This might sound tacky, but a sticky situation is what you want when it comes to carpet installation.
When you’re ready to specify adhesives for carpet tiles, always talk to the carpet manufacturer, or authorized agent/distributor, to be certain you’re choosing the adhesive that works with the specified product. Use a reputable installer. Checking both those boxes will ensure your warranty is intact for the life of the carpet and that the carpet looks perfect to its last day.
Types of adhesives:
Carpet tile goes on pressure-sensitive adhesive, termed a tackifier. Adhesive that is tacky rather than a ‘dead set’ adhesive, when installed properly, allows tiles to be removed with ease – think of it as Velcro rather than glue. Tiles will stay in place and withstand traffic. You should be able to pull up a damaged tile and lay its replacement back onto the tacky base without using glue – easy. If an installer is rushed or inexperienced, they may lay tiles when the adhesive is too liquid, which will then permeate into the tile backing and make it much harder to remove.
We specify Gilt Grip 66 by Gilt Edge, a pressure-sensitive adhesive recommended with modulyss®. We chose it as it is non-toxic, easy to work with and clean up, water-based, with a low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds – avoiding smells and air pollutants that can be harmful over time). We tested our carpet tiles with Gilt Edge to ensure the products worked well together with no issues – no reactions, discolourations and lasted through wear and time.
Bentley recommends using Healthbond 2399 (their own adhesive). We specify this with Bentley tiles, and we like it as it is water-based, non-flammable, low odour, low VOC – great for anywhere indoor air quality is of concern, like childcare, healthcare and aged care.
Tretford has a natural fibre pile and backing which means the choice of adhesive is particularly important, as natural fibres can react to higher moisture that might be present in some adhesives. A higher solid adhesive / low moisture solution is essential, so we specify Tretford 240 which is engineered specifically for the Tretford product, for direct stick and double stick. Importantly, this is also low VOC.
Another increasingly popular option for carpet tiles is Flex Fitters. These self-adhesive tabs are used to tack only the corners of the tiles. The square Flex sticker sits at the intersection of 4 tiles, holding them together at the corners. No adhesive is applied to the floor, which is a great solution if the carpet may be removed and the original floor used at a later date. The floor needs to be flat, and free of dust, and trims are required at doors and either “exposed” or “floating” edges – where there isn’t a wall. The benefits include that there’s no adhesive required so no drying time, tiles are super easy to remove and re-use, with little to no VOC.
Reputable suppliers will always be there to answer any questions you might have. It’s our job to make your life easy and to get the best from the product so that it serves you long term. There are installers who have specific experience with particular products. Always talk to the carpet supplier for information and recommendations that can save a world of trouble through the life of the carpet.
For more information on Flex Fitters, visit the modulyss site.
You can download installation instructions here too:
