The best grab adhesives, compared.
Top pick: UniBond No More Nails Original, pack of 2 – Highest score: two 280 ml cartridges at about £9.86, 4.6 from 421 reviews, interior, one porous face, and a 24-hour set field. Best value: 151 Hard As Nails exterior – Best price per stated millilitre among packs with a large review file: about £6.75 for a stated 840 ml, 4.5 from 1,276 reviews, after slippage is already noted. Updated 22.10.2026.
Grab adhesive is a thick UK construction paste for skirting, architrave, coving, panels and light fittings, sold in a sealant-gun cartridge or a screw-cap tube. The useful split is chemistry. A water-based acrylic dries as water leaves the paste and needs one porous face, such as dry plaster or bare timber. A hybrid cures with moisture and is sold for damp surfaces and some non-porous pairs. A solvent rubber skins quickly, smells, and can attack polystyrene. Initial tack is not full strength. Painted, plastic, metal, damp or outdoor faces need a moisture-curing hybrid, or an absorbent face sanded back. Two sealed faces plus an evaporation cure stay soft. Read interior or exterior as the maker states it. A cartridge of about 280 to 310 ml needs a gun. A screw-cap tube of about 180 ml suits a small repair, and a heavy or long piece still needs support. The [grab adhesive buying guide](/hub/fillers-adhesives-and-sprays/grab-adhesive/sub/grab-adhesive-buying-guide) sets chemistry, duty and pack. Keep solvent paste off foam coving, and use a sanitary sealant on a bath edge.
Grab adhesive is a thick UK construction paste for skirting, architrave, coving, panels and light fittings, sold in a sealant-gun cartridge or a screw-cap tube. The useful split is chemistry.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Where will you use it?
The UniBond No More Nails Original two-pack is two white 280 ml cartridges at about £9.86, rated 4.6 from 421 amazon.co.uk reviews. Reviewers use it on skirting, dado rails and lightweight fittings on vertical plaster, and several fitted MDF wall panels by sticking lightly, repositioning, then pressing firm. The listing says it is solvent-free and for interior use, and that one surface must be porous because the paste dries by water evaporation. The full-cure field is 24 hours, and a heavy piece in the reviews needed longer holding before it settled. The nozzle has no cap, so an opened cartridge is harder to keep. Water resistance is listed as water resistant, not waterproof, and the reviews read here had not tested a wet joint. One reviewer used it on a heavy mirror; the listing does not state mirror use.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are fixing dry interior trim to plaster or bare timber, and you can hold or prop a heavy board while it sets.
Less suitable: Outdoor work, a damp face, two sealed surfaces, or a mirror the listing does not claim.
Specifications
Common questions
Does one surface have to be porous?
Yes. The listing says one of the surfaces must be porous because the paste dries by water evaporation. Surfaces should be free of dust, oil, grease and loose material. Dry plaster or bare timber fits that rule. Two sealed faces stay soft.
Is this pack for outside?
No. The bullets say it is specially designed for interior use. The water-resistance level is water resistant, not waterproof. Do not treat a wet joint, or a review that tried one, as an exterior rating.
How many cartridges are in the pack?
The title says two 280 ml cartridges and the volume is 560 ml. The item package quantity says 1, which does not match the title. Read the pack you receive against the title, not that quantity field.
The 151 Hard As Nails interior three-pack is about £7.18, rated 4.6 from 302 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets name skirting, dado, architrave, plasterboard and polystyrene coving, as long as one surface is porous, and they say it dries white and can be painted when dry. Positive reviews describe plastic ceiling panels, plasterboard on uneven brick with a thicker bed in the hollows, and oak on a steel column that felt firm quickly. Several reviews say the initial grab is thin, so boards needed support or screws. One reviewer said the paste was still not dry after three days, and others say a cartridge did not stick at all. The title is interior, while the water-resistance level says waterproof, and one reviewer fitted fence post caps outdoors. The item-volume field says 280 ml and the unit count says 840 ml.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are fixing interior trim or coving, you can pin or prop the board, and you want a white bead you can paint when dry.
Less suitable: A heavy board you expect to let go of at once, or an outdoor job the title does not claim.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you use it on plasterboard?
Yes, on the listing. The bullets name plasterboard, plaster, skirting, dado and architrave, as long as one surface is porous. Reviews that bedded plasterboard onto uneven brick still needed support where the initial grab was thin.
Will it cope with an uneven wall?
The listing says it fills minor gaps and is suitable for uneven surfaces. It does not give a maximum gap in millimetres. Reviewers used a thicker bed in the hollows of uneven brick. That is a minor gap, not a structural fill.
Can you paint it?
The bullets say it dries white and can be painted when dry. They do not give an hour count. One review was still soft after three days, so wait until the bead has actually dried before paint.
