The glued installation method involves the use of an adhesive to adhere dry luxury vinyl flooring to its base. The use of an adhesive ensures that the flooring is dimensionally stable and that it retains its natural characteristics. The glue-in method of installation involves two different types of adhesive: a hardener and a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Most popular is 2mm and 3mm varieties, but there are other thickness options available too.
Hard Set - similar to the adhesive used for broadloom carpets, hardener can be laid along the subfloor - this in turn holds the vinyl flooring securely in place. This is particularly important in environments in the medical or retail sectors, where there is a lot of rolling traffic such as wheelchairs and gurneys or shopping carts and trolleys. A relatively new adhesive product on the luxury vinyl flooring market, hardener allows your glued flooring to absorb heavy point loads, meaning that furniture and fixtures are less likely to leave visible indentations when removed. Hardener is designed for vinyl planking but works well with vinyl tiles and wood panels too.
Pressure Sensitive Adhesives - A long-standing industry standard, the installation process of pressure sensitive adhesives can make your flooring stronger as well as easier to replace. Pressure sensitive adhesives are particularly suited to the retail and hospitality industries, or those that tend to change brands constantly. Pressure sensitive adhesives are ideal for vinyl tiles and wood plank flooring.
Generally, commercial spaces — like office spaces, restaurants or retail stores — experience heavier than normal foot traffic and therefore can benefit from vinyl flooring that is glued down (since the glue provides extra support in keeping the flooring in place). As mentioned earlier, healthcare is another industry that could benefit from the glue down method due to the heavy rolling traffic from wheelchairs or gurneys.
In most cases, glue down flooring is covered by a commercial warranty, while floating flooring may be limited to only a light commercial and/or residential warranty. Whether working with glue down or floating flooring, it is recommended to consult with your manufacturer to confirm the product’s warranty.
One benefit of using the glue down approach with luxury vinyl plank and tile flooring is that it involves a seamless replacement — which again makes it an ideal method for the ever-changing retail or hospitality industry. With minimal effort, tiles or planks can be replaced one by one, if needed.
easy maintenance, a traditional two-bucket system and regular sweeping has proven to be an effective way to clean the flooring. However, it is always recommended to refer to the manufacturer’s maintenance manual and instructions for best practices.
work well with concrete subfloors, though there are various factors that need to be taken into consideration. Always consider the moisture levels of the subfloor and the exposure your new flooring will have to moisture. Also make note if this is a renovation or new build project, as that will impact flooring choices.This is because the sound your flooring gives off has a lot to do with the way it is fastened to the subfloor. It is also important to keep in mind that the acoustics within a space are not solely based on the flooring you choose; they are also dependent on the subfloor preparations and furnishings selected for the space.
GlueDown products are versatile and extremely durable. High definition graphics with realistic wood tones and patterns.
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The moisture content of flooring is important when installing SPC flooring using glue down method. Depending on the type of adhesive you are using, you may want to test for concrete moisture or use moisture barrier.
The main reason here is to keep moisture content under control to prevent possible installation failure or damage of flooring panels that could void your warranty. To be on the safe side, you may want to check with your flooring supplier on the suitable subfloor moisture content before installation.
Besides subfloor moisture content, you should watch out for the type of adhesive use for installation. Make sure you are applying the correct SPC adhesive.
Similar to click-lock SPC plank installation, you should begin your glue-down installation from one corner and spread to another end. If possible, try to avoid using outer force with the intention of quick bonding.
Some installers may use clamps or straps to force planks tighter together but this may cause over-strapping. Such condition will adversely affect the floor structure and lead to many flooring issues, for example seam peaking, twisted planks, poor glue bonding and misalignment.
When applying layers of the adhesive during installation, getting the right size of trowel is another important part to maximize the glue-to-board transfer.
If you do not have this information yet, do consider refer to your adhesive manufacturer for trowel size, use of moisture barriers and adhesive set time which changes according to temperature.
For the best results, you can always check with both flooring supplier and adhesive manufacturer if you have any doubts whilst SPC flooring installation. Also, check out our step-by-step glue down SPC flooring installation guide here for further reference.
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