Wood floor adhesives
Hardwood flooring adhesives: smart benefits
Bostik hardwood flooring adhesives are suitable for fully bonded installations with solid or engineered wood flooring.
Key benefits include:
- Strength: Engineered for high bond performance, including wide boards (product-specific limits apply).
- Flexibility: Tough, elastic bonds to common subfloors such as concrete, flooring grade plywood, and fibre-cement boards.
- Low-VOC options: Formulations available with low emissions (e.g., EMICODE EC1/EC1 PLUS) and low odour without compromising bond strength and durability.
- Underfloor heating compatibility: Suitable for warm-water underfloor heating systems when used within product temperature limits (typically up to 27°C).
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FAQs about wood floor adhesives
Picking the right adhesive for wooden floors depends on board width, timber type and subfloor. Bostik offers different types of adhesives suited to your project. Get in touch with our Technical Team here for personalised advice.
“Strongest” isn’t always best – wood floors need high bond strength plus permanent elasticity to accommodate movement. Our premium wood floor adhesive systems combine strength with flexibility, ensuring flooring stays securely in place while allowing for expansion and contraction.
When installing, it’s important to create an expansion gap around the perimeter of the room (typically 10-12mm but always check the timber flooring manufacturer’s guidance). The adhesive should be applied directly to the subfloor, not the planks themselves, so the floor can move as needed without stress.
Unsure which wood floor adhesive to choose?
Our Technical Team can make tailored recommendations based on timber type, board width, subfloor and underfloor heating.
A fully bonded (glue-down) installation offers excellent stability, and with systems such as our WOOD H910 SILENTSTIK, you gain additional benefits. Its integrated soundproofing layer delivers acoustic performance up to -19dB, helping create quieter, more comfortable spaces alongside a secure bond.
Moisture control is essential for all subfloors. If readings are above 65% RH, an appropriate surface DPM or moisture barrier must be applied – regardless of whether the installation is glue-down or loose lay. For best results, follow British Standards referenced in Bostik TDS documents and the product-specific RH thresholds. If you’re unsure, our Technical Team can provide tailored advice and recommendations.
As a default, choose a single-component hybrid adhesive for wood flooring. These provide an elastic, high-strength bond across common subfloors and are suitable for both solid and engineered boards within the product’s width limits. If you also need sound reduction – often the case with parquet – an acoustic bonding system may be the better fit. Solvented adhesives also remain a useful option for particular timbers or site conditions where specified.
For product recommendations, please get in touch with our Technical Team who will be able to advise based on project requirements.
You can bond directly to properly prepared concrete using a suitable hybrid adhesive once the slab is within the moisture levels set out in the TDS. If moisture is above the limit, install a compatible surface DPM first, then bond within the stated overcoating window. Good preparation – clean, dry, smooth, and primed where required – is essential to long-term performance.
For further advice or if you have any questions on adhesive’s compatibility with substrates, please get in touch with our Technical Team.
If the adhesive is still fresh, scrape off the excess as soon as possible and use a suitable cleaner, testing first on an inconspicuous area. Once cured, removal is primarily mechanical, using careful scraping to avoid damaging the surface – some cured beads can be peeled from non-porous finishes. Avoid using water as a cleaning agent on uncured adhesives and always consult the relevant TDS for guidance. Depending on the project and flooring type, we have several methods and products available.