To install vinyl flooring, you need a heat and moisture-resistant adhesive. There are many types of adhesives on the market, but they all do not offer the same conveniences for cross-linking and other techniques. How do you find the best glue to use for vinyl flooring?
Using a neoprene-based adhesive is the best way to bond vinyl floor planks, but there are other viable options. The goal of this post is to discuss your available options and help you make an informed decision. Whether you are a professional handyman or DIY enthusiast, hopefully, you will find this discussion useful.
What is vinyl?
When choosing the best glue to use for vinyl flooring, it is important to understand the nature of this plastic polymer.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is a plastic polymer known for its tenacity and flame resistance. This polymer is not biodegradable and therefore manufacturers are encouraged to recycle all vinyl products.
There are two types of vinyl: flexible and rigid. Flexible vinyl is used for packaging, electrical cable insulation, leather upholstery, and such soft items.
On the other hand, rigid vinyl is great for manufacturing bottles, water piping, bank cards, and the like. To make PVC more flexible, manufacturers add plasticizers to it. PVC planks used for flooring are usually neither too flexible nor too rigid.
What adhesives are used for bonding vinyl flooring?
Several different types of glues are widely used for bonding vinyl planks. Choosing the appropriate glue is of utmost importance because not all glues do the job with equal efficiency.
Some vinyl planks are stiff while others are pliable. The stiff type works better with stiff vinyl, and versatile adhesive is appropriate for flexible vinyl. This is the cardinal rule to remember when installing vinyl flooring.
Learn about your options before you choose the right glue for your project.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane glues, known for their versatility, are pretty good for gluing thin vinyl planks together. These glues also work pretty well with plastic or wooden surfaces. Before you apply polyurethane, be sure to prepare the surface using sandpaper. This little preparatory act will significantly enhance the bond strength.
Neoprene-based spray adhesive
Neoprene, also known as polychloroprene, is a powerful agent in various types of adhesives, particularly spray adhesives. Neoprene-based spray adhesive is the best option for bonding vinyl sheets, pieces of rubber, wood, and plastic. Neoprene-based glue is also the best glue for vinyl fabric.
This glue is resistant to high ambient temperatures, offers quick, strong bonds, long-term durability, and does not get sticky. If you are working with light materials such as vinyl, cardboard, foil, or paper, this all-purpose spray adhesive is one of the best options. It is also the best adhesive for vinyl flooring on walls.
Contrary to what some DIY enthusiasts tend to think, spray adhesive can be used to bond heavy materials together. If you are working with vinyl sheets, wood, plastic, or rubber, you can rely on a high-strength spray adhesive. It’s non-toxic, easy to use, and offers strong and permanent bonding.
Silicone
When it comes to bonding vinyl, silicone adhesive is also pretty efficient. Do not use silicone adhesive when working with flexible or thin vinyl—mainly due to its insufficient grip. With hard vinyl, however, this type of adhesive works well. If you bond spotless vinyl surfaces with 100% silicone glue, rest assured that the outcome will be great!
Epoxy
An epoxy-based adhesive is known for its unparalleled tenacity and is the best adhesive for vinyl flooring on concrete. Epoxy is a pretty efficient glue for vinyl flooring, particularly rigid vinyl planks. For flexible vinyl, however, epoxy is not a good option. Epoxies are used not only for gluing vinyl planks together but also for filling holes in vinyl flooring.
Super Glue
Super glue, originally known as cyanoacrylates, is a very strong adhesive used in a wide range of projects. This glue absorbs dampness from the air and cures quickly. By absorbing moisture, cyanoacrylates create a chemical structure similar to a net, resulting in a very strong bond. Super glue is the best glue for siding.
What to look for in effective flooring adhesive?
When it comes to gluing vinyl planks together, there are a few challenges. It is important to keep these challenges in mind when deciding what glue to use for vinyl flooring. Here are the essential features to look for when choosing an adhesive for installing vinyl flooring.
- Flexibility: These planks are flexible, and therefore they tend to bend when under pressure. That means, the best glue for vinyl plank flooring is a glue that’s a bit flexible—not too stiff when dried.
- Moisture resistance: Being water resistant, vinyl flooring is widely used in kitchens and bathrooms. However, if there are gaps between planks or tiles, water seeps into the cracks. That’s why it is important to choose a waterproof adhesive.
- Non-toxic: A powerful spray adhesive can make it easy to install vinyl floor tiles. But unfortunately, most vinyl flooring adhesives available on the market contain toxic chemicals. Stay away from those products because they will adversely affect your indoor air. The best glue for LVP flooring is one that does not contain harmful substances.
- Subfloor type: You also have to consider the subfloor on top of which you are going to install vinyl flooring. A particular adhesive may work pretty well on concrete but not at all on ceramic tiles. The good news is, many different types of spray adhesives are available on the market, so you have a good deal of options to choose from.
- Bonding time: When choosing the best glue for vinyl flooring, also carefully notice the bonding time of the glue. You expect a quick bond, but you do not want to use an adhesive that bonds too quickly, because you need some time for adjustments. As you lay vinyl planks, you will need to make adjustments often. That is why it is important to stay away from an adhesive that bonds in seconds.
Underlayment Considerations
To make sure the materials bond well, pay particular attention to the flooring underlayment. Besides mainly serving as a barrier between the subfloor and your vinyl flooring, an underlayment also serves other purposes: it prevents humidity from building up, numbs sounds, provides cushioning, and manages temperature fluctuations.
Lay an appropriate underlayment between the subfloor and your vinyl flooring before you put the vinyl flooring. Foam, cork, felt, plywood, particleboard, oriented strand board, and rubber are all great underlayments for vinyl plank flooring, and you have to choose one based on the material of your existing subfloor, which can be wood or concrete.
Spray adhesive can make the process easier
There are several benefits of using spray adhesive, for use cases such as vinyl plank flooring installation, furniture repairs, school projects, and crafts. Spray adhesive offers quick but strong bonds, and dries clear. Spray adhesive is the best glue for vinyl flooring repair because this adhesive makes it easy to reposition vinyl planks when needed.
The procedure requires applying a fine mist of glue on vinyl, so the application is not only easy but also satisfactory. It is also a very efficient vinyl to vinyl adhesive, and pretty easy to remove dried spray adhesive from vinyl planks. The user-friendliness of spray adhesive makes it so popular among DIY enthusiasts.
Final thoughts
For a project that involves installing vinyl flooring, several different types of adhesives are available on the market. Choosing the right type of glue is of utmost importance, so be sure not to choose any glue for your project.
The effectiveness of any adhesive depends on the way you apply it. So, read the manufacturer’s instructions before you apply the glue, whether it is regular adhesive or spray adhesive. We have touched upon various aspects of choosing the best glue to use for vinyl flooring, and we hope now you are better prepared to make an informed decision.