Foam Backed Vinyl Plank Flooring Adhesive Comparison

[@samerlone1964]

Thanks. Removal the backing can be pealed off with razor and cleaned. The bear vinyl with stick with construction adhesive.

[@DIY-Saver]

Thanks for the info! Sounds like a good option. Just curious as to how much time it takes to strip the foam from one plank?

[@rogerbourret7562]

I’ve seen a video that says you should remove the foam backing before gluing. They used PL construction glue after backing removed plus they used a hand roller to help secure the piece.

[@DIY-Saver]

Someone else mentioned that as well. It sounds like a good option assuming it's not difficult to remove the foam backing. Thanks for your response.

[@rogerbourret7562]

@@DIY-Saver It looked like it was fairly easy to remove. Just scrape off as much as possible. DON’T use any solvents to try and remove foam.

[@victorvek5227]

@@rogerbourret7562a heat gun, used carefully, is the best way. But it’s messy and laborious. Add days to the job, potentially weeks if you’re working along

[@victorvek5227]

Honestly, I’ve used: PL Premium 3x PL Premium MAX PL Premium foamboard Dap Extreme Stretch GE 100% Silicone Supreme Henry 650R Releasable, and Titebond thick & heavy ALL bonded to foam-backed stone-core LVP beyond my expectations. The PL premium foamboard intrigues me the most because I know it won’t degrade the foam pad over time, which PL Premium MAX and 3x both will. I’m surprised at how well it’s bonded in my mock-ups. Instead of pulling on the wood, attach the lvp pieces to a scrap piece of whatever subfloor / surface you’re installing the LVP on. Come back in 2 hours with any of what I’ve listed above and you will not be able to remove the plank.

[@DIY-Saver]

Hi victorvek5227, thanks for the feedback. Of course the variety of adhesives in my comparison was extremely limited and your feedback of additional products is greatly appreciated. Can you confirm that the foam on your products is indeed polyethylene? I'm asking since PL Premium foamboard says "Do not use on polyethylene (PE)" and Titebond thick & heavy (QUICK & THICK) says "Not recommended for plastics"

[@trevorknight8764]

Would titebond 2 wood glue work?

[@SoniaBDorsey]

Would this void out any warranty? What if it’s a concrete subfloor? Are these floors not supposed to “float” ? Nice content. Thanks for sharing.

[@DIY-Saver]

You are correct, when installing on the floor, the product I installed was free-floating and adhesive was not required. I only used the adhesive when installing on a vertical surface like a stairway riser. You will want to check with the manufacture documentation to see if it'll void your warranty. Installing on concrete normally requires a vapor barrier; be sure to check your installation instructions.

[@ichiro1717]

How is your stair so far? Any of the treads come off? I am going to be installing vinyl planks on my stairs but not sure if i should remove the foam backing or not...

[@DIY-Saver]

Actually I didn't put it on stairs; I used it in a closet where the floor slants upward and goes vertical to create a shelf. In my application it is holding firm.

[@susanlutz6833]

What kind of hot glue did you use. Thank you

[@DIY-Saver]

I just used the hot glue my wife had. I believe she purchased it from the dollar store. The brand is "Ad tech". Hope this helps.

[@silasketgaskets8709]

do u think 30 minutes adhesion time is adequate? i would think 24 hours is a fair way to test as this mimics real installation.

[@DIY-Saver]

Hi silasketgaskets, thanks for your feedback. You are correct that the full cure time is greater than 30 minutes. Searching the web I found this response "10 minutes to set on wood, but it's best to wait 12 hours for it to fully harden." For the purpose of my test, even after 30 min, I found it secured the vinyl plank much better than the other products in the test.

[@silasketgaskets8709]

@@DIY-Saver i just did similar adhesion test using SPC with and without foam backer. both applied to foam core composite. 24 hours. foam one can be removed with less force than no foam. i am thinking of using SPC to restore a desktop. waterproof as well as foam core board. adhesion is more than good enough for my purpose. used ordinary contact cement applied to both surfaces, wait til tacky then clamped together. normally SPC applied to floor without adhesive.

[@jasonbolin7025]

Excellent info.

[@DIY-Saver]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MrMalzers]

should of try loctite pl max

[@DIY-Saver]

Thanks for the suggestion. I chose the two product used in this demo because I found them used by others in several KZbin videos. I see in the Loctite PL Max documentation polyethylene isn't listed in the "Recommended For" section, but appears in the "Limitation" section.

[@dustinmoore7614]

I've tried the Loctite PL products on this exact application you must rip off the padded back before you attempt to glue it to anything. Roberts makes a type of stair nose glue that works wonderful once you strip off the backing and truthfully it only takes about 30 seconds with a razor scraper to do to do each Riser. that is probably exaggerating the amount of time it takes significantly. Ardex makes a stair tread glue also I have never tried but I have heard good things about. There's also one step people fail to do is to sand the back. I rough it up quite significantly to get extra grab area

[@MadDog-n2p]

@@dustinmoore7614 I am a flooring contractor for over 40 years and i have been installing Loctite PL max premium on LVP stairs for years... I have a 5-year warranty on all my installs. Not one complaint