Manufacturers, in an attempt to control the installation of their flooring materials and prevent, as best they can, failures of the installation, are mandating you use their adhesives. The reason for this, as mentioned, is to try and insure that the correct compatible adhesive is used to adhere their flooring material to the substrate so that the material stays anchored in place. They have worked with adhesive manufacturers to develop the best formulations for use with their products and, as a result, they feel the adhesive they specify using will do the best job. Why should you use the manufacturer’s specified adhesive? Because it generally works and if you don’t use it they won’t warrant the material or the installation. Many of you might think that the only reason they tell you to use their adhesive is so they can make more money. Well, you wouldn’t be wrong saying that certainly, as it’s the truth, and, in my opinion there’s nothing wrong with that. After all, you have “add-ons” and additional profit centers that you make money with and that’s business. However, they sell the adhesive with the flooring material because they have done testing and they know it works best with their products. If for some reason you should have a claim on the flooring material for any reason, be it installation or a defect in the material, they will not warrant it if you did not use their adhesive. Now, what a defect in the material has to do with the adhesive used is a stretch of logic but that’s their policy. This is just more reinforcement to get you to use the right adhesive. So rather than fight the issue, just do the right thing. This is very similar to using motor oil or parts recommended by your automobile manufacturer, substitutions may also work but they may void your warranty.
To give you an example, an installer called here last week and had a question about the adhesive he was given by his boss to use with a sheet vinyl installation. He questioned using the adhesive first, because it specifically stated it couldn’t be used with a vinyl backed product and secondly because he was installing a vinyl floor that the manufacturer mandated only their adhesive be used. I told the installer not to use the adhesive and unless he had the specified adhesive not to install the flooring material. If he had used the adhesive he was given, he would have voided the warranty on the vinyl and he would have been blamed for any installation failure. It’s not worth the risk just to save a few bucks. You’ve heard the phrase, “penny wise and pound foolish,” and this is it.
Most adhesive manufacturers put tagents or identifiers in their adhesive so they’ll know whether or not their adhesive was used. If you file a claim and they get a sample of the adhesive from beneath the flooring and it’s not their adhesive they have the right to refuse your claim. As much as you may want to argue, if they tell you to use a specific adhesive then that’s what you have to do.
If you feel the adhesive or seam sealer specified isn’t working properly, and it happens, then you should call the flooring manufacturer and let them suggest an alternative. If they do suggest an alternative have them send you an email confirming they said it was alright. On a recent double stick re-installation we worked on, the manufacturers seam sealer was not flowing well, came out in gobs and was very difficult to work with. I called the manufacturer, told them about this and told them what we wanted to use, a new product by XL adhesive called XL One that can be used on carpet and vinyl and it’s one of the best seam sealers on the market, if not the best right now. The flooring manufacturer said they had had some bad batches of their seam sealer and said it was alright to use the alternative, which actually is a much better product.
So, to avoid losing money on a claim and to prevent aggravation with the products you install, only use what the manufacturer tells you to use. If you have a complaint later, as long as you really didn’t do something wrong, and the installation or product fails, at least you won’t be on the lurch because you didn’t use the specified adhesives. This is another simple way to avoid claims and keep your profit. Do what they tell you to do.
Author: Lewis G. Migliore
LGM and Associates – The Floorcovering Experts