Type I vs Type II wood glue

"Type I" and "Type II" on a glue bottle are water-resistance ratings from the ANSI/HPVA standard for hardwood plywood. A glue that passes Type I has survived a harsher test than one that passes Type II. Neither rating means a glue can live underwater.

How the two are tested

Type II (water-resistant): glued samples go through three cycles of soaking in water and drying, and the bonds must not come apart.

Type I (waterproof): samples are boiled and dried, in cycles, and then tested for strength while still wet. Boiling is the harsher test, which is why glue makers call Type I "waterproof" and Type II "water-resistant".

Only two sources publish this: Franklin International (Titebond) and Woodcraft

Both descriptions come from Franklin (Titebond) and Woodcraft, who agree on them; the standard itself is sold by HPVA and we have not read it, so we give no cycle times or strength limits here.

Which glues carry each rating

Each maker states the type its own glue passes:

• Type I: Titebond III Ultimate, Gorilla Wood Glue Ultimate, Original Gorilla Glue.
• Type II: Titebond II Premium, Gorilla Wood Glue.
• No water rating: Titebond Original and Titebond Liquid Hide, which Franklin says are not intended for exterior use or where moisture is likely.

What the rating does not promise

Franklin says neither Titebond II nor III is for continuous submersion or use below the waterline, and Gorilla says the same of its Ultimate glue and that its regular wood glue is not for continual water exposure. A Type I rating is about surviving wetting and drying, not living in water. For work that will stay wet, go by the glue maker's own directions for that use; the wood glue types page lists what each maker says.

Side by side with their open times: Titebond I vs II vs III.