ABSTRACT Intensive studies of polymer adhesives for structural applications have opened up new possibilities of glued usage connections in civil engineering, especially in façade applications. Facades have to fulfil not only architectural requirements but there are also construction and material technology requirements, as well as functionality. Façade cladding connections with other façade parts can be advantageously designed as glued joints. In dependence on particular application, adhesive bonding provides higher efficiency of workmanship in comparison with bolted connection and esthetical qualities, e.g. smooth, flat surface of façade cladding without visual interruption of bolts. Important benefit of glued connections in facades is elimination of local thermal bridge in comparison with bolted connections and possibility of stress peak reduction in dependence on adhesive and substrate stiffness and geometrical arrangement of the joint. Despite of wide usage of low strength and elastic silicone sealants for a long period of time in façades, there is a lack of information about semi‐flexible and semi‐rigid adhesives with higher strength and reasonable elongation at break. Building facade is a very specific type of usage for glued connections due to the requirements on durability, strict geometrical imperfections and joining of unconventional materials often used in the façade design. This paper reports on an experimental analysis focused on determining of the mechanical characteristics of two types of adhesive applied in double lap connection loaded by shear. The study comprises two basic substrate materials, aluminium and galvanised steel, with various surface treatments. Galvanized steel was used with clean, smooth surface and roughened surface; aluminium substrates were applied with clean smooth surface, roughened surface and with anodised covering to find out effect of roughening and anodization of aluminium on adhesion. Material and surface treatment has great influence not only on adhesion and thus strength of the joint, but also on failure mode, behaviour and safety of particular joint. Moreover, every necessary surface treatment creates higher labour intensity, higher time consumption and thus increased costs on building/facade construction.