Material guide
Gluing Natural stone
Granite, marble, slate and limestone in worktops, paving, sills and ornaments.
Also called granite, limestone, marble, slate, stone worktop.
How Natural stone behaves when you bond it
Porosity varies enormously between granite and limestone, so stone is not one material for bonding purposes. Light-coloured and translucent stone also shows the adhesive through it, which rules out anything that yellows.
Natural stone covers dense granite, porous limestone, marble, slate and many composites. Pore structure, mineral chemistry, moisture and appearance vary widely; resin can darken or stain absorbent stone and a polished face behaves differently from a sawn back.
Material properties
- Surface energy
- High, which helps adhesion
- Porosity
- Semi-porous
- Rigidity
- Rigid
- Maximum service temperature
- 200C
- Normally needs abrading
- Yes
- Normally needs a primer
- No
Surface preparation
Identify the stone and finish, make it sound, clean and dry, and remove sealer, wax or laitance from the bond area. Degrease dense polished stone with a compatible cleaner and key it only where appearance permits. Use a non-staining stone-rated system and make a colour/halo test on an offcut.
Which adhesives work on Natural stone
Excellent
Two-part epoxy
Two-part epoxy is rated excellent for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
Grab adhesive, no-nails
Grab adhesive, no-nails is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Good
MS polymer
MS polymer is rated good for this material as an application-level assessment, not as a blanket manufacturer claim. The prepared surface must be sound and consistently keyed where the finish permits. Suitability still depends on the other substrate, joint design and service environment.
Abrade the surface first.
Bonding Natural stone to something else
Last reviewed 8 October 2026.