When you’re planning a home improvement project, such as installing a new vinyl floor, it’s vital to pick the best adhesive. The one you choose needs to work well with both your vinyl flooring (no matter which type you pick) and your existing subflooring.
Picking a type of glue that’s incompatible can lead to many problems, such as the tiles coming up or bubbling, which is never fun.
But how do you know which type of vinyl glue to choose? With so many available on the market, it’s essential to know more about each option, so you can pick the best one. It all starts with the type of vinyl flooring you choose and the subfloor you’re working with.
So, let’s dive in and answer all of these questions, so you can choose the vinyl glue that’s right for you and your floors!
What Types of Vinyl Flooring Are There?
Vinyl flooring is a great alternative to hardwood floors, especially since it has changed over the past decades and no longer has the more negative reputation that it once did. These days, you can find vinyl flooring in many different styles and patterns at a number of various price points, all of which can make your home look simply stunning.
Vinyl flooring comes in the following forms:
- Tiles – Vinyl tiles are perhaps the easiest to install, thanks to their manageable size and weight. While the tiles themselves are pretty much waterproof, water can leak through the spaces in between the tiles if you don’t use the correct glue. This can cause them to pop up from the subfloor in case of a minor or major flood.
- Sheets – Vinyl also comes in sheet form. This is slightly harder to work with because you’ll need to unroll the sheets in order to lay them flat on the floor. You need to find the right adhesive to prevent the vinyl sheet from bubbling in the center as you install it.
- Luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) planks – The third type of vinyl flooring is called LVF, short for luxury vinyl flooring. This flooring is made to resemble wood planks, giving it a luxurious look and feel. In order to properly lay this flooring and keep it attached to your subfloor, you need to use a very secure yet manageable vinyl glue.
Knowing which kind of vinyl flooring you’re working with is essential to choosing the vinyl glue that’s right for you.
Why Do You Need the Correct Vinyl Glue?
Picking a vinyl glue that won’t work with your flooring or your subfloor can lead to several problems. For example, an incompatible vinyl glue won’t adhere to the subflooring or the vinyl flooring properly, leaving it prone to coming up on the corners and in the middle.
If you have vinyl tiles installed, they may pop up at the edges, leaving them prone to crinkling, crumbling, and turning them into tripping hazards (yikes!). For sheets of vinyl flooring, incorrect glue can cause air pockets to form in the center, making the vinyl bubble up in spots.
For LVF planks, problematic vinyl glue can lead to the same problems as tiles; only you’ll have entire planks popping up. All of these are a sign that your hard work has been for naught.
Which Type of Vinyl Glue Will Meet Your Needs?
The issues with choosing the wrong vinyl glue are now obvious, so it’s time to answer one question: which type of vinyl glue do you need? Here are some of the most common options, as well as when to use them:
Vinyl Flooring Adhesive
Designed for multiple types of subflooring, as well as various forms of vinyl flooring, standard vinyl flooring adhesive will do the trick. It’s designed to be easy to spread on the subfloor, dry quickly and clearly, and keep those vinyl tiles, sheets, or planks down for quite some time.
Sold in everything from large buckets for multiple floors to smaller ones designed for a single floor or a repair job, this adhesive is an all-purpose option that will keep your vinyl flooring in place as needed.
Epoxy
If you have a subfloor made of a substance like concrete, you may need something a bit stronger than vinyl flooring adhesive to keep your new floor in place. Of course, you should always place a layer between a concrete subfloor and your vinyl sheets or tiles, but that also needs to be held down well.
This is where epoxy comes in. Made of two different types of adhesives that are mixed together to form one single type of glue, epoxy is very strong and will definitely hold your vinyl floor in place. The only issue is that you can only mix a small amount of it at once, as it dries very quickly.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is just as versatile as standard vinyl flooring adhesive. It will keep your vinyl flooring securely on your subfloor without many issues. In addition, it’s very easy to use, and it comes in containers of many different sizes. Just make sure to read the instructions well before use.
With that said, polyurethane does have a downside: it needs to be applied to a rough surface. If the wooden subfloor isn’t roughed up with some sandpaper before you apply the glue to it, then the vinyl flooring will not stick properly, and you’ll be stuck having to redo everything once again. Just be sure to keep that in mind!
Which Glues To Avoid
On top of the main types of glue that you can use to hold your vinyl flooring to your subfloor, there are several options that you should avoid. While these types of glue may work on vinyl, they have far more cons than pros.
Super Glue
Also known as cyanoacrylates, super glue is basically designed to hold vinyl in place. However, you may never get those tiles up again. If you place a tile awkwardly on the floor, you won’t be able to rearrange it correctly, as the glue dries quickly and will keep it stuck in place forever. Basically, super glue leaves no room for error.
Gorilla Glue
Like super glue, Gorilla glue is known for its extreme strength. It dries just as quickly, and while it will indeed hold vinyl flooring down, you need to be perfect in your vinyl application and may never be able to change the flooring because the glue just won’t give.
Silicone Glue
On the other hand, silicone glue doesn’t have enough power to keep a vinyl floor in place. If you really want to use it, make sure that your floor tiles or planks are very rigid and thick. Lightweight, flexible vinyl won’t adhere properly with this type of glue, and they will come up far too easily.
Tips for Using Vinyl Glue
Before you start adhering your vinyl flooring down onto your subfloor, there are a number of things to keep in mind, including these two very important tips. Following them will keep you safe while working on your DIY project.
Tip 1: Don’t Spread Too Much Glue
The last thing that you want is to have glue slopping over the sides of your new flooring. Plus, using too much adhesive will make it take too long to dry, leaving you with vinyl tiles or planks that are prone to slipping around on the floor before they fully adhere.
In fact, it’s best to work with only a small amount of glue at a time, like the amount needed for a single tile or plank.
Tip 2: Make Sure the Room Is Well-Ventilated
Glue of any type, but especially the kind used for vinyl flooring, has a number of chemicals in it that off-gas as it dries. Since you don’t want to inhale those chemicals, it’s important to open the windows and set up a fan in order to properly ventilate the room. Otherwise, you may end up getting sick, dizzy, or light-headed.
Final Tips for Choosing the Best Vinyl Glue
Choosing a vinyl glue depends on many different circumstances, including the type of flooring that you’ve chosen (vinyl tiles, vinyl planks, or vinyl sheets) as well as the type and texture of the subfloor that you’re working with. Making an informed decision, including picking the right glue and knowing how to apply it, can make the process go much more smoothly.
If you need a good vinyl glue or a reliable type of flooring for your home, check out our selection at Hardwood Bargains. We have plenty of options to choose from and a blog filled with tips and tricks that demystify the process. We have everything that you need to get the job done right, and we’re always happy to help!
Sources:
The Best Glue for Vinyl | Resin Expert
The Best Type of Adhesive for Vinyl Floors | How Stuff Works
How to Choose the Right Flooring Adhesive For Any Project | The Spruce
