What types of hardwood adhesives are available? What is the fundamental difference between single-component and two-component hardwood adhesives? For which floor coverings are elastic adhesives used? What are the basic features of polyurethane parquethardwood adhesives?
Which adhesive should you choose when installing hardwood? This is a question rarely considered, probably because most people seldom install hardwood. However, because hardwood installation might only be done once in a lifetime, it’s essential to make a good choice. Certainly, the craftsman who will install the hardwood will give you the best advice, but it’s still useful to know a few basic rules.
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Generally, hardwood adhesives can be divided into three categories based on their composition: dispersive, polyurethane, and elastic hardwood adhesives. Additionally, hardwood adhesives can be categorized as single-component or two-component.
Dispersive Hardwood Adhesives
Dispersive hardwood adhesives have long been the most popular and are often referred to as classic hardwood adhesives. These synthetic adhesives are ideal for bonding classic and laminated hardwood and bond well to both concrete and wooden substrates. In recent years, they have lost popularity primarily because they do not meet certain ecological standards.
Polyurethane Hardwood Adhesives
Polyurethane hardwood adhesives are polymer-based. Similar to dispersive adhesives, polyurethane adhesives are available in various types, tailored to different types and dimensions of hardwood. They can be single-component or two-component. Polyurethane adhesives can be used for practically all types of hardwood and are especially recommended for hardwood made from various exotic wood species.
Elastic Hardwood Adhesives
The third group, elastic hardwood adhesives, are made from synthetic components, giving them their characteristic elasticity. This elastic bond provides several advantages. Firstly, they are recommended for bonding larger floor coverings. For floor coverings where components are of greater length, stresses are more extensively transmitted along the floor.
An elastic adhesive is beneficial in such cases to compensate for these stresses and absorb them. Additionally, elastic hardwood adhesives can reduce minor surface irregularities. They also allow for significantly less noise transmission, thanks to the elastic bond between the substrate and the wooden covering.
Although experienced floor installers agree that adhesive should never be used to level the substrate, it’s true that elastic adhesives can somewhat compensate for substrate irregularities. However, experts advise that the substrate should be well-leveled before laying the hardwood to ensure it fits perfectly and doesn’t become loose over time.
Single-Component or Two-Component Adhesives
Elastic adhesives and polyurethane adhesives for hardwood can be either single-component or two-component. The primary advantage of two-component adhesives is that they are prepared for use by mixing two components.
This initiates a chemical reaction, causing two-component adhesives to dry faster. This is a significant advantage in many cases because the bonding process is shorter, allowing for earlier subsequent work such as sanding and varnishing, thus shortening the work process.
Two-component adhesives are therefore favored by professionals who have a work routine, enabling them to work much faster. On the other hand, faster bonding can be a challenging factor because hardwood installation needs to be well-planned to ensure everything goes smoothly.
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