Laying TrafficMaster Fiberglass backed Vinyl w/Releasable Adhesive for the1st time, some Questions

[Dr D]

My client brought over a roll of Trafficmaster Sandstone Mosaic. I am pretty sure that the rep said it was fiber-glassed backed, but going back to all that I can find out about it online, can't find that wording. Cut it up into 2 pieces, bath & kitchen. I noticed, what I call rises(see in picture), from being rolled & loaded in her car. Never used this pressure sensitive releasable adhesive before. In researching the install methods, a phrase popped up more than once, it must lay flat to stay flat. I am concerned about these rises. I have left the flooring laying over the weekend withe the heat cranked up in the hope it relaxes. Any insight you may have on this would be greatly appreciated, thank you

 

[C.J.]

You can try back rolling the product to see if that helps to relieve some of the bubbles. A little warmer environment helps as well. You got a sunny driveway you can lay that out on to help it out then back roll it?

 

[Dr D]

You can try back rolling the product to see if that helps to relieve some of the bubbles. A little warmer environment helps as well. You got a sunny driveway you can lay that out on to help it out then back roll it?

OK, that is a thought & will try that, thank you

 

[Incognito]

We smear glue on the back of the goods AND the floor sometimes when it's not looking like it wants to lay flat with standard procedures. Not sure how these materials show trowel ridges or what's specifically called out for this install but generally very fine notch on the floor and paint roller/brush on the back of the goods.

But yeah. First you do want to try backrolling and anything you can do ------sun/heat gun/torch to warm it up and get it laying flat before "contact cement" methods are resorted to.

 

[Dr D]

OK, yea, thank you, that also is worth trying

 

[Floorist]

Must have been in a warehouse for a while to look that bad.

 

[Dr D]

The guys at Homey D loaded into my clients car & it sat there for a few days. I offered to pick it up but she thought she was helping me out or something

 

[Floorist]

I would NOT guarantee installation.

 

[C.J.]

Those ripples aren’t bad. Get the product warm and roll it up tightly to reset its memory. Go about your prep and whatever else the job calls for and you’ll be just fine by the time it comes to spreading adhesive.

 

[Tile Tom]

It's because it wasn't tightly rolled on a tube. It crushed itself. Any fiberglass I do I DEMAND it be on a cardboard tube at least 24 hrs before install. That shit has memory and will raise up with a releasable install. I prefer doing a permanent adhesive.

 

[Tile Tom]

And just another tidbit, back rolling won't do it. It'll look fine till you walk out the door. Then the memory will kick in and it'll come back.

When earthscapes came out I had a hell of a time figuring out why this was happening. Then I figured out the warehouse guy wasn't giving it to me on the tube. I'm no science rocketist but it's the tube for the W. Roll it on a tube and keep it warm for 24 hrs. Problem solved!

 

[JPfloor]

Pressure sensitive with sheet vinyl? Whose Idea was that?

Looks like it was improperly stored. aside from being rolled on a tube it should be stored in a storage tube, not on a flat surface. Back rolling is a good plan. If you have a tube to roll it on even better. Nice and tight. I'd be way more confident about getting those wrinkles to flatten out and stick if I weren't using pressure sensitive releasable adhesive. I've never used it on sheet vinyl and I don't think I ever would. There's a reason why the instructions mention getting it to lay flat before installing. Most pressure sensitives (if not all) require the adhesive to set up before laying down the floor covering. Gotta be a bitch with sheet vinyl? Double check to make sure it doesn't void any warranties.

P.S. I hope you have a heavy roller...

 

[Dr D]

You guys are correct, this was not on a tube, which I thought was a bad idea, but this is HD after all. I don't have a tube & could only guess where to find one. I am now beginning to lean towards the regular adhesive, I feel that it would better handle the ripples, the instructions allow for that since it apparently is required for new construction

 

[Tile Tom]

You guys are correct, this was not on a tube, which I thought was a bad idea, but this is HD after all. I don't have a tube & could only guess where to find one. I am now beginning to lean towards the regular adhesive, I feel that it would better handle the ripples, the instructions allow for that since it apparently is required for new construction

Hit up a flooring shop. If their anything like ours they'll be happy to dump some tubes on you.

 

[Dr D]

I want to thank you all for your help, it made a difference. We backrolled the floor tight, let it sit for 4hrs, 65deg was all I could get from temporary heater, but sure seemed to help. Since it was going to be a rental & had a W/D in kitchen as well, with unknown number of not so careful moves, I oppted for the regular adhesive. It turned out good, thanks to all again

 

[Tile Tom]

Nice! I always say that 90% of this trade is pulling rabbits out of your ass.

 

[Commercial Floor Rep]

A heat gun will also take wrinkles and creases out of vinyl if you need to get it installed. You can literally watch it return to its original "shape". Just keep your heat moving so that it warms the vinyl, and you don't get any given spot too hot.

 

[highup]

Pressure sensitive with sheet vinyl? Whose Idea was that?

Looks like it was improperly stored. aside from being rolled on a tube it should be stored in a storage tube, not on a flat surface. Back rolling is a good plan. If you have a tube to roll it on even better. Nice and tight. I'd be way more confident about getting those wrinkles to flatten out and stick if I weren't using pressure sensitive releasable adhesive. I've never used it on sheet vinyl and I don't think I ever would. There's a reason why the instructions mention getting it to lay flat before installing. Most pressure sensitives (if not all) require the adhesive to set up before laying down the floor covering. Gotta be a bitch with sheet vinyl? Double check to make sure it doesn't void any warranties.

P.S. I hope you have a heavy roller...

When those materials came out and pressure sensitive was used he's supposed to use a stiff broom not a heavy roller. Since it's pressure sensitive, you're just trying to push any bubbles of air off to the side. A heavy roller is just going to want to stretch it.

 

[JPfloor]

When those materials came out and pressure sensitive was used he's supposed to use a stiff broom not a heavy roller. Since it's pressure sensitive, you're just trying to push any bubbles of air off to the side. A heavy roller is just going to want to stretch it.

That sounds logical… And also sounds like another good reason I wouldn’t like to try using pressure sensitive with sheet vinyl…

I used to use a 2 X 4 with a piece of carpet stapled to it to push the bubbles around… Can’t see that working too well with pressure sensitive?

 

[C.J.]

A broom or a board with carpet wrapped around it works great for pressure sensitive adhesive. If you wet set it, that’s when you’re supposed to use a roller.

One area that I noticed that was prone to bubbles is when you wrap the vinyl around something. You’re dropping the vinyl through a doorway and it gets just a hair crooked. Not enough for you to notice it and say ‘hey, that’s crooked’ but enough for tension to build up in the vinyl and a bubble pops up right by the door jamb or island or… You can rub it down all you want but the damn thing WILL come back unless you correct it. On jobs that I just knew that was gonna be a possibility I would wet set the vinyl and just be done with it. Yeah I gotta babysit the vinyl a little longer but I’m not coming back for a bubble so that’s a win to me.