Best Glue For Styrofoam – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

To help you choose the best glue for putting together your styrofoam base for a diorama, this Buyer’s Guide will provide useful reviews about best products on the market.

What is the Best Glue For Styrofoam in 2021?

1. TOPELEK – Best Hot Glue Gun For Styrofoam

Next up, we have this hot glue gun, and he was from Amazon. It was a random purchase. I’ve never heard of them before.
But it came with a bunch of glue sticks in the box, so you get more value for your money.

Good Random Purchase?

I plugged it in, and it honestly took like a minute to heat up, so little random Amazon purchase is off to a perfect start, so let’s put him through the test.

Squeeze ability

It comes out pretty. Well. It’s just very like, and you know what it works. I was going to complain about something, but really (!) it works.

So I’d say four stars. Next, we’re going to see a hard time on this one since it heats it so quickly.

I don’t know what that means for how quickly it’s going to dry, but we’re going to find out. Okay, let’s check a hard time.  It’s dry 2 minutes and 15 seconds. That’s pretty good dang.

The flow is not good, but this hot glue for styrofoam can work with this kind of surface. The cord here has this little protection that kind of makes it turns easier.

And I think these things make your cord last longer because they don’t get broken or damaged easily. Which is great; it might last a little bit longer and something else.

Verdict

It doesn’t relate to the cord at all, but it has an on and off switch, which is so good because we are always like unplugging and re-plugging in our glue gun, which I feel isn’t great.

2. Loctite Power Grab Ultimate Construction Adhesive – Best Glue for Attaching Styrofoam to Multiple Materials

Combining an innovative formula with state-of-the-art construction adhesive technology, this product by Loctite is capable of bonding together styrofoam with basically any material, including porous and non-porous surfaces. What is more, this groundbreaking glue does its job no matter what the conditions are, and it dries instantly upon application.

Formulated for Versatility

Without a doubt, this glue for styrofoam stands out due to its incredible versatility. It can bind a huge variety of surfaces ranging from paper to wood. Of course, this includes a variety of porous and non-porous materials that are commonly used for arts and crafts, modeling, and construction. Amazingly, this includes wet surfaces, making this product the only fully-waterproof glue for polystyrene on the market.

Instant Grab

Another characteristic of this product that stands out is its instant-adhesion properties. This glue’s zero-second grab formula eliminates the need to hold materials together through bracing or nailing until the glue finally dries. This feature also makes this glue incredibly practical for putting together dioramas.

Overall

I can say about this glue for styrofoam product that it’s practical, effective, and efficient. Using small amounts, you can put together a diorama base made of styrofoam quickly and easily. Also, it can bind together a wide range of materials, whether they are porous and non-porous.

3. Dow Chemical 157901 Insulating Foam Sealant – Best Glue for Styrofoam to Wood

Sometimes when working with styrofoam and other materials, you will need to create sealing and insulating layers to protect certain bonds and components. Taking that into account, Dow created the Chemical 157901 Insulating Foam Sealant, a product that is both an adhesive and an insulator/sealant.

Easy to Apply

Because it comes in a can with a convenient spray nozzle, this glue for polystyrene is remarkably easy to apply. Having an advanced spray system, this nozzle can dispense glue consistently in all directions. This faculty makes the Chemical 157901 Insulating Foam Sealant a very practical product that can be used to work on large sections and small details alike.

Fill and Seal

Overall

With everything on the table, it can be confidently said that the Dow Chemical 157901 Insulating Foam Sealant is a great choice for expert creators of dioramas and similar projects. Powerful, tough and yet versatile enough to be used to create small details, this glue for styrofoam is definitely worth checking out.

4. Gorilla Original Gorilla Glue – Best Overall Glue for Styrofoam

If you are looking for a strong and resistant bonding agent that can be used in diverse settings, this may be just the product for you. This multi-purpose glue dries quickly, creating a powerful bond between two compatible surfaces. It does not matter if they are wood, stone, metal, ceramic, foam, glass or concrete, this glue can easily attach it to styrofoam in order to produce a resistant base for a diorama.

Sealing and Insulating Expansion

After application, the Gorilla Original Gorilla Glue simultaneously dries and expands. As a result, it is capable of entering empty spaces, making the bonding between two different objects a lot more effective. At the same time, this double action creates an impenetrable layer that makes for great insulation, effectively rendering your work waterproof.

Versatile and Tough

There are various glue products that offer extreme toughness. However, these products tend to be limited to a few materials. On the other hand, there are glues that can be used on a variety of materials but are not tough or resistant enough. Quite impressively, the Gorilla Original Gorilla Glue combines both toughness and versatility into a single product, resulting in a perfect glue for creating a base for a diorama.

Overall

There is absolutely no doubt that the Gorilla Original Gorilla Glue is a great product. On one hand, is tough enough to be used on construction and repair works. On the other, it is versatile enough to be used to create small details and shape a styrofoam base for a diorama with precision. As if that wasn’t enough, this glue for polystyrene is waterproof and does not break when exposed to exterior elements or sudden temperature changes.

