Hardwood Floors August/September 2019

By John Brown and David Jackson

methodwhenmoisture is emanating frombelow. As long as the aforementionedelements areproperly contemplated, glue-assist is a valuable asset that couldminimizeplankmovement, strengthen overall stability, andcombat anoisyfloor. Thepending releaseof the glue-assist guidelines fromtheNWFA signifies a turningpoint for glue-assist flooring installations, indicating its inevitablewidespreadusage amongwide-plankwood flooring jobs. Installers shouldgarner all possible informationgoing intoany installation todetermine if anail-downandglue-assist approach is best. Adhesivemanufacturers havemade a rangeof glue-assist choices available andwill undoubtedly continue to evolve their repertories to suit this growing industryneed. g John Brown is Southeast Technical SalesManager for DriTac. He can be reached at jbrown@dritac.com. David Jackson is Field Technical Services Manager for DriTac. He can be reached at djackson@dritac.com.

AsMSpolymer andurethanewoodflooring adhesives have becomewidely available incartridge and sausagepackaging alternatives, installersmust determinewhichwoodflooring adhesive technology suits their needs best. Regardless ofwhich technology is preferred, it is critical toapply aneven serpentine beador patternacross thewoodplanks toprevent theboard from tiltingonewayor another. Installersmust alsobe aware that a glue-assist does not fully eliminate thepotential for cupping, crowning, or other physical issueswithwoodplanks on its own. Proper subfloor preparation andmoisture controlmust be executed inaddition tonail-down andglue-assist. Further, aswithany installation, the installermust properlyweighenvironmental factors. Climate andgeography play a role indictating theproper flooring installation style, as could the arrangement of thebuilding. If installingover a crawl space, for instance, glue-assistmight not be the right installation

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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