What is Selleys Aquadhere Interior, and where should you use it?

Selleys Aquadhere Interior is a high quality interior PVA wood glue, suitable for everything from woodwork to craft. It dries clear, so it will not stain timber surfaces, and it cleans up with water. Selleys singles it out as perfect for end grain gluing — the joint most wood glues struggle with, because end grain drinks adhesive away from the glue line.

The boundary to be clear about before you start: this is an interior glue, and it is not for exterior or structural use. That is not a caution about longevity; it is the defined scope of the product.

Where to use it

• Interior woodwork
• Craft projects
• End grain gluing

Drying clear matters more on interior work than it sounds. A glue that dries opaque leaves a visible line at every joint and a pale patch anywhere squeeze-out was not cleaned off. Because this one dries clear and will not stain the timber, the finished piece is more forgiving of an imperfect clean-up — though wiping the excess off while it is still wet is still the better habit.

How to apply it

1. Ensure the surfaces are clean and tight-fitting. A PVA joint gets its strength from a thin glue line between two faces that meet properly; a gap is a weak point that more adhesive cannot fix.
2. Apply the adhesive to one surface.
3. Clamp until set.
4. Clean excess glue off with water while it is still wet.
5. Allow the full cure before putting any load on the joint.

A note on end grain

End grain is absorbent in a way that face grain is not, and an ordinary glue-and-clamp approach can leave the joint starved because the timber has pulled the adhesive into the fibres. Selleys lists end grain gluing as a strength of this product, but the general principle still applies: make sure the faces are tight-fitting, and clamp properly rather than relying on the glue alone.

Limitations — where Aquadhere Interior should not be used

• Interior use only.
• Not for exterior use.
• Not for structural use.
• Avoid contaminating it with iron and steel — nails, for example. Aquadhere contaminated with rust (iron oxide) will stain brown or black in the presence of tannins in many woods. That means keeping steel tools out of the bottle and steel fixings away from a wet glue line, particularly on high-tannin timbers.

Allow the full cure before loading the joint. Clamping until set gets the assembly holding together; it is not the same as the joint being ready to carry weight.

Low VOC certification

Selleys publishes a VOC content test certificate for Aquadhere Interior Wood Glue. The product was tested on 18 December 2023 by FORAY Laboratories (NATA accreditation 1231) using ASTM D3960, the standard practice for determining volatile organic compound content of paints and related coatings, applied in accordance with the Green Building Council of Australia's laboratory testing guidance.

The result was 2 grams per litre as VOC content per material, against a limit of 50 grams per litre for General Purpose Adhesives and Sealants under Green Star Design & As Built V1.3-13.1.1B and Green Star Interiors V1.3-12.1.1B. The certificate was issued on 18 December 2023 and expires on 18 December 2028.

If you are working on a project being assessed under Green Star, that certificate is the document to hand to the assessor. For everyone else it is simply a low-VOC interior adhesive, which is worth something when you are gluing up in an enclosed room.

Hazard classification

Selleys Aquadhere Interior is not classified as hazardous under the criteria of Safe Work Australia GHS 7. No signal word is assigned and there are no hazard statements. It is not classified as Dangerous Goods by the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail or by New Zealand NZS5433.

The composition section of the safety data sheet says the same thing from the other direction: the formulation is listed as ingredients determined to be non-hazardous or below reporting limits, 100% w/w, with no chemical entity declared at a reportable level and therefore no CAS numbers to disclose.

The safety data sheet does carry one label statement that sits outside the classification: “Contains isothiazolinones. Repeated contact may cause sensitisation.” Isothiazolinones are the preservatives that stop a water-based adhesive growing mould in the bottle, and they are present well below the level that would make the product a classified skin sensitiser — which is exactly why the statement is a warning rather than a hazard classification. It is still worth understanding, because sensitisation is a different kind of risk from irritation. It is the immune system learning to react, it is generally permanent once acquired, and it develops from repeated casual contact rather than from one exposure. Wash glue off your hands rather than letting it dry on them, and if you glue up regularly, wear gloves.

Beyond that, the ordinary precautions are the whole list. Wipe excess off with water while it is wet, as the directions above say. Rinse your eyes with water if any gets in them. Keep it away from food, and store it somewhere cool and dry. If you sand a cured glue line, wear a mask and eye protection for the dust — that is a consequence of sanding, not of this adhesive.

The unclassified status is consistent with the low-VOC result recorded above — 2 g/L against a 50 g/L limit — and it is the reason this glue is the reasonable default for gluing up in an enclosed room. For contrast, Aquadhere Durabond, the moisture-curing polyurethane in the same range, is classified as hazardous with the signal word Danger and carries respiratory and skin sensitisation at Category 1A along with a suspected-carcinogen classification. Where an interior PVA will do the job, that is a meaningful difference in what you are breathing.

Common questions about Selleys Aquadhere Interior

Can I use it outside?

No. It is for interior use only and is not suitable for exterior use.

Can I use it for structural work?

No. It is not for structural use.

Does it dry clear?

Yes, which is why it will not stain timber surfaces.

Do I glue one surface or both?

Apply the adhesive to one surface.

Do I need to clamp it?

Yes — clamp until set, and allow the full cure before putting the joint under load.

How do I clean up the excess?

With water, while the glue is still wet.

Is it any good for end grain?

Yes. Selleys describes it as perfect for end grain gluing.

Why has my joint stained black?

Aquadhere contaminated with rust (iron oxide) will stain brown or black in the presence of tannins in many woods. Avoid contaminating the glue with iron and steel, such as nails or steel stirrers.

Is it suitable for craft as well as woodwork?

Yes — Selleys describes it as suitable for everything from woodwork to craft.

Is it low VOC?

Its tested VOC content is 2 grams per litre as VOC content per material, well below the 50 grams per litre limit for General Purpose Adhesives and Sealants under the Green Building Council of Australia's Green Star categories.

Who tested it, and when?

FORAY Laboratories (NATA accreditation 1231), on 18 December 2023, using ASTM D3960. The certificate expires on 18 December 2028.

What should I use for an outdoor project instead?

See Aquadhere Exterior, which is made for exterior work, or the full wood glue range.

The PVA glue guide covers how PVA adhesives behave and where they suit.