Choosing the Right Spray Adhesive

First, read through our blog detailing the spray adhesives we sell, their characteristics and specifications. Then, download the usage chart to find out which adhesive we recommend for a variety of applications. 

Let’s take a look at our lineup of spray adhesives and find the right one for your project.

CushionRite® Foam & Fabric Spray Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous.

CushionRite Foam & Fabric Spray Adhesive is a rubber-based, heavy-duty adhesive designed for quick, clean bonds. It is recommended by Sailrite® for gluing sheets of CushionRite foam, but it can be used for much more than just foam. It's suitable for a wide range of materials, including foam, fabric, batting, aluminum foil, fiberglass, wood, metal, glass, plasterboard, plastics, insulation, cardboard, and paper. It can be used for either permanent or temporary bonds.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 3-5 minutes.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 15-20 minutes (two surfaces).
• Lace/web spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 30 square feet (covering both surfaces vertically and horizontally).
• No CFCs — better for the environment without sacrificing performance.
• Heat and moisture resistant.

3M™ General Trim Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous.

3M General Trim Adhesive is a clear spray adhesive that is heat and moisture resistant. This synthetic elastomer adhesive is most often used for automotive trim work. It’s ideal for gluing lightweight headliner material to your bulkhead. You can also use it to adhere fabrics, lightweight carpeting, cloth-backed flexible vinyl and foam. It’s non-staining, so you can use it with white or light color fabrics without the glue showing through. Bond fabric and plastics to themselves, wood, fiberglass and metal surfaces.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 1-15 minutes.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 30 minutes (two surfaces).
• Lace/web spray pattern.
• Dries to clear color.
• Coverage: Approximately 30 square feet (covering both surfaces vertically and horizontally).
• Good soak-in control, minimizing bleed-through.

3M™ Super 77™ Spray Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous. Nonporous to Nonporous.

3M Super 77 Spray Adhesive is an industrial-grade adhesive with incredible holding power. This multipurpose spray adhesive is designed to bond to a wide variety of lightweight materials. It offers high initial tack plus enough open time to reposition materials as needed. It bonds foils, plastics, papers, metals, fabrics and cardboard. It's great for keeping fabrics in place while sewing. Use 3M Super 77 on corner patch assemblies on sails. Gluing your corner patch eliminates the chance for bubbles or uneven patches. It can also be used for gluing batting to a foam cushion or holding Sunbrella® in place during roller furling sun cover installations.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 15-60 seconds.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 10 minutes (one surface); 20 minutes (two surfaces).
• Mist spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 135 square feet (coating both surfaces once).
• Repositionable until fully dry.
• Low soak-in on materials.

3M™ Super Trim Spray Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous.

3M Super Trim Spray Adhesive is widely used in automotive applications, but it can also be used in marine and upholstery work. It’s a fast-acting, high-strength adhesive with excellent heat, water and plasticizer resistance. Use it for vinyl tops, adhering polyurethane foam, Dry Fast foam and closed cell foam to itself, and for attaching heavyweight headliner and hood silencer pads. It bonds medium to heavyweight trim materials, including carpeting, carpet padding, many fabrics, headliners (including cloth-backed vinyl and foam-backed vinyl headliner). This is a very aggressive adhesive and can bleed through lightweight fabrics.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 5-60 minutes (typically 15 minutes).
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 30 minutes (two surfaces).
• Lace/web spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 34 square feet (covering both surfaces vertically and horizontally).
• Dries to low profile clear color.
• Heat and moisture resistance.

3M™ Foam Fast 74 CA Spray Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous.

3M Foam Fast 74 has an aggressive tack that offers a high initial grab with foam-tearing strength. This adhesive is ideal for bonding foam together, general upholstery, foam lamination, installing acoustic panels, and crafts and hobbies. Its high-solids content supports its low soak-in property, allowing time to position the bonded surfaces properly for the best fit. The lace spray pattern of this non-yellowing adhesive, combined with fast tack, a strong bond and clean appearance, make it ideal for bonding foam and fabric onto a wide variety of materials, including paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, wood and much more.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 30-120 seconds.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 10 minutes.
• Lace/web spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 32 square feet (coating both surfaces once).
• Aggressive tack for high-stress bonds.
• Repositionable until fully dry.
• Low soak-in on materials.

