Trick of the Trade: Minimizing the Glue Mess With a Backer Board

Feb 4, 2014

photo of someone gluing down flooring to backer a board

photo of someone gluing down flooring to backer a board

When you're installing a glue-down floor against a backer board, take an extra minute to line the edge and top of the backer board with blue tape. That way, when it's time to remove the backer board, you won't have any adhesive mess to deal with. (See a video of this tip in action on the WFB YouTube channel.)

Thanks to Daniel Boone, owner at Jacksonville, Fla.-based Daniel Boone WFT Inc., for his tip. Do you have a Trick of the Trade to share? Email it to WFB.

The project included 915 square feet of the unusual wood flooring.

Home's Floors Become Giant Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

January 29, 2025

Meet the MFMA: Setting the Gold Standard in Sports Flooring

Meet the MFMA: Setting the Gold Standard in Sports Flooring

Screenshot 2024 06 05 At 10 14 03 Am

Bostik Launches Survey for Pigment-Free Hardwood Products

There are so many more options in today’s wood flooring market when it comes to subfloor prep, moisture control and adhesives.

Things to Consider When Choosing Products for Glue-Down Jobs

Periodically lifting boards after installation helps ensure proper slab coverage and transfer to the back of the flooring.

How Do I Know I’m Getting the Right Adhesive Coverage? (Sponsored)

Extraordinary Floors

Home's Floors Become Giant Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

Florence, Ky.-based Grain Design Flooring transformed a Cincinnati, Ohio, home into a giant wooden jigsaw puzzle.

The project included 915 square feet of the unusual wood flooring.

Sponsored

Transform Red Oak Into White Oak In One Easy Step

Canlak Coatings

Instead of ripping out or replacing red oak, adjust its tone to achieve a closer resemblance to the white oak look homeowners desire—saving time, money, and materials.

Transform Red Oak Into White Oak In One Easy Step

Bostik Launches Survey for Pigment-Free Hardwood Products

From now until Aug. 30, Bostik (Wauwatosa, Wis.) customers will see pails of pigment-free Vapor-Lock, Pro-Cure, BST and Pro-MSP (4-gallon pail only).

Screenshot 2024 06 05 At 10 14 03 Am

Things to Consider When Choosing Products for Glue-Down Jobs

Products for subfloor prep, moisture control and more when gluing down a wood floor are always changing; here are some factors to consider when doing a glue-down job.

There are so many more options in today’s wood flooring market when it comes to subfloor prep, moisture control and adhesives.

How Do I Know I’m Getting the Right Adhesive Coverage? (Sponsored)

We’re often asked, “What is the right coverage for the adhesive I’m using?” Clearly, coverage of adhesive plays a critical role regarding the success of any wood floor installation.

Periodically lifting boards after installation helps ensure proper slab coverage and transfer to the back of the flooring.

The Three Types of Adhesive Chemistry and What to Know

There really are three basic types of wood floor adhesive chemistry. Understanding these different types should help you understand what each type can and cannot do, and help identify or, better still, avoid installation-related problems.

4 G 1022 Wfb On22 Ftf Opener Adhesive

Wood Flooring Q&A: Can We Use Construction Adhesive For Wood Flooring?

Using a general construction adhesive, like Liquid Nails or Gorilla Glue, isn't recommended when installing wood flooring. Here's why.

Adhesive used with any wood flooring should be elastomeric, which allows it to move with the wood as it shrinks and swells with changes in relative humidity.

Tricks of the Trade

Trick of the Trade: Putting the Squeeze on Leftover Adhesive

Sean James, owner/contractor at Santa Cruz, Calif.-based SJ Hardwood Floors, offers an easy tip for leftover adhesive.

1 Q 222 Wfb Fm22 Tot Sean James Adhesive Bottle

Tips To Avoid Trouble on Engineered Flooring Installations

There’s a lot of science behind this engineered flooring, and if you don’t follow directions, you might have complications down the line. Here are seven important tips to know to avoid trouble when working with engineered wood flooring.

If you have poor prep, you’ll have a poor install, so we make sure the subfloor is clean and as flat as possible.

A New Wide Plank Floor Makes Noise. Was the Glue the Problem?

After replacing the floor with a glued-down 7-inch-wide engineered plank, the wood floor became loose and began to make noise.

This concrete subfloor was too smooth for the flooring adhesive.

Do These Three Things On Every Glue-Down Install

If you do these three simple steps on every glue-down wood flooring job, your chances of success greatly increase.

Common problems with glue-down installations: Left, destructive testing showed this installer used the wrong trowel. Right, the subfloor was not flattened before installation.

Tricks of the Trade

Trick of the Trade: Put Hot Glue To Work On Glue-Downs

Daniel Reddy at Villa Park, Ill.-based Reddy’s Hardwood Flooring Inc., has some simple uses for hot glue guns that make wood floor installations easier.

Oob Ooc Ood 1021 Lg

Sponsored: Glue-Down Installation of Hardwood Flooring Can Be Successful on a Wide Variety of Substrates ... Even Over Existing Floorcoverings

When doing glue-assist, it’s important to use an adhesive formulated specifically for wood flooring.

Hardwood Nail-Down Installation

Page 1 of 4

Resource Book

Looking for a specific product or a company? Wood Floor Business has the only comprehensive database of the industry.

Podcasts

All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.