The 151 Hard As Nails exterior three-pack is about £6.75 for a stated 840 ml, rated 4.5 from 1,276 amazon.co.uk reviews, the largest sample in this set. Reviewers use it for outside repairs and call it a cheaper stand-in for dearer grab adhesives, including panelling, wooden slats, ceiling tiles and uPVC window beading. The title says solvent-free, exterior and waterproof, and the bullets say it can be used outside in colder weather, with no minimum temperature given. It is not instant: items slip and have to be held, and one review still wanted 24–48 hours before it went off. The paste is very thick, so a narrow nozzle cut would not let it out. One review said it failed to hold brick to brick or to tarmac, and another section of boarding did not stick. The colour field says Clear, which is not confirmed as a clear cured paste. A size per cartridge is not stated, only the 840 ml pack volume and a weight of 1.57 kg.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want several cartridges for exterior trim and panelling, and you can hold the piece until it binds.
Less suitable: A joint you need to be clear, or brick bonded to brick or tarmac without a mechanical fixing.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the exterior version?
Yes. The title says exterior, solvent-free and waterproof, and the bullets say it can be used outside in colder weather. No minimum temperature is given. It is a different listing from the interior three-pack.
How many cartridges are in the pack?
The bullets and the package quantity say three. The volume is 840 ml and the weight is 1.57 kg. A size per cartridge is not stated, so the 840 ml figure is the pack, not one tube.
Is the paste clear?
Do not treat it as clear. The Amazon colour field says Clear. That field is not confirmed as a clear cured colour, so the paste colour stays unverified.
Evo-Stik Seriously Strong Stuff is one white 290 ml cartridge at about £6.49, rated 4.5 from 117 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets say it can hold 300 kg/m² after 15 minutes, that it will stick to damp surfaces, and that it is for interior and exterior use, including mirrors. Reviewers report a heavy mirror on a tiled wall still solid after a few months, shower panels, and a plastic panel on metal after ordinary grab pastes had failed, left for 24 hours. Several packs arrived with no nozzle. One reviewer found about 15 minutes a short working window, and another said the bond stayed flexible so the piece kept moving. A heavy timber that had fallen off a garage concrete wall was not instant. The Amazon full-cure field says 15 minutes, the same interval as the grab claim, and this listing does not print a longer cure. The material field says Wood, which does not describe the paste.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a damp, exterior or non-porous face, including a mirror the listing names, and you already have a spare nozzle.
Less suitable: Rubber bonded to rubber, or a job where you need a rigid set in the first minutes and a long open time.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing allow damp surfaces?
Yes. The bullets say it will stick to damp surfaces and that it is for interior and exterior use. They also say waterproof. That is not a rating for saturated or running water. Dust, oil and loose material still have to come off.
What does the 15-minute figure refer to?
The bullets say it can hold 300 kg/m² after 15 minutes. The Amazon full-cure field also says 15 minutes. The listing does not give a second, longer cure time. The brand page separates that grab from full strength at 24 hours.
Is a nozzle included?
The included-components line says a cartridge of adhesive and does not name a nozzle. Reviewers report packs that arrived without one. Have a spare nozzle before you start.
The 151 Hard As Nails tube is 180 ml at about £3.87, rated 4.3 from 242 amazon.co.uk reviews, and it needs no sealant gun. Reviewers like the screw cap, which kept an opened tube usable for months, and they used it on small jobs that still allowed adjustment, including a larder shelf, a plastic door number on granite, and a drawer front. The listing says interior bonding when at least one surface is porous, a cure of 24–48 hours, and support for longer or heavier skirting while it cures. It did not grab peeling kitchen laminate on an MDF door. It was not instant on an uneven garage brick wall. Water resistance is listed as water resistant, not waterproof. Mirror appears in the specific-uses field without a method, so that line is not a mirror specification.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have an occasional interior repair and a cartridge gun is more kit than the job.
Less suitable: A long run of skirting, two non-porous faces, or outdoor work that needs a waterproof listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Do you need a sealant gun?
No. This ASIN is a 180 ml tube. The bullets say to reseal it after each use and to store it at room temperature. Reviewers kept an opened tube usable for months with the screw cap.
Does one surface have to be porous?
Yes. The bullets say it bonds metal, wood, plastic, brick, glass and ceramics when at least one surface is porous. Longer or heavier skirting should be supported while it cures. It did not grab peeling laminate on MDF.
Is it specified for outside?
No. The bullets say interior bonding. The water-resistance level is water resistant, not waterproof. The specific-uses field also lists mirror, without a method, so that line is not a mirror specification.
Five amazon.co.uk grab adhesive listings were scored on a 0–100 scale. The inputs are those listings, the review notes for these five ASINs, and the maker limits named below. This is not a laboratory test. A bullet that says 300 kg/m² is not scored as a measured joint. A 15-minute Amazon cure field is not treated as full strength when the brand page says 24 hours. Amazon evidence is 30 points: the star rating, with a lift when the count is large and a deduction when the file is under about 150 ratings. Listing fit is 35 points, from the title, the porous-face rule and the interior or exterior line. Contradictory cure, volume, colour, material or package-count fields are deducted. Review outcome is 20 points: trim, panels or a named fixing score higher than slippage, a missing nozzle, a bead still soft after days, or a bond that did not take. Value is 15 points: shelf price in GBP against stated millilitres. The lowest shelf price does not win when the tube is 180 ml and the stars are the weakest in the set. The highest score is the top pick. The best price per stated millilitre among packs with a large review file, after slippage is already noted, is the best value. Prices are the amazon.co.uk shelf prices on 19 October 2026.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a lift when the count is large and a deduction when the file is under about 150 ratings.
