- Never use an adhesive that contains a solvent. It will erode the styrofoam releasing all sorts of toxic fumes.
- Choose adhesives that are suited for not porous materials (remember styrofoams are plastics and plastics are non-porous).
- Never use hot glue directly on to styrofoam. There are some cases when hot glue is an appropriate adhesive, but it should be applied to the material you are bonding the styrofoam to and left to cool a few seconds before contacting the styrofoam. The glue will get lost in the hole that it has burned, and burning plastics releases toxic fumes.
- Remember, a glue is only as strong as the weakest material in the union. Styrofoam is easily broken and has very little tensile strength. In our tests, if the styrofoam broke before the bond, the glue was considered strong enough.