Heads up on that new foam-backed carpet from the big box stores

I used to just slap down foam-backed stuff with a regular stapler and call it a day. About two years ago, I had a job in a Phoenix condo where the whole seam puckered up after a single summer. The heat made the foam break down and the staples just pulled right out. Now I only use a proper carpet glue, like Roberts 6700, on a perfectly clean slab. It takes longer but it stays put. Has anyone else had to switch up their method for these newer carpets?

3 comments

3 Comments

paige8621d ago

My last foam-backed job was a bedroom in Mesa, and I learned the hard way too. I switched to using Henry 663 adhesive spread with a 3/16 inch trowel. You have to roll it twice, once right after you lay it and again an hour later. That second pass gets out any air bubbles that try to come back. It adds half a day to the job but it's the only thing that holds.

lewis.troy21d ago

Yeah, that "single summer" puckering is a perfect description. I had the same thing happen in a Florida sunroom, the heat just turned the backing to dust. Now I treat it like vinyl plank, full spread adhesive and a 100 pound roller. No shortcuts.

quinnr4017d ago

That "single summer" puckering is no joke. I had a kitchen job where the foam backing just gave up after one hot season. Now I use a full spread of adhesive like you said, but I also cut the pieces a quarter inch short on all sides. Lets the stuff expand without pushing up at the seams. That extra gap gets covered by the baseboard anyway.