Peel and Stick Flooring Adhesive

Flooring materials can be applied using mechanical means or by using adhesives. Adhesives can be either wet-applied or peel and stick. Peel and stick adhesives may be either pre-applied to the flooring product (either full or partial coverage) or a separate tape or tab to be applied when the product is installed. Peel and stick flooring adhesives are most common with vinyl flooring or carpet but may be advertised for other types of flooring as well. Carpet tiles can either have adhesive applied where the backing contacts the floor, or be installed in a floating floor application where the peel and stick adhesive is only on one side of the carrier and holds the carpet tiles to each other but not to the floor. Peel and stick adhesives offer the advantage of not needing to wait for the product to cure in order to walk on the floor. The surface preparation requirements are generally the same as a standard adhesive installation. Some products indicate that they don't require moisture or pH testing. Many products indicate "no" or "low" VOCs or odor.

Most commonly, a release liner of some sort is applied to the adhesive and then removed to reveal the adhesive prior to installation. Release liners can range from coated paper to coated plastic films. The adhesives can be rubber, silicone, or acrylic-based, with acrylic being most common. Acrylic adhesives can be solvent-based, water-based, hot melt, or UV cured. Water-based, acrylic pressure sensitive adhesives are the focus of this CP.

This CP is focused on peel and stick tape or tabs for the purpose of the components included, but the component formulations are expected to be similar for flooring materials with a pre-applied adhesive. The tape or tabs commonly have a carrier material to which the adhesive is applied. Adhesive can be on one or both sides of the carrier, depending on the type of installation intended. This CP uses one sided adhesive to determine the percentages of the components.