Listing fit
35%The title, the porous-face rule and the interior or exterior line describe a job you can finish. Contradictory cure, volume, colour, material or package-count fields are deducted.
Review outcome
20%Reviews that describe trim, panels or a named fixing score higher than slippage, a missing nozzle, a bead still soft after days, or a bond that did not take.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against stated millilitres, for a pack reviewers say they used. The lowest shelf price does not win when the tube is 180 ml and the stars are the weakest in the set.
Match chemistry to the faces, then interior or exterior as the maker states it. Initial tack is not full strength. A waterproof word is not a bath seal, and a 15-minute cure cell is not the 24-hour full strength on the hybrid page.
Grab adhesive is a thick UK construction paste for skirting, architrave, coving, panels and light fittings. It is sold in a sealant-gun cartridge or a screw-cap tube. Shoppers often say “No More Nails” for the whole category. The useful split is chemistry. A water-based acrylic dries by evaporation and needs one porous face. A hybrid cures with moisture and is sold for damp surfaces and some non-porous pairs. A solvent rubber skins quickly, smells, and can attack polystyrene.
Initial tack is not full strength. Henkel quotes 24–48 hours for No More Nails Original. Evo-Stik separates about 15 minutes from full strength at 24 hours. Heavy or distorted items may need extra fixings, and fitters often pin skirting as well as glue it.
A water-based paste on plastic-to-gloss, or on two sealed faces, stays soft. An interior acrylic is not an outdoor rating. Solvent paste can attack polystyrene coving. A 15-minute figure, 300 kg/m² and 8 kg are different claims, not one test.
A 4.6 line is not proof the board will stay if you let go. Reviews in this set still describe slippage, a bead soft after days, and a missing nozzle. Paint after the bead has dried, not over a skin.
Dry plaster or bare timber can take an interior acrylic that dries by evaporation, and one face must be porous. Painted, plastic, metal, damp or outdoor faces need a hybrid, or an absorbent face sanded back. Two sealed faces plus an evaporation cure stay soft. Henkel's cartridge sheet gives a 10 mm gap, tack of 240–280 kg/m² by Henkel's method, and says No More Nails Original is not for mirrors.
Interior or exterior is what the maker states. UniBond No More Nails Original is interior dry service. Evo-Stik Seriously Strong Stuff is sold for interior, exterior and damp surfaces, not running water. A 151 pack titled exterior is a different listing from the interior three-pack. Support heavy or long pieces. A 280–310 ml cartridge needs a gun. A 180 ml screw-cap tube suits a small job.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are fixing skirting, dado or lightweight fittings to plaster or bare timber, and you can hold or prop a heavy board. UniBond No More Nails Original is the top pick: two 280 ml cartridges at about £9.86, 4.6 from 421 reviews. One surface must be porous. It is interior only, and the nozzle has no cap.
You have a damp, exterior or non-porous face, including a mirror the listing names, and you already have a spare nozzle. Evo-Stik Seriously Strong Stuff is one 290 ml cartridge at about £6.49, 4.5 from 117 reviews. The bullets say damp surfaces, exterior use and mirrors. Several packs arrived with no nozzle.
You have an occasional interior repair and a cartridge gun is more kit than the job. The 151 Hard As Nails tube is 180 ml at about £3.87, 4.3 from 242 reviews, with a screw cap reviewers resealed for months. At least one surface must be porous. It is a short bead, not a long run of skirting.
The top pick is UniBond No More Nails Original at about £9.86: two white 280 ml cartridges, 4.6 from 421 amazon.co.uk reviews. The listing is solvent-free and for interior use, one surface must be porous, and the set field is 24 hours. Reviewers fix skirting, dado and lightweight fittings on plaster. Heavy pieces need holding, and the nozzle has no cap. The best value is the 151 Hard As Nails exterior three-pack at about £6.75, a stated 840 ml, 4.5 from 1,276 reviews, the largest file in this set. The title says waterproof and solvent-free. Pieces slip until the bead binds, the paste is very thick, and the colour field says Clear, which is not confirmed. This is not a laboratory test.
UniBond No More Nails Original, pack of 2
Highest score: two 280 ml cartridges at about £9.86, 4.6 from 421 reviews, interior, one porous face, and a 24-hour set field.
151 Hard As Nails exterior
Best price per stated millilitre among packs with a large review file: about £6.75 for a stated 840 ml, 4.5 from 1,276 reviews, after slippage is already noted.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources used for this comparison. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts were taken from the listings on 19 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the listings. This is not a laboratory test.
