Fix Broken Plant Pots With An Unexpected Type Of Glue

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Homeowners who have a knack for gardening may find themselves in quite a dilemma when they discover a cracked or broken ceramic plant pot. Whether the planter was overfilled or accidentally knocked over, once it's broken or cracked, your first instinct may be to just trek to your local gardening store to buy a new one. While there are many clever ways to reuse broken plant pots around your home and garden, it might be a better financial investment to try to repair your shattered planter using an unexpected type of glue that can be found in the plumbing section of your local home improvement store. 

While epoxy and Gorilla glue are great at sealing and bonding broken pieces of decor, plumber's glue is a viable adhesive to use to repair your broken plant pots. Typically used for sealing and gluing PVC pipe, plumber's glue makes a great bonding agent for broken planters primarily because it's waterproof. To fix your broken pot, simply gather the broken pieces, apply plumber's glue to the edges using the pointed applicator, and glue the pieces back together. Wipe away any excess glue from the pot's surface with a towel and give the glue at least 24 hours to set and dry. If you find yourself with a plant pot that's not completely broken, you can also quickly fix a cracked planter by applying plumber's glue to the cracks, allowing it to reseal them and prevent water from leaking out.

Because plants require frequent watering, finding an adhesive that won't dissolve or lose its bonding ability once wet is an important factor to consider when attempting to repair your broken ceramic plant pots. Since plumber's glue is originally intended to help seal and bond pipes commonly associated with plumbing systems, it makes for a great, simple, and affordable fix for broken planters. Also known as plumber's cement, the bonding and sealing agent can help create and reinforce watertight seals on PVC pipes. The glue is primarily used to connect water pipes to each other, so its ability to withstand and stay strong when exposed to a lot of water is a key component to keep your plumbing system intact and leak-free.

While plant pots may not have as much water pass through them as indoor and outdoor plumbing pipes, using plumber's glue to reassemble a broken planter or seal cracks in a damaged one can be a simple and quick fix when in a pinch. Plumber's glue dries clear, making an invisible seal that will repair but not ruin the design of your plant pot. Depending on the amount you need or want to keep readily available for any planter mishaps, a tube or can of plumber's glue is an inexpensive solution for repairing broken plant pots, costing less than $10 a can at your local Home Depot. It's certainly more affordable than buying a new pot, especially if your broken one was quite expensive to begin with.