Q: I want to put down vinyl planks in my kitchen, living room and entrance way and I want to know what would be the best way to go. There is both the glue down or the self adhesive? I am a bit worried about the self adhesive even though the dealers all say it will stay down really well. It is much cheaper then the glue down kind but will it stay glued for as long as they say it does. My house is very dry, we have wood heat so I am worried that I will have it come loose. Can I apply glue along with the glue on the backing or will the glue that I use and the glue on the backing have a reaction and ruin my floor?
Do you have any advice on this subject for me?
Thank you
Debbie
A: Personally I am not a big fan of the self adhesive tiles. Although in many situation these will work, they are rarely a long lasting solution as the amount of adhesive on the back of the tile is very little when compared to a true glue down application. You can occasionally use adhesive with a self adhesive tile to ensure a better bond to the subfloor, but it is very dependent on the product itself. Consult the product’s manufacturer before choosing to do this to make sure you use an approved adhesive when possible.
I will mention that most self adhesive tiles tend to be a bit thinner and weak until they are installed, so be cautious during your installation as to not break them. Your best bet for a longer lasting floor out of vinyl would be to get the higher quality tiles which require separate adhesive, but with some careful work the self-adhesive tiles will do the trick and end up very durable over many years.
To ensure self adhesive tiles are successful do the following:
- Acclimate the tiles for 48 hours as this will prevent any expansion/contraction.
- Ensure the subfloor is very clean and is free of any oil based stains. They key here is making sure the surface is clean (dirty subfloors are the only thing that tends to cause the self adhesive tiles to fail)
- Carefully install the tiles without additional adhesive (I would return the Mapei you have, inform them its for roll vinyl only and not how it was suggested)
- Once the floor is installed, vacuum it well.
- Now two coats of a product like Shine Keeper (Shine Keeper being a preference here). This will seal all of your seams and prevent worries of the adhesive failing (99.9% of the time).
If you follow these steps you should be safe without the adhesive, I tend to be cautious as it can be difficult to get the subfloor clean, but if you take your time it will remove nearly all chance of the adhesive on the tiles failing.
