#MAPEITechTip: Why should I consider the carpet backing when choosing an adhesive?

Carpet construction, backing materials, and adhesive selection and application methods vary from carpet to carpet. To date there are about 70 different types of backing systems in use today and that number keeps growing as the carpet industry continually innovates to be more sustainable.  Here are some general guidelines when selecting a carpet adhesive:

-SBR (Styrene Butadiene Rubber) Adhesives: most carpet backings can be installed using these adhesives, if patterned carpet, select one with a longer working time.

-Acrylic Adhesives: permanent installation of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) backed roll carpet, due to their strong bond, great for very heavy traffic areas like nursing homes.

-Acrylic Pressure Sensitive Adhesives (PSA): non-permanent installation of carpet tiles that remain tacky to allow carpet tiles to be replaced as needed. Some PSAs are designed for PVC free and polyolefin backings.

-Unknown carpet backing: always check with carpet manufacturer first to see if they have an adhesive recommendation to use with their backing, or if no recommendation is available, it may be necessary to conduct testing with the carpet manufacturer with various adhesives to determine the best adhesive to use.

-Bio-based carpet backing:  As carpeting manufacturers continue to innovate their carpeting lines to remove ‘chemicals of concern’, such as PVC-free backings, it requires specialized adhesives to adhere to these more 'sustainable' backings. Always check with both the carpet and adhesive manufacturers to determine compatibility before installation.

See MAPEI’s website for a full line of indoor and outdoor carpet adhesives designed to work with a variety of carpet backings....for details regarding glue down installation methods, see the Architectural CAD & Specifications section.  For additional assistance with your next glue down carpet project, contact our Technical Services at 1-800-992-6273 (U.S. and Puerto Rico) or 1-800-361-9309 (Canada).