Manufacturer source check

Manufacturer sources checked 24 September 2026.

• Indoor/Outdoor Use: Suitable indoors and outdoors as stated in the manufacturer features; not for permanent immersion. The retail specification table lists only outdoor.
• Cure Time: The TDS distinguishes a strong bond usually at 24 hours from curing in seven days. Thick applications, less porous surfaces and cold conditions take longer. Support for at least 24 hours and retain mechanical fasteners for high-stress applications.
• Colour: TDS: brown. Retail page: beige. Confirm the supplied cartridge colour.
• Limitations: Not for mirrors, styrene foam, sun-heated metals, permanent immersion or use as the sole structural bonding agent. Avoid tightly clamped joinery.
• Hazard classification: Australian SDS v12.0, 13 March 2024: Danger; H225, H315, H319 and H370. Dangerous Goods Class 3. Follow the full SDS and label.
• Directions for Use: TDS: apply along studs or battens, with beads every 40 cm on broad flat surfaces. Press into contact, support for at least 24 hours, and use mechanical fasteners in high-stress applications. Full cure is normally seven days, longer in adverse conditions.

Manufacturer source 1 · Manufacturer source 2

What is Selleys Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive, and where should you use it?

Selleys Liquid Nails Construction Adhesive — also identified by Selleys as Liquid Nails Original — is a high strength multipurpose construction adhesive that forms a strong and lasting bond on most building substrates. It is the general-purpose member of the Liquid Nails range: the one to reach for when the job is ordinary construction bonding rather than a specialist application.

It is water resistant, suitable for indoor and outdoor use, made in Australia, and meets AS 2329-1999. It bonds timber to concrete, tiles, MDF and more.

The number to plan around is 7 days to full strength, and the exclusion to note before you buy is that it is not suitable for mirrors.

Specification

Property	Value
Type	High strength multipurpose construction adhesive
Full strength	7 days
Paintable	Yes, when fully cured
Application temperature	5°C to 35°C
Service temperature	−20°C to 100°C
Water resistance	Water resistant — not for permanent water immersion
Standard	Meets AS 2329-1999
VOC content	338 grams per litre as VOC content per material
Made in	Australia

What the key numbers mean in practice

Seven days to full strength is the figure that should shape your sequencing. The joint will hold itself together long before that, but it keeps gaining strength for a week. If you are bonding something that will carry weight — a batten, a step tread, a fixed panel — plan the rest of the job so nothing loads that joint for the full period.

That is also why the directions tell you to clamp or brace. Unlike the instant-grab products in the range, this adhesive expects mechanical support while it cures. Bracing is not a fallback for a poor application here; it is part of the specified method.

The 5°C to 35°C application window is narrower than most Australian working days. Check the surface, not the forecast — concrete in shade on a winter morning and a steel or dark-painted surface in summer sun will both sit outside it while the air temperature looks fine.

The service range of −20°C to 100°C is much wider, so the constraint is on application conditions rather than on where the finished bond can live.

About the VOC content figure

Selleys publishes a VOC Content Test Certificate for this product, and it is worth reading accurately rather than treating as a green credential. The product was tested on 8 August 2023 by FORAY Laboratories (NATA accreditation 1231) using ASTM D3960, and returned 338 grams per litre as VOC content per material.

The Green Building Council of Australia's Green Star limit for General Purpose Adhesives and Sealants is 50 grams per litre. The certificate accordingly states that the product is above the VOC content limits of that category. In other words, this certificate documents the VOC content — it does not certify Green Star compliance. If you are working on a project with a Green Star VOC requirement, this is the number your specifier will need, and it does not meet that particular limit. The certificate was issued 14 August 2023 and expires 14 August 2028.

Where to use it

• Timber, including timber to concrete
• Concrete
• Tiles
• MDF
• Most building substrates generally, indoors or outdoors

How to apply it

1. Make sure the surfaces are clean, dry, and free of dust or grease.
2. Cut the cartridge tip and fit the nozzle.
3. Apply the adhesive in a zig-zag pattern to one surface. The zig-zag is what gives the adhesive room to spread across the face when the joint closes, rather than being squeezed into a single thick line.
4. Use enough adhesive that some extrudes out when the surfaces are brought together, then wipe off the excess if necessary.
5. Press the surfaces together, and clamp or brace them.
6. Allow 7 days for the full strength cure.

Step 4 carries the single most useful warning Selleys publishes for this product: if glue is not visible when you bring the surfaces together, insufficient contact may not have been made, and a weak joint may result. The squeeze-out is your evidence that the adhesive actually bridged the two faces. A joint that looks tidy because nothing squeezed out is the joint most likely to fail.

Limitations — where it should NOT be used

• Not suitable for mirrors. Use a product made for mirror backing instead — see Liquid Nails Mirror & Metal.
• Not suitable for permanent water immersion. Water resistant is not the same as submersible.
• Not suitable for polyethylene, polypropylene or Teflon®. For those plastics, see Selleys All Plastics.
• Do not apply outside 5°C to 35°C.

Safety and handling

The Australian SDS v12.0 (13 March 2024) lists H225, H315, H319 and H370, including organ-damage risk. It identifies naphtha at 10–30% and a phenol derivative below 1%; the previous n-propyl acetate and methyl ethyl ketone composition table was incorrect for this SDS.

Read the linked SDS for exposure controls, first aid, storage and transport. Avoid ignition sources and vapour exposure; use adequate ventilation and the specified protective equipment. For exposure or suspected poisoning, contact a doctor or the Australian Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26.