We’ve heard from several HomeFree users that they’d like help understanding their best options for flooring adhesives.  In response, Healthy Building Network has created another “stoplight chart” ranking the most common options.

The best adhesive option is not to use one at all.  Nails, staples, and other mechanical fasteners are the healthiest choice for installing floors (and other products) whenever possible.  

When an adhesive is required, consider peel and stick options, where paper or plastic facings can be removed from an adhesive square or roll, revealing a film that is sticky on both sides.

Of the three primary types of liquid adhesives on the market - acrylic, epoxy, or polyurethane - acrylic is the better choice because it is free of the most serious chemicals of concern found in epoxy and polyurethane products.  (For more detail about these chemicals of concern, review our Common Product Profiles for Acrylic, Epoxy, and Polyurethane flooring adhesives.)

However, there is one wildcard to our ranking: disclosure.

Manufacturers typically do not fully disclose the chemicals used in their adhesives, so all things being equal, prefer adhesives with a Health Product Declaration, a Declare label or other transparency document.

Want to know more? Join one of our upcoming webinars on this topic: January 19th or January 23rd, 2017.