Speed and Ease: The Must-Haves for Your Next Flooring Installation Project | Bostik Blog

Whether hardwood flooring, ceramic tile, or luxury vinyl, every beautiful floor installation is easier, faster and more durable with proper subfloor preparation.

When assessing the need for surface preparation in the subfloor, look for any dips, squeaks, low spots that could ruin the final flooring installation. A flat surface is required for most types of flooring installations. You should also check for moisture vapor prior to getting started.

Small flaws can be sanded or smoothed out, and seams can be filled in with caulk. But some subfloors need additional preparation. Self-leveling underlayments and floor patches are often necessary to provide a sound and solid installation that will endure the test of time.

Additional membranes and underlayments are often required before installing the final flooring. Depending on what your project needs are, these products help with moisture mitigation, vapor reduction and even sound dampening! They also help provide extra support and resiliency to the flooring.

Even the best design and flooring materials will have a poor result if the subfloor is not properly prepared, so it is worth the time and investment to get off to a smooth start.

Soft flooring includes a wide variety of materials, such as luxury vinyl tile or plank (LVT/LVP), sheet vinyl, rubber, linoleum and carpet. Choosing quality soft flooring adhesives that is formulated to perform across the entire spectrum of flooring applications results in a speedy and easy installation process.

Soft flooring adhesives offer a variety of benefits, such as cushioning, minimizing hollow spots, reducing floor covering movement, and antimicrobial protection. They are also durable enough to withstand harsh conditions seen in commercial kitchens, gyms, hospitals and schools.

Most wood flooring is sensitive to its environment and will contract and expand according to temperature and moisture levels. So, hardwood flooring adhesives need to be flexible enough to prevent floors from cracking.

Axios^® adhesives are one of the most popular types of hardwood floor glue. This adhesive is flexible, eco-friendly, easy to clean, and durable enough to support high traffic and heavy loads. Axios adhesives provided sound dampening and moisture protection for the wood flooring as well!

You also have to consider the environment the hardwood floors are going into. If noise is an issue, adhesives with sound dampening qualities can eliminate the need for cork or rubber, saving time, material and money on the installation. If the hardwood floorboards are going into an area with high substrate moisture, choosing an adhesive with moisture vapor protection and antimicrobial properties prevents damage to floorboards. It helps keep the space free of mold and mildew.

Tile is often installed in high-use and moisture-prone areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms. So, adhesives and grout need to be durable enough to withstand high traffic, water submersion, and harsh cleaning chemicals.

Tile grout should have low porosity and should be designed to not require an additional sealer in order to prevent dirt, grime, and moisture from penetrating and leaving unattractive stains. Antimicrobial protection is an added bonus some grout has that helps protect against mold, mildew, and bacteria growth. Look for the Bostik Blockade^® icon for products that have this built in protection!

When it comes to choosing a grout, many options are available, like pre-mixed urethane based grouts, cement grouts, epoxy grouts and even translucent glass based grouts that are made from recycled glass! You want to identify the key benefits from each type of grout and make sure it's got the level of performance your project needs.

Waterproofing is a vital element, particularly in spaces that need moisture mitigation like bathrooms, laundry rooms, spas, kitchens and basements, to protect not only the flooring but the subfloor and foundation, and everything beneath the flooring as well. Waterproofing membranes prevent water from seeping into unwanted areas and causing damage that usually remains unseen until it is too late.

Waterproofing also protects from more than just moisture. Waterproofing membranes prevent stains and damage from pets while also helping make general cleaning easier.