3M™ Hi-Tack 76 Spray Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous. Nonporous to Nonporous.

Formulated to be fast-tacking, 3M Hi-Tack 76 Spray Adhesive is an industrial aerosol adhesive with high-tack properties for one-surface or two-surface bonding applications. 3M High-Tack 76 is beneficial for many industries, including the automotive and boating industry. It's an excellent choice for bonding medium to heavyweight cloth-backed vinyl headliners and foam-backed vinyl headliners, fabric, rubber, felt, cardboard, cork, foil, and many plastics to themselves, wood, fiberglass and metal surfaces. This high-tack spray adhesive creates effective, strong bonds between many hard-to-bond materials. It also bonds polyethylene, polypropylene, carpet, door skins, fabric in transportation conversions, nameplates, pool table fabrics, swimming pool liners, pipe insulation, and for bonding insulation in aircraft interiors and specialty cabinets.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 1-2 minutes.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 10 minutes (one surface); 60 minutes (two surfaces).
• Lace/web spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 28 square feet (coating both surfaces once).
• Capable of one-surface bonding.
• Fast tacking adhesive bonds quickly.

AlbaChem® Super 88 Spray Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous.

AlbaChem Super 88 is a craft, all-purpose spray adhesive. It's water resistant, tacks up quickly, and it will not wrinkle most porous surfaces and fabrics. Use it for bonding paper, cardboard, photographs, labels, fabric and many other materials. It bonds textiles, wood, film and plastic. You can use it for screen printing, art projects, embroidery and for applying insulation. It's great for keeping fabrics in place while sewing and is used on corner patch assemblies on sails. Gluing your corner patch eliminates the chance for bubbles or uneven patches. Spray one surface for a temporary bond; spray both surfaces for a permanent bond. Obtain a bond while using less adhesive with Super 88.

Properties:

• Average adhesive strength.
• Wait time before bonding: 15-60 seconds.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 10 minutes (one surface); 20 minutes (two surfaces).
• Mist spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 70 square feet (coating both surfaces once).
• Contains no methylene chloride.
• Bonds cloth, wood, foam, film, plastic and cardboard.
• Repositionable.

AlbaChem® Headliner Adhesive

Porous to Porous. Porous to Nonporous.

AlbaChem Headliner Adhesive delivers a strong bond for lightweight headliners. It's a great choice for marine, automotive and upholstery applications. It's water resistant and can withstand high temperatures, making it a great choice for marine use. The nonstaining formula dries clear and will not yellow. The narrow spray pattern stream makes this a great choice for trim work and small areas. Headliner Adhesive bonds to plastic, wood and metal. Use it for foam and fabric-backed headliners, carpet installation, insulation adherence, van conversions, automotive applications and motor homes uses. It's also used in the manufactured housing industry. It is made for decorative laminate work in furniture, cabinet and woodworking.

Properties:

• High-strength adhesive.
• Wait time before bonding: 1-15 minutes.
• Bonding time range (after tacky): 30 minutes.
• Narrow stream lace/web spray pattern.
• Coverage: Approximately 22 square feet (coating both surfaces vertically and horizontally).
• Great for auto, marine and upholstery.
• Water-resistant.
• Dries clear, nonstaining.

Now that you’ve learned about our spray adhesives and their qualities and characteristics, take a look at our usage chart. We’ve listed the products we recommend for a variety of home, marine and auto DIYs.

And there you have it! We hope this summary of spray adhesives, their qualities and uses has been helpful. If you still have questions about which product is right for your DIY, or if you don’t see your application or material in this blog, feel free to contact us by email, phone or online chat. We’re always happy to help our customers find the best product for their project.

Footnote:

This blog was updated in April 2024 to reflect current inventory.