Special Producers of ecological adhesives

GREEN HAS NUMEROUS SHADES

WHO PRODUCES GENUINE ECOLOGICALLY RESPONSIBLE ADHESIVE AND WHAT IS IT USED FOR?

Photo – Pallmann

Fitting wooden and lighter floors is subject to increasing demands, including in the area of health. The type of adhesive used plays a major part in that respect, so in this article we consider how the market is reacting to the types of adhesive on offer. How green and ecologically responsible are the products on offer and which products are the most suitable and when and where?

One of the hardest things is choosing a suitable parquet adhesive. Parquet floor fitters sometimes have to try quite literally to see the wood from the many trees which obstruct the view. Obviously, professionals will seek advice from the many producers, but we do also advise them to consult the necessary technical reference documents. These include the revised technical sheet TV 218 'Wooden flooring: plank floors, parquet, and veneer floors’ by the BBRI. These documents give you precise technical information about product families and fitting techniques with no commercial bias.

Choosing suitable parquet adhesive The wide range of products means it is not always easy to choose the right type of adhesive for a given work site. A useful aid to that end is a chart issued by the BBRI, which has been drawn up in co-operation with parquet fitters and adhesive makers. The chart gives clear technical information on the compatibility between possible adhesive families and various wooden floors and substrates.

Four major groups When we talk specifically about adhesives, we can say, broadly speaking, that there are four major distinct groups based on their chemical composition: dispersion adhesives (white adhesives), monocomponent polyurethane adhesives (PU 1K), dual-component polyurethane adhesives (PU 2K), and, finally, polymer and hybrid adhesives (SPUR, STP, MS polymers, etc.). You need to remember that this chart also indicates the compatibility or incompatibility by means of a colour code. For instance, green means that the adhesive is compatible with the substrate and wooden flooring in question. Orange means that this choice of adhesive is possible as long as you observe certain conditions (e.g. substrate preparation, primer, etc.) in consultation with the adhesive and parquet producer. Finally, red means that the adhesive is not compatible with the substrate and wooden flooring in question.

TV 218 rules We must also point out that merely consulting the chart will not suffice. You must also observe the rules of the technical sheet TV 218 at all times. Indeed, apart from the choice of adhesive, other factors could have a considerable effect on the behaviour of the wooden floor

in the course of time. Here we are referring to factors like the operation of a floor heating system, respect for the moisture level substrate requirements, and such like.

To find the most suitable adhesive, depending on the features of the building site in question, you should therefore choose the adhesive family first on the basis of the wooden flooring substrate. Then, as a professional, you also take account of adhesive performances and properties (e.g. handling, open time, etc.), which are given by the producer.

What’s on the market ?

Blanchon

Our polymer hybrid adhesives contain no solvents or isocyanates and respect both public health and the environment. Strictly speaking, without those conditions they could not be deemed as ecological. The Blanchon range includes two adhesives which are spread using a spatula and one adhesive in a cordon. They are all in class A+ for the quality of the indoor air. The three adhesives AB 1300, AB 2000, and Cordon are designed for use by specialist floor fitters. AB 1300 is a hybrid polymer adhesive which is ideal for the full glueing of wide solid parquet (up to 130mm) and composite up to 260mm. AB 2000 is also a hybrid polymer adhesive for the full glueing of wide solid parquet (up to 