By Elisabeth McGowan Out with the old, in with the new. That’s what adhesives suppliers are touting as they showcase new formulations designed to go the extra mile to improve flooring installations. Amid higher end-user expectations and rising industry standards, adhesive manufacturers have rolled out new innovative enhancements and brand-new iterations of glues meant to boost performance and ease of use.
Today’s adhesives offer multiple solutions beyond their core purpose including sound absorption, moisture prevention and mildew resistance. DriTac’s 6300 Resistance, for example, enables a quicker installation and simultaneously provides moisture resistance. “We call it an all-in-one adhesive,” said John Lio, director of marketing, DriTac, told FCNews at TISE 2021. “We now have this alternative option for installations, which we’ve known for years on the glue side adds so much value to the installation [in terms of hollow spots]. It’s a heavy bells-and-whistles product.”
Moreover, modern adhesives also aim to benefit the installer. Case in point is Laticrete’s Glass Tile Adhesive Lite. To avoid respiratory issues and muscle strain for the installer, the lightweight adhesive contains low-respirable silica. Mitch Hawins, Laticrete’s director of technical services, said the product addresses safety needs across the field. “Construction industry professionals should not just look at the increased focus on worker safety as a mere trend,” he said. “One hot-button item is the need for more low-respirable silica and lightweight products to reduce potential respiratory issues and physical strain for installers.”
Following are the latest adhesives designed for myriad installation needs.
Custom Building Products
Vinyl PSA is an advanced pressure-sensitive adhesive designed for the challenges of luxury vinyl tiles and planks that can be used in permanent or releasable applications. Versatile for a variety of popular soft floor coverings, such as sheet goods and carpet tile, Vinyl PSA delivers the handling and performance required on large commercial projects. The easy-to-spread formula is solvent- and glycol-free, making it ideal for projects that require low VOCs.
Top traits: “Vinyl PSA is the most installer-friendly adhesive on the market,” said Don Munro, setting and flooring adhesives product manager. “This product is engineered to optimize handling and working time, and [to] minimize clean-up.”
DriTac
DriTac 6300 Resistance is a single-component, premium “green” polymer-based sound and moisture control resilient flooring adhesive designed for WPC, SPC, rigid core and more. Offering proven subfloor moisture protection with no testing required, 6300 Resistance forms a waterproof bond with topical moisture resistance.
Top traits: “This self-leveling and fast-curing adhesive provides great green grab and is extremely easy to clean off the surface of finished flooring, wet or dry,” Lio said. “With a six-hour cure time, Resistance enables a one-day, one-step installation that accommodates heavy rolling loads and demanding jobsite conditions. This zero VOC, zero solvent, multi-solution product is available in 2-gallon pails and meets and/or exceeds all IIC and STC building code requirements for sound reduction.”
Laticrete
Glass Tile Adhesive Lite is lightweight and contains no respirable crystalline silica levels that exceed the OSHA action level. With its superior lightweight formula, higher bond strength, long open time and non-sag performance, it is easier to transport and easier to handle on the jobsite.
Top traits: Glass Tile Adhesive Lite was designed to make any glass tile project successful, including submerged applications. The adhesive gives artists and installers a clean canvas to work with as its bright-white color does not affect the design of translucent tiles.
Mapei
Ultrabond ECO 399 is a heavy-duty, pressure-sensitive, multi-flooring adhesive designed to minimize gaps in luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank floors.
Top traits: “Ultrabond ECO 399 features enhanced dimensional control properties that allow the installation of a variety of resilient flooring types,” said Jeff Johnson, business manager for floor covering installation systems. “The aggressive adhesive is resistant to high traffic, heavy rolling loads, high moisture content and changes in temperature—which are some of the main causes of gapping in resilient flooring. Its moisture resistance enables usage on concrete slabs with relative humidity levels up to 99%.”
QEP
Roberts 7399 Universal Plus resilient flooring & modular carpet tile adhesive features proven moisture and alkali protection (up to 12 pounds MVER and 99% RH) to prevent against breakdown or emulsification. The shear and bond-strength performance of this adhesive supports its application in both a wet-set or tacky-dry method. Its quick-dry formula allows for quicker installation times and a working time of up to 12 hours.
Top traits: Approved for several flooring types, backings and substrates (including underlayments) and regarded for its shearing, peeling, moisture and alkali resistance, Roberts 7399 Universal Plus is as high bond as it is in high demand. The finished floor can accept light foot traffic immediately after installation, making it one of the fastest drying, hardest-working resilient adhesives on the market, according to QEP.
Shaw
MS Resilient’s one-part chemistry makes it a faster, more installer-friendly alternative to some two-part epoxy systems, according to Shaw.
Top traits: “Shaw’s MS Resilient superior grade adhesive is a tried-and-true product, specifically engineered for heavy rolling loads and challenging environments,” said Roger Young, director of sundries category management. “Its waterproof design forms a robust moisture vapor barrier, and it can also withstand topical liquids. This is the perfect adhesive for Main Street business and is designed to perform in tough conditions.”
Stauf
PUM-950 Power Mastic adhesive—featuring Spur technol- ogy developed in Germany—cleans off most surfaces when cured. This allows the glue to retain high tensile and shear strengths—characteristics desired by many professional installers.
Top traits: PUM-950 Power Mastic has the ability to clean like MS Polymer without etching the floor or needing costly board replacement and has shear and tensile strength as high—or even higher, in some cases—than moisture-cured urethanes. Ease of cleanup and high performance all the hallmarks of this product.
Taylor Adhesives
Aspen, part of the Taylor Signature Line, is the ideal combination of price and performance for wood installations (as well as acrylic impregnated plank, cork, bamboo and crumb rubber), according to Taylor. Its isocyanate-free, elastomeric formula is a one-part, easy-to-use and easy-to-clean alternative to traditional urethane-based adhesives that can damage the floor’s finish.
Top traits: With all the concern about substrate moisture conditions and alkali attack, Aspen provides a 90% moisture vapor barrier on a porous slab as well as a permanent waterproof bond. An added benefit is its 10-year performance bond and moisture warranty.
