So, you have chosen the type of wood and the color of your floor. You have
decided to try to do-it-yourself and have done all the research you could online
and off to help you understand the project you are about to undertake. The
flooring you chose happens to be one that needs to be glued down. Do you skimp
or save, choosing the cheapest glue you can just to “get it done?”. No.
Hardwood flooring glue or gluedown adhesives should be one of the most
important decisions that you make before you begin the installation
process. If you choose laminate hardwood adhesive based on the cheapest price, you could
be in for problems in the future. And many do-it-yourselfers or weekend
warriors are the victims by trying to cut corners and go with an cheaper glue
adhesive for their hardwood floors rather than the glue that is recommended by
the manufacturer. Don’t do it! You may not only have problems later on down
the road, you could be unwittingly voiding your floor’s warranty.
Types of Adhesive Glue for hardwood floors
There are primarily two adhesive gluedown product types for traditional wood
floors:
Urethane Adhesive Gluedown
Water Based Adhesive Gluedown
Both have their benefits and problems and we will discuss each in greater
detail…..
Urethane Adhesive- The most popular hardwood adhesive today
Urethane adhesives are the most popular of all the wood adhesives used
today. Usually, the hardwood companies will specify a particular brand of glue
if they don’t offer their own glue product. While not the ultimate solution for
people looking for a viable solution to, urethane adhesive is by far more eco-friendly than
glues that were used decades
ago which are now banned by the EPA. Bostik’s, a very popular adhesive company
that specializes in glues and sealants should only be used on glue-down floors
that are solid as opposed to engineered wood floors. Typically, solid floors
are nailed down while engineered floors can be glued down.
Bostik’s adhesives are by far the leader when it comes to wood adhesives but
there are a lot of competitors in the glue market, including Mapei and Saki to
name a couple. If you are going to use a urethane adhesive, proper clean-up on
the day of the install is critical. Common clean up materials for this glue is
mineral spirits although Bostik also has wipes that can do the job.
Water Based Adhesive
the Plop heated wood flooring Slide Down Method with Water Based Adhesives
Most hardwood installers will tell you that the “plop and slide down method”
should not be done when using glue down adhesives but for the do-it-yourselfer
or amateur handyman, you will find that when installing a board, sometimes the
board may drop down away from the tongue and groove. With urethane based glues,
inserting the board into the groove will almost always fail because of the
nature of the glue. Are you looking for an epoxy garage floor that actually lives up to your expectations? Then you have found the right place, Amazing Garage Floors! http://www.amazing-garage-floors.comWater based adhesives are far more forgiving when this
happens though.
Another benefit to using water based adhesives is that they respond well to
the “banana effect” of some engineered hardwoods. The banana effect is when the
wood doesn’t appear to be totally secured to the subfloor. With urethane
adhesive, there is very little corrective measure that you can do. However,
with water based adhesive, you can simply add a weight to the plank or section
in question and after it has dried, the effect will be a stronger, more solid
gluedown.
How to Install a Glue-Down Engineered Hardwood
Floor
Water based adhesives are also easier to clean up; all you need is a damp
rag (water) before you start the adhesive set and after the floor is cured,
mineral spirits.
What about an adhesive for a floating floor?
Most floating floors out there today don’t use adhesives but a locking
mechanism to lock each panel or section of wood into place. That said, there
are still some hardwood floors that use gluedown adhesives. And most
manufacturers who require an glue down for a floating floor have their own
adhesives such as Bruce and Karh’s. All this said, the glue that the pro’s use
is Titebond Tongue and Groove Flooring Glue.
The bottom line is that if you are spending thousands of dollars on hardwood
floors for your home, don’t try to skimp on adhesives. Choose the glue that is
recommended by the manufacturer and if there is nothing recommended, then you
should ask a professional on which gluedown adhesive would be best for your
project. After all, a properly laid floor should last you for decades.
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