Aug. 3/10; Volume 30/Number 4
By Nadia Ramlakhan
Although it’s not often a priority for consumers in the market for new flooring, including an adhesive in the process is an important step to ensuring a successful installation. With floating floors gaining popularity and DIY installations on the rise, retailers should make consumers aware that adhesives should be part of the equation—whether they hire professional installers or not.
Aside from increasing the average ticket for retailers and allowing them to make a larger sale, adhesives bring a plethora of benefits to the table.
“Utilization of flooring adhesives significantly enhances the value and integrity of any flooring system,” said John Lio, marketing director for DriTac. “Flooring adhesives can add moisture protection, control sound, suppress cracks, assist with uneven substrates and, most importantly, obtain the solid sounding, ‘real floor’ feel homeowners prefer.”
Adhesives typically eliminate common issues that arise with floating floors. “They provide an advantage in that the flooring doesn’t allow for much flex,” said David Ford, vice president of sales and marketing for Stauf, who noted that stability is one of the main reasons to use an adhesive. For example, if there is a bookcase or china cabinet against the wall and it’s not exactly level, when a homeowner steps on the flooring around it the books or plates will rattle. “A lot of the time you can see the floor flex or furniture move with the footsteps of an individual walking by.” Adhesives can eliminate this problem, experts say.
An additional benefit of using a flooring adhesive is sound abatement. Kristine Elledge, marketing specialist, W.F. Taylor, said the upside to gluing down a floor is that it won’t give off a hollow sound when it’s walked on. “The major complaint of floating floors is that you get a ‘clack, clack, clack’ when walking on it. Because there is space between the subfloor and floor covering, it will make noise, but glue reduces that.”
When gluing down a floor, installers and end users can be more creative and imaginative with their designs; while floating floors go in one direction, glue allows for special design elements “because you can cut the material and apply it where you want it,” Elledge explained.
Replacing planks is also much easier with glue down floors. In order to replace a floating floor or LVT, furniture will have to be moved to remove all of the parallel planks leading up to the damaged area. With glue down, only the single plank that needs to be replaced has to be pulled up.
Some adhesives used today also include a moisture barrier that helps to block incoming liquids, stopping them from penetrating the substrate and causing mildew, mold or odors. If liquid is spilled onto a floating floor it will seep through and live between the subfloor and floor covering. “In general, the floor is firmer and more solid when you’re bonding directly to the substrate with an adhesive,” Elledge added. “It’s like with anything else—if you apply glue you know it’s stuck.”
Temperature is another factor to take into consideration when deciding whether an installation requires an adhesive. “The main issue with a floating floor is it can move if it isn’t secured properly,” said Doug Mannell, training coordinator for INSTALL in Kansas City, Mo. “And the fact is that if it’s not glued directly onto the floor, you can have boards shift and gap. Out here the weather is in the 90s in the summertime and the humidity is also [high]. Wood floors will expand and if they’re not glued down they will have peaks where the wood will grow and come loose.”
Mannell noted that one of the reasons consumers today prefer DIY methods to hiring professional installers is avoiding the mess that comes along with glues and other steps an average homeowner may deem unnecessary. Fortunately there are adhesive manufacturers that recognize the need for a simple adhesive. For example, DriTac’s 7700 Easy Clean 4-In-1 MS polymer sound/moisture control wood flooring adhesive is easy to spread and easy to clean.
“If a consumer goes to a retailer wanting to install her own floor she will have the option of glue down or click or floating floor,” Elledge added. “No matter how much they have to spend or how much hassle it is, we always recommend glue down. It will give her better results—look better, hold better and last longer.”
Many manufacturers require the use of an adhesive, and installers suggest following their recommendations. After all, they created the floor and know which adhesives will work best. “Following the flooring and adhesive manufacturers’ recommendations and guidelines is extremely important when installing any floor covering system,” Lio said. “Proper preparation is vital and reading and understanding the instructions before proceeding with the installation is paramount to a successful installation. There are several key areas of variance with every adhesive that needs to be closely monitored including application methods, spread rates, required adhesive transfer, moisture limitations and required clean-up methods.”
Eric J. Kurtz, market manager, hardwood and resilient installation systems, Bostik, said following manufacturer guidelines is also important because of warranties. “Different adhesives have different requirements for various applications and environments. It is critical to understand how the adhesive is to be used in the specific circumstances of each installation in order to be covered under warranty.”
While some DIYers may find success with adhesives, most need intricate training to get it right the first time. Manufacturers recommend hiring a professional installer because it may seem like the homeowner is saving money at first, but in reality the cost to replace the floor will end up costing double if it’s not done right. “Adhesives are so crucial to the installation,” said Mark Olsen, INSTALL trainer at the Southeast Wisconsin Carpentry Training Center in Pewaukee, Wis. “It’s not look at the bucket once in a while; it’s read the bucket every time.”