Best Glue For Styrofoam – Buyer’s Guide

Types of Glue for Styrofoam

Depending on variables such as the materials you want to bind together, the level of resistance you require the final product to have, and various others, you will have to choose a type of glue that is suitable. What glue works on styrofoam? The following are some of the most common types of glue for styrofoam:

Basic Craft Glue

If you are looking to create a simple and casual arts and crafts project involving styrofoam, the best option is often to use white glue. Despite being very affordable and commonplace, this type of glue works reasonably well for attaching styrofoam parts. Even better, it works well for attaching pieces of styrofoam to other materials you may use when making a base for a diorama, including wood, cardboard, and paper.

Now, there are two main types of essential craft glue. The first is white school glue. This type of cement is characterized as being safe, non-toxic, and child-friendly. It is also very affordable. However, it tends to be runny and messy. What’s worse, it tends to be a great deal less durable than other types of glue.

The second type of basic craft glue is tacky white glue. This is a lot like the white school glue but thicker and tougher. Despite being very affordable, this type of white glue can be used with various materials apart from styrofoam, including paper, cardboard, wood, and some types of plastic. Besides, you can use it in various applications ranging from basic art projects to advanced modeling projects.

Styroglue

There is a type of glue that was specifically developed to be used with styrofoam. This type of glue is often referred to as “Styroglue.” It tends to be affordable and practical. However, it can be not very easy to find, at least in comparison with regular white school glue. Then again, most home improvement or arts and crafts stores tend to carry it.

If you are going to try this type of glue, be sure to read its instructions. Some brands are specifically formulated to work on styrofoam, and, as such, they will not help you attach styrofoam to other materials. Other brands, though, are specifically formulated to bind styrofoam to other materials. If you are looking to create a solid diorama base with a wood bottom, you may want to look at this type of glue.

Spray Adhesive

Spray adhesives offer a quick, practical, and convenient manner to glue different pieces of styrofoam together. What is more, many of them can actually bind styrofoam to other materials, including wood, cardboard, paper, and some types of plastic. More impressively, some spray adhesives are capable of bonding styrofoam to metal. For that reason, many experienced diorama enthusiasts use spray adhesive to create realistic details on their projects.

If you are using spray adhesive, try testing the product on a small area first. Additionally, take into account that some aerosol-based products are capable of dissolving, melting, or otherwise damaging styrofoam. With that in mind, it’s always wise to try a new product on a small piece of styrofoam that would otherwise be discarded.

Spray adhesives tend to be low-tack. For that reason, they are best used when attaching large pieces of styrofoam together. If you are attempting to bind together two pieces of styrofoam by a small contact area, however, this adhesive may not be such a good idea. For example, it wouldn’t be effective at attaching styrofoam balls together.

Low-Temperature Glue Gun

To be sure, hot glue guns are capable of attaching styrofoam to different types of surfaces often used in arts and crafts, including paper, cardboard, wood, and others. However, heat can actually damage styrofoam after coming in contact with it, resulting in accidental deformations and other problems.

Even worse, the contact between styrofoam and hot glue can result in harmful fumes being released. For that reason, it is always better to use a low-temperature hot glue gun when working with styrofoam.

There are some clear advantages to using a low-temperature glue gun on styrofoam. For one, they are fantastic at attaching small styrofoam objects. They are also great at attaching large styrofoam objects by small contact surfaces. Going back to an earlier example, this type of glue effectively attaches styrofoam balls together.

Types of Glue You Should Never Use With Styrofoam

Some types of glue can be completely ineffective when dealing with styrofoam. Worse yet, there are types of glue that can damage the material. The two main ones are the following:

Material Specific Glue

Even though some of these glues may work on styrofoam, they are not likely to work on it any better than regular white craft glue. However, material-specific glues are a lot more expensive than regular white glue, making them inefficient use of your money. In the worst-case scenario, however, the wrong kind of glue can damage and even dissolve styrofoam.

Glue That Contains Plastic Solvents

Because it is so flimsy and light, many people forget that styrofoam is a form of plastic. Essentially, the material is “foamed” plastic, meaning that it has been mixed with air, resulting in an airier product.

Styrofoam is not resistant to glues that contain solvents that are capable of dissolving the plastic. Logically, using these products may result in damage to your styrofoam with the potential of ruining your diorama project. Some glues are so potent that they can completely meltdown styrofoam.

In particular, you should watch out for glues that contain alcohol and acetone. For example, rubber cement, a type of glue that contains both the previously mentioned substances, can completely dissolve styrofoam within minutes. However, rubber cement glues do not contain acetone or alcohol, making them suitable for use on styrofoam.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, having the right glue for styrofoam can greatly facilitate the making of a stable and durable base for a diorama. All the products featured in this article have notable characteristics that make them good options for being used on styrofoam. Hopefully, this buyer’s guide will help you choose the perfect glue for styrofoam for your particular needs.