Hot take: skip the spray adhesive on that jute backed carpet

Did a 1,200 square foot office lobby this Tuesday and the spray adhesive gave up halfway through. Sticky mess all over my knees and the backing started bubbling up an hour later. Switched to double-sided tack strips on the concrete slab and it held flat with no issues. I've been spraying for 8 years but this job sold me on dry method for jute. Any other installers had the glue fail on a big open space like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

king.robin5d ago

Oh come on now, is it really that serious? I've been using spray adhesive on jute backed carpet for over a decade and I've never had a failure that bad. Maybe you just got a bad batch or didn't let it tack up long enough before laying the carpet down. I mean sure, on a big open floor like that I can see where it might get dicey if you're not careful, but calling the whole method dead from one bad job feels dramatic. Tack strips on concrete have their own problems too, like not sticking right if the slab has any moisture issues. I'd say you just had a rough day, not proof that spray adhesive is worthless.

anthony_campbell885d ago

I mean, you say "it's really that serious" like it's no big deal, but I've seen spray adhesive fail on jute backed carpet more than once, not just that one job. It's not about one bad batch or not letting it tack up long enough. The stuff just doesn't hold up in high traffic areas over time, especially if there's any humidity or temperature swings. Tack strips have their own problems, sure, but at least when they fail it's usually just in one spot and you can fix it easy. With spray adhesive, you can end up with bubbles or edges curling up all over the place, and that's a nightmare to fix without pulling the whole carpet up. So yeah, I think calling the method dead from one bad job is dramatic, but I also think it's not as solid as you're making it out to be.