This issue’s tip comes from Sean James, owner/contractor at Santa Cruz, Calif.-based SJ Hardwood Floors:
In an effort to maximize material and cut down on as much waste as possible, I’ll pour out any small amounts of adhesive left in the bottom of the buckets into squirt bottles or jars. This is useful when you get down to the bottom of an adhesive bucket or even when you have a quarter of a bucket left and the material isn’t fully covered, because a large portion of the top layer will skin over and become unusable. Just fill the bottles with the adhesive and use them for last-board installs and board replacements. By adding the small amounts left over to small containers, you can work cleaner and utilize every last drop. A good idea is to place a piece of plastic over the opening before putting the lid back on to make a tighter seal. Once the adhesive residue in the original bucket is dry and you’re able to remove it from the bucket, you can store those bottles in the empty bucket so you can easily keep track of which adhesive is in your condiment bottles.
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