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This waterproof silicone sealant is the best overall glue for outdoor use. It works for all my garden art including dish flowers that stay outside year-round in hot summers and cold winters.
For more adhesive recommendations, also see the Glue Resource Guide for Garden Art Projects for other applications.
Which Outdoor Adhesive Should I Use?
I get a lot of emails from people having trouble making or repairing outdoor decorations or garden art that need glue that really sticks and holds up year-round in any weather.
As someone living in Canada where we have hot, humid summers and cold winters, I have put several adhesives to the test and have one clear favorite.
I use GE II Silicone Sealant for just about everything that needs an outdoor glue.
There are other options also listed in the Guide to Choosing Outdoor Adhesives including E6000 and E8000. But overall, the GE sealant is my go-to product. It’s strong and permanent.
Contents
- Best All-Round Outdoor Adhesive
- Tips to Be Sure Adhesive Sticks
- Read the Label
- Frequently-Asked Questions
The Best All-Round Outdoor Adhesive
I useGE Silicone II Sealantfor most of my garden art projects. I have no affiliation with the company—I just find this to be a good, reliable product that stands up in a wide range of outdoor conditions. The temperature tolerances are well beyond anything we would experience from weather.
Uses
It is called “sealant” but works as an adhesive for
- aluminum
- stainless steel
- wood
- masonry
- brick
- concrete
- painted surfaces
- vinyl
- plastic
I mainly use it for glass garden art and repairing random other garden décor items. And I do use it to attach different surfaces together, not just same to same.
What it Cannot Do
Keep in mind, this is just for attaching stuff together.
- It’snota paintable caulking—it’s just a glue—so, once it’s cured, it’s the bond is final. You cannot paint it or glue more things to it.
But it does a fabulous job sticking stuff together permanently, holding up in crazy weather conditions (both extreme heat and cold) for years and years.
Dispenser Options
This sealant is sold in squeeze tubes and cartridges for caulking dispensers. I prefer the tubes for ease of use but the cost by volume is much lower if you buy the cartridges.
Want other glue suggestions?
Complete DIY Glue Resource Guide
Read the Label
Whether you buy this brand or a similar product, look for these things on the label:
- GE Silicone II or 100% Silicone product (same product is sold under several names)
- Waterproof (but not for use under water or in birdbaths)
- Clear-drying (that’s what they say though it dries slightly opaque)
- Outdoor use
- Often marketed for gutters or flashing but exterior doors and windows is fine too
- Check the Use-by date, read the product label, store it as recommended (consistent room temperature), and follow the user instructions.
Keep in mind that it ispermanent. Youcannotremove it once it has dried, and youcannotapply more adhesive to an existing layer once it has dried. So work thoughtfully.
It is sold in home improvement stores in the caulking or adhesives section. You can buy it in a tube or a cartridge that uses a caulking dispenser. The cartridges are about half the cost of the tubes.
I make garden art items that I leave outside, year-round, through the Canadian summer heat and winter wet and cold. I do not want to have to bring them indoors for half the year so I like a product that forms a strong, long-lasting bond.
While there are other products that may work as well, I recommend this specific one because it always works for me.
Project Ideas
If you’re new to making garden art projects likegarden balls,totems,garden treasure jars, anddish flowers, these tips should help you succeed. They are all easy projects but do require the right product and technique provided in the tips here as well as the project instructions on this site.
I do not receive any compensation from GE for recommending this product – I just really like how it works – but the product links here are to my Amazon affiliates account.
You have to willing to experiment and find what works best in your climate. If you have something you like better, use it.
You can find answers to frequently asked questions here.
Health & Safety Considerations
- Before using any product, read the product label and follow the manufacturer’s health and safety guidelines.
- Most products like this one require working in a well-ventilated area.
- Know ahead of time how to clean up any leftover product, and how to remove it from your skin or eyes.
- If making a garden art project with children, only adults should handle the silicone sealant.
- As mentioned, GE Silicone II forms a permanent bond as soon as it dries and you cannot remove it so work thoughtfully-there’s no turning back.
Tips to Be Sure the Adhesive Sticks
- Use theright product. I am a fan ofGE Silicone II sealantfor most outdoor garden art projects.
- Make sure the product isfresh(check theUse Bydate on the container).
- Ensure that the product hasnotbeen stored in a hot or cold area. If it’s runny when you apply it, it’s not good and will not work.
- Make sure the surface of the globe or jar (or whatever you’re using as a base) isclean, dry, and grease-free.
- Apply the silicone sealant according to the project instructions.For most projects such as garden art balls and totems, apply it at least1/4-inch thick.
- Press the flat marbles into the silicone sealant and allow it to smoosh around them. It will fill in the areas between the marbles appearing like an opaque grout. As it dries, it grabs the marbles, holding them in place. This tutorial showshow to make a decorative garden art ball.
- Make use ofgravity. If your marbles are sliding off while you’re working, you may be working against gravity. Start at the lowest part of the base, applying one row at a time. The next row will sit on the one below and the marbles won’t shift while the silicone sealant is drying.
Read the Label
Information on the GE II Silicone Sealant Product Label
Read the label carefully before you buy! There are so many different types of sealants and caulking.
- 3-hour rain-ready and sun/freeze prooffor use in gutter and flashing installations and repairs, that also provides mold-free product protection.
- Once cured (after 24 hours), is sun/freeze proof, meaning it won’t crack or crumble even when exposed to harsh weather such as heat or freezing temperatures.
- Adheres toaluminum, stainless steel, wood, masonry, brick, concrete, painted surfaces, vinyl, and plastic.
- Remove dirt, grease, and moisture before applying.
- Allow at least3 hoursbefore exposing caulk to water.
- Not for use below the water line(i.e. not to be submerged in water ongoing).
- Application temperature: 5°C to 37°C
- Service temperature: -51°C to 204°F
- Tack-free: 30 minutes
- Water exposure: 3 hours
- Full cure: 24 hours
- Non-paintable
- Clean up(while wet only):mineral spirits
Garden Ball Tutorial
Frequently Asked Questions
My silicone sealant says “clear” on the label but it’s not clear – is something wrong?
It is correct that “clear” silicone sealant does not dry clear. Even though they call it “clear-drying,” it does not dry clear, but instead has an opaque quality. If you want something that will truly dry clear, you may want to try other products.
Can I grout over silicone sealant?
No, you cannot grout over silicone sealant. Nothing sticks to the dry sealant so it is not appropriate for grout or paint. If you want to do a mosaic project, you could carefully apply the sealant to the underside of the pieces only (without any oozing into the gaps) and then apply grout to the gaps. But keep in mind that if there’s any sealant showing, the grout will not stick there.
Can I glue on top of silicone sealant?
No, glue will not adhere to silicone sealant once it has dried.GE Silicone II ispermanent: once it dries, you cannot remove it, you cannot add more adhesive on top of it (it will not stick), and it is nearly impossible to peel off. This is why I advise working in small sections: apply some adhesive, attach the marbles, do the next section. It works so nicely for garden art projects because it is permanent but this also means you have no second chances.
Can I use something besides silicone sealant for garden art?
Yes, there are other glues including E6000 and E8000 that are also useful for making garden art. Have a look at thisGlue Resource Guide for Garden Art Projectsfor more recommendations.
People in really humid areas like Florida have a hard time keeping whatever product they use from becoming too warm. When adhesives and sealants get too warm, they separate into a gel-like liquid and that does not work properly.
I have not had any problems with GE Silicone II here in Canada where we have cold winters and humid summers.
Silicone Sealant in Squeeze Tube | Amazon
Silicone Sealant in Caulking Tube | Amazon
~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛
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