Cork is highly sustainable, versatile, and long-lasting. Plus, it has excellent thermal and acoustic insulation.

Cork is very useful whether you’re planning to work on an arts and crafts project, house repairs, home décor, or anything else.

In this article, you’ll find a list of special adhesives for the best results when working with cork and gluing cork.

Cork is a unique material. It’s lightweight and flexible but also very durable. It’s porous but not very absorbent.

It comes from a tree, but it’s very different from regular wood due to its soft texture and high suberin content.

Most regular glues won’t work on this material. You’ll need a highly tacky yet flexible adhesive for the job.

Keep reading for more great glues for cork applications and some useful tips!

You will also find my recommendations for the best glue for cork.

Suitable Glues for Cork

Gluing cork to cork or other materials is simple. The difficult part is finding the right adhesive. Because of the cork’s soft texture, flexibility, and impermeable quality, most glues won’t form a strong enough bond.

However, these very powerful products thstillork well with cork. For best results, consider the following types of adhesives.

Wood Glue

Wood glue, also known as polyvinyl acetate or PVA glue, is probably a no-brainer. Since wood and cork have the same origin, they’re bound to have at least some similarities.

Unfinished wood and cork have the same porous texture, and wood glue is perfect for bonding such surfaces.

Wood glue has a somewhat thick consistency but still has excellent capillary action, so it can sink into the smallest grooves and cracks to form a tight, powerful bond.

However, this glue has a long curing time. While you get more leeway to correct mistakes, you’ll also need to clamp the materials overnight.

Depending on the brand and product, wood glue is usually waterproof, sandable, and paintable, which is another big bonus for working on visible surfaces or art and crafts projects.

If you need more specific types of wood glue, then please check out my guide on the best glues for balsa wood.

Contact Cement

Contact cement, also known as a contact adhesive, is a highly versatile neoprene rubber adhesive.

This glue is suitable for virtually all materials and surfaces,s so you can use it to bond cork to a cork and other materials such as plastic, rubber, glass, wood, and many more.

Besides its high adherence to any surface, this glue has one additional advantage: its super-fast drying time.

Depending on the size of the application, this glue creates an instant bond and requires no clamping.
Contact cement dries extremely quickly and forms powerful and flexible, long-lasting bonds.

Once fully dry, the cork glue is also 100% waterproof, although it has very low resistance to UV light. Due to its low photo resistance, it’s best to use only this glue for indoor applications.

Liquid Nails

For unbreakable, highly resistant bonds, liquid nails are your best bet. This heavy-duty construction adhesive works on most surfaces and materials, including cork, and has a relatively short working time.

After approximately 10-15 minutes of clamping.

The quick working time and high weight-bearing capabilities make this glue perfect for large-sized applications such as in-home renovations or big repairs.

Once fully cured, this adhesive remains tough and has excellent resistance to moisture, water, extreme temperatures, impact, tension, and sunlight.

Given its qualities, you can safely use this glue for indoor and outdoor projects and get the same long-lasting results every time.

You should avoid hot glue, regular gorilla glue, and fabric glue.

Liquid nails are also a perfect choice if you need glue for hardwood floors.

Best 5 Glues for Cork

1. Gorilla White Waterproof Polyurethane Glue

The top pick for cork applications has to be the Gorilla White Waterproof Polyurethane Glue.

This highly versatile adhesive resists virtually all damaging factors and has extreme adherence and bonding capabilities. You can use it on every material including cork.

You found the right product if you want to bond cork to metal, stone, concrete, glass, ceramic, wood, foam, rubber, plastic, or anything else.

This adhesive is perfect for porous surfaces because it can reach any material’s deepest cracks and openings by expanding up to 3 times its original size while curing.

You can use it for indoor and outdoor applications because this glue is 100% waterproof and resists sunlight exposure and extreme temperatures.

The main downside to this product is the long-required clamping time, around 30-60 minutes. Curing also takes around 24 hours.

This adhesive dries white, so it’s best if you keep it for non-visible surfaces.

2. Weldwood Original Contact Cement

The Weldwood Original Contact Cement is a popular choice for wide surface applications. This glue comes in a large container, so you get a good quantity for a nice price.

The adhesive is quick-acting, forming powerful and permanent bonds on contact. The glue should be fully dry in just 20 minutes, depending on the quantity applied.

Not only is this a high-power contact cement, but it’s also highly versatile and resistant to damaging factors.

You can use this product to bond both porous and non-porous surfaces, and it works on virtually all materials including cork, wood, carpet, metal, laminate, plastic, and more.

Check out my guide on the best glues for plastic to wood for more tips.

It’s got high moisture and water resistance, although it’s not 100% waterproof. This adhesive is perfect for wide cork applications such as flooring or wallboards, but you can also use it for smaller applications.

It works best when applied to flat surfaces because it could be difficult to spread on large, uneven areas.

3. E6000 Craft Adhesive

Are you interested in arts and crafts or small projects involving cork, beads, ceramic, or wood? Then the E6000 Craft Adhesive is an excellent choice for your needs.

It creates a strong bond that can resist high temperatures, humidity, and several solvents.

The bottle has a thin nozzle that allows for a precise application without the risk of making a mess. Once applied, the E6000 industrial-grade will stick to virtually any material, including ceramic, wood, metal, and beads.

It’s perfect for small crafts and hobby projects that don’t require much work. The bond is strong and flexible, and you don’t need to clamp the materials down.

The glue sets by itself and dries very quickly.

4. Gorilla Super Glue Gel

Gorilla Super Glue Gel is a great choice when working with cork, beads, and other materials for small projects.

This adhesive can bond metal, rubber, ceramic, plastic, wood, paper, leather, and more. Once applied, it dries and sets in 30 seconds with no clamping required.

Even though Gorilla Super Glue Gel is not 100% waterproof, it still provides enough water resistance for most outdoor applications.

It dries clear, the bond is relatively flexible, and it also boasts high impact resistance.

You should have no problems with it if you follow the instructions closely. Gorilla Super Glue Gel is a great choice for cork and other similar materials.

5. Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive

Heavy-duty adhesives are a bit more expensive than regular glues, but they’re worth it. Liquid Nails Adhesive is usually used in constructions, but it’s very easy to use in other applications.

With the thin and precise tip, you should have no problems using it for small-scale crafts.

You should use it for bigger-scale applications, like bonding cork tiles to a plywood floor. Its tensile strength is superior to other glues on this list, as it forms a permanent bond once it dries out.

The glue is impact-resistant, water-resistant, durable, and very powerful.

Even though it takes a while to dry, almost nothing can degrade it once it does. Humidity, heat, solvents, if not exposed to them too much, the bond will stand strong!

Wrap-Up

Cork is in the middle when it comes to bonding difficulty. It’s not easy to bond it to other materials, but it’s also not impossible.

With the right adhesive, you should finish quickly. A good glue will create a durable bond that will remain stable in the future.

For best results, I recommend Gorilla White Waterproof Polyurethane Glue. This adhesive is not only waterproof, impact-resistant, and flexible, but it’s also very versatile, and it can bond to many materials.

There’s not another adhesive that I’d use when working with cork!