That job in Phoenix changed how I prep for glue downs

Back in 2017 I had this huge glue down job in a new office building out in Phoenix. The slab was hot as hell and I didn't let the adhesive flash off long enough before laying the carpet. Ended up with bubbles all over by the end of the day and had to tear out 600 square feet the next morning. Now I always check slab temp with a thermometer and wait at least twice as long as the manufacturer says. Anyone else get burned by a hot slab before?

3 comments

3 Comments

jana11919d ago

I get what you're saying but I think you're overthinking it. That "hot as hell" slab in Phoenix probably wasn't the real problem. Most adhesive manufacturers build in a safety margin for temp ranges anyway. I've laid glue down on slabs that were pushing 95 degrees and never had a bubble issue because I used a quality adhesive with a longer open time. The real trick is making sure you trowel the glue right and don't put too much down at once. Waiting double the flash time just costs you money and slows the whole crew down. If you got bubbles, my bet is you spread too much glue or didn't roll it hard enough with a 100 pound roller. Hot slabs are fine if you know what you're doing.

shane65519d ago

Wait, are you saying you've glued down flooring on a 95 degree slab and never had issues? I gotta push back on that a little, not gonna lie. I've done plenty of hot jobs in Arizona and Texas, and any slab over 90 degrees is playing with fire no matter what glue you use. The open time gets cut way down, like half what the can says, and if you're spreading too much and letting it sit even a few minutes too long you're asking for trouble. I've seen guys use that same "I know what I'm doing" attitude and end up with floor that bubbles up three months later because the bond never fully set. Plus rolling with a 100 pounder is great but if the glue skins over before you get the floor down it doesn't matter how hard you roll. Just saying, sometimes it's better to slow down a bit than to deal with a callback.

miles7219d ago

Hold on, most adhesive manufacturers don't build in a safety margin for temps that high.