

Before applying the adhesive, you must wait for the surfaces to dry fully after cleaning them. 

Step Three: Apply the adhesive

Use a heavy-duty adhesive that will work well for both wood and concrete. 

There are several adhesives to choose from, so depending on where you shop for adhesives, just make sure that it is heavy-duty and compatible with both wood and concrete. 

Now do this:

1. Apply a layer of the adhesive on the surface of the concrete
2. Attach the wood to the glue
3. Use a clamp to secure the wood to the concrete until the adhesive fully dries.
4. If it is doable, use weights to add some pressure to the wood to form a tight bond.
5. Leave the clamp and weight on until the glue fully cures (can take up to 72 hours)

ProTip: 

If you want the best result that will hold just as effectively long-term, use an interlocking design. Instead of just gluing the wood on top of the concrete, create an interlock between them with the surfaces that will be glued together. This design offers increased stability long-term. 

If you want to secure and strengthen the bond of wood to concrete, you can also couple the gluing with nailing. 

You will find out next hot to nail wood to concrete. 

Nail Wood To Concrete

This may be a surprise (or a shock), but you can nail wood to concrete. This may be a bit more complicated than the previous method of gluing the wood to the concrete, but it will offer even more stability. 

What to look out for when nailing wood to concrete:

This method may not work on all types of concrete. So before you dive head into the full project, check to see if the concrete you tend to attach wood to is prone to cracks or chipping. 

If yes, you should consider skipping this method as you risk causing some chipping or cracking when beating the nails into the concrete. 

If nails are safe to use on your concrete, you will need:

• A sledgehammer or an air-powered nail gun
• Cut nails (or masonry nails)

You must use these nails for effectiveness and avoid damaging the concrete. 

Often called masonry nails, cut nails are made of stainless steel. Some may know these nails as concrete nails. 

A sledgehammer will work to get the nails into the concrete, but if you have an air-powered nail gun, you can use this instead for a better force to drive the nail into the concrete. 

So here is how to nail wood to concrete. 

1. Grab your nails
2. Use either a sledgehammer or an air-powered nail gun
3. Nail your nails straight down (never at an angle) – this will keep the nails from damaging the concrete 

Helpful To Know

If there is a lot of movement in this construction, using the nail method may not be the best, as, with time, nails can get loose in the structure. 

What You Need To Know: A Key Aspect

The method mentioned above of nailing nails into the concrete is ideal for lightweight concrete. 

You may have difficulty implementing the same method if your concrete is heavy-duty. 

So what can you do if you are dealing with heavy-duty concrete?

This will require a drill. Heavy-duty concrete makes it easier to drill all the way through and simply bolt the wood into the hole. 

As described above, you can also nail the nails into heavy-duty concrete; it may be more difficult. 

Golden Tip For Attaching Wood To Concrete

If you want the strongest and more secure method that will hold over time, combine the two methods, plus use an interlocking design. 

For the best results that will hold just as securely over time, do this:

1. Nail down the nails
2. Add a layer of glue on the surface of the concrete spreading it evenly 
3. Attach the wood to the concrete in an interlocking design 

Stick The Wood In Cement

This method works great if you just pour the cement to create the concrete structure. 

If this is the case, here is how to take advantage of the fresh cement, as long as this isn’t the foundation. 

Keep in mind that if this is an outdoor project, wood will get damaged over time by the changing weather conditions. Knowing this, is this the right option for your project?

If yes, the steps are easy:

1. Add the wood to the fresh cement
2. Have something that will hold the wood in place until the cement fully sets – you can use several tools to achieve this, such as clamps or ropes, depending on your project type and size.

Remember that this option is the least recommended one, especially if you need a structure with high security, strength, and integrity levels.

Conclusion

Can you attach wood to concrete without drilling? Oh yes, you can. And it isn’t complicated. 

The best two options to achieve this requires either gluing the wood to concrete or nailing the wood to glue. 

But of course, after reading this guide, you know that the best of the best option that will offer you the best results and structural integrity involves combining three aspects:

1. Nailing the nails into concrete
2. Adding a layer of glue 
3. Using an interlocking design