Choosing the best wood floor adhesive for the job is an essential part of every glue-down or nail/glue-assist installation.
Adhesive helps you achieve a flawless result and saves you from callbacks, which speeds up your production.
As the demand for wide plank wood flooring continues to rise, contractors are applying adhesive to secure the planks.
Wider planks require a reliable bond to ensure stability, minimize movement, and prevent squeaks and creaks from developing.
Using adhesive increases the overall durability of the floor and contributes to a seamless and beautiful installation.
The adhesive you use determines how effectively you work and how well the floor will turn out. That’s why it’s worth investigating different adhesive products.
The best hardwood floor adhesive is low in VOC’s, easy to use, and elastomeric (expands and contracts). It provides a bond that remains flexible, securing the floor while giving it room to breathe.
With the best adhesive, you can install the floor faster, easier, and to the highest possible standards.
In this article, you will…
- Get an overview of industry standards for hardwood glue-down installation using wood floor adhesive
- Know how different brands and products compare
- Know the best option for your installation
By the end, you will be able to select the best product for your installation.
Prep the Subfloor Before You Select a Wood Floor Adhesive
Before selecting an adhesive, you must properly prepare the subfloor. This means checking that it meets all requirements for thickness, joist spacing, integrity, flatness, and moisture.
It must also be clean and free from any contaminants that prevent the adhesive from bonding.
Homeowners often overlook the importance of proper subfloor preparation. It’s just an additional cost for something underneath the floor.
But a good contractor informs clients about subfloor preparation and charges accordingly.
What’s below the surface of the floor is essential. Proper preparation is key.
Make sure to follow the flooring manufacturer’s guidelines for subfloor preparation.
Control the Moisture
You already know that your flooring installation will fail if you don’t handle moisture.
Moisture can cause warping, mold, and damage over time, leading to calls, repairs, and unhappy clients. Proper moisture management ensures your floor will look great and perform as expected.
Moisture Test & Document the Results
In the technical data sheets for adhesive products, you may read claims saying there’s no moisture-testing necessary. But this claim won’t protect you from liability if you have a moisture problem.
The NWFA recommends that installers moisture test both the subfloor and flooring and document the results.
In the end, you want your installation to be a success. By testing and documenting moisture readings you will…
- Increase your odds of a successful installation by decreasing the risk of moisture damage
- Meet the warranty requirements laid out by the flooring manufacturer
- Provide documentation that protects you from liability
Choosing the Right Trowel for the Job
Trowels are tools that meter out a specific amount of adhesive to achieve a desired result.
When selecting a trowel, you will want to follow the adhesive manufacturer’s recommendations.
Never use old trowels. They decrease the flow rate and will never perform as well as a new trowel. After spending money on adhesive, you don’t want to get to work with an inadequate tool.
The type of trowel you choose depends on the project type and adhesive.
This information is listed on the product’s technical data sheet.
What is the Best Wood Floor Adhesive?
The best wood floor adhesives help you achieve a smooth floor that doesn’t pop or creak when you walk on it.
These products are…
- Chemically formulated to adhere to hardwood floors
- Eco-friendly
- Easy to use
- Strong and long-lasting
Before you commit to an adhesive, make sure you understand the guidelines and the limitations of each product.
Contractor-Approved Wood Floor Adhesives
We offer a range of acrylic, urethane, and silane-based wood flooring adhesives for full-trowel and nail/glue-down assist installations.
Here we take a look at the best adhesives in our catalog.
Our contractors trust in the quality of these products.
Wakol MS-262 features a durable MS-polymer base for top-tier adhesion with 0 VOCs.
The Wakol MS-262 Wood Floor Adhesive is a premium solution designed for precision, performance, and environmental responsibility.
Suitable for both professionals and DIY enthusiasts, it gives you a secure and durable bond for wood flooring projects.
Contractors love this product because it gives them exceptional results.
And homeowners appreciate the eco-friendly formula.
Bona QUANTUM® FLOW brings you the latest in adhesive technology.
This silane-based adhesive is the only GREENGUARD GOLD Certified hardwood floor adhesive on the market.
GREENGUARD GOLD Certified is the highest certification for indoor air quality, which makes it perfect for homeowners who don’t want a sea of chemicals under their floors.
In addition to its eco-friendly characteristics, FLOW enables you to complete jobs faster and with less fatigue because the formula is pourable, easy to work with, and dries quickly.
You can also speed up the drying time by applying moisture. Spray a mist of water to cut the drying time in half.
Overall, this ZERO-VOC, cutting-edge product is the future of flooring adhesives.
Use it with Bona R540 to achieve unlimited moisture protection.
Bona QUANTUM® R851 is the go-to for many contractors installing wood flooring.
The 20 oz. sausages are convenient for in-and-out jobs.
GREENGUARD certified, Bona QUANTUM® doesn’t have an awful smell or VOC’s. It’s easy to clean up and provides a firm hold.
With a silane-based adhesive, you will eliminate board-replacement problems. These formulas contain no chemicals that etch prefinished flooring, so you can always clean up extra adhesive with ease.
First, let it dry, and then wipe off the adhesive with a microfiber cloth. It comes off without any problem, so you won’t ever have to worry about replacing boards.
Thanks to the silane-based formula, you won’t waste product. Save the foil, put it back when you’re done for the day. Two weeks later, you will still be able to apply it.
Bona Vertical is one of the most versatile silane-based adhesives available on the market.
This adhesive offers a strong hold and a fast dry time.
You can use it on many different materials, including PVC, stone, concrete, and plywood.
There’s no limitations to what it can glue down.
Many contractors use this for gluing down treads and risers without any fasteners.
Vertical fits 10.2 oz standard caulk guns and is great to have because it will help you out in many different situations.
Additionally, this product is great for double glue down because it gives you the same shear strength for your underlayment and for your wood.
Vermeister ZERO % is an advanced two-component epoxy polyurethane designed for the modern contractor.
This product offers unparalleled performance for gluing wood flooring on a variety of surfaces, including concrete screeds and non-absorbing materials like ceramic tiles, stoneware, and marble.
Engineered with cutting-edge rheology, Underwood ZERO % makes application both efficient and precise.
The adhesive’s outstanding hold gives you secure and long-lasting installations.
Its completely odor-free formulation, both before and after mixing, provides an ideal working environment while promoting healthful indoor air.
For these reasons, many contractors choose ZERO % for its superior adhesion, toughness, and eco-friendly qualities.
Titebond 771-Step is an advanced polymer adhesive for hardwood floors.
This is a multi-functional wood floor adhesive for solid wood, bamboo, cork, and engineered hardwood can be used as a moisture and sound control system.
You can also order 20 oz. sausages, depending on your needs.
With advanced polymer adhesive technology, this LEED V4 certified adhesive is a reliable solution that trowels easily.
With 771-Step, you can glue down your floor and protect it from subfloor moisture in a single application, so you save time and complete projects faster, which lets you free up your day.
As a rapid-curing adhesive, the working/open time is 25 – 45 minutes, depending on the relative humidity.
For unlimited moisture protection, combine 771-Step with Titebond 531.
Titebond 811 Advantage is a urethane wood flooring adhesive with enhanced green grab and exceptional bond.
This moisture-resistant adhesive gives you the option to use wet lay or flash installation.
It works with Titebond Moisture Control Systems and is a reliable option for installing parquet, engineered, solid, and sports hardwood floors.
With less than 20 g/L VOC’s, this FloorScore® certified formula is easy to trowel.
The sausages give you the utmost convenience on different jobsites. All you need to do is place the adhesive sausage on the subfloor, cut the end, squeeze it out, then spread and trowel.
This saves you money and allows for faster application.
Compared to the other urethane products, Titebond 811 Advantage gives you a strong bond at a great price.
Bostik’s Best® is a low-VOC, high-performance adhesive formulated with anti-microbial and anti-moisture protection.
You can apply this adhesive as a moisture vapor membrane beneath solid and engineered hardwood.
It provides a heavy-duty and tenacious bond.
For unlimited moisture protection, apply Bostik’s MVP4™ or Bostik Ultra-Set® SingelStep2™ before Bostik’s Best.
Make sure to remove any adhesive from prefinished flooring. Use Bostik Ultimate Adhesive remover or mineral spirits with care not to damage the finish.
This adhesive prevents subfloor moisture damage to engineered hardwood flooring.
For unlimited moisture vapor protection, use Bostik’s MVP4, Bostik Ultra-Set SingleStep2, or GreenForce.
Loctite PL Premium is a single-component urethane construction adhesive that’s excellent for flooring.
Our flooring pro, Doug, recommends Loctite PL Premium Construction Adhesive for nail/glue-down assist due to its versatility and reliability.
It gives you a secure and enduring bond, making it ideal for subfloor installations and other demanding jobs.
And Loctite PL’s low VOC formulation is compliant with stringent state and federal regulations to meet safety and environmental standards.
The rapid setting time of 30 minutes and full curing within 24 hours.
Loctite PL Premium Construction Adhesive is a trusted solution that professionals count on for superior results.
Summary
Wood floor adhesive is becoming a more integral part of wood floor installations.
Whether you’re using it for nail/glue-assist or full trowel, the benefits of choosing the best one can have a lifetime effect on the floor.
The adhesive you choose today speeds up your production on the jobsite and prevents problems from arising later on.
Before you choose an adhesive, you must be familiar with the flooring installation instructions and adhesive product guidelines.
You also need to know the industry standards for preparing the subfloor and controlling moisture.
And don’t forget to use the right trowel.
At Panel Town & Floors we provide a range of the best hardwood flooring adhesives. From cutting-edge adhesives like Bona QUANTUM® and Vermeister ZERO %, to proven urethane products from Titebond, BOSTIK, and Loctite.
We offer adhesives guaranteed to get the job done right the first time.
Shop our range of adhesives and trowels today.
And as always, feel free to call our Pro Shop with any questions you have about products, stock availability, and hardwood floor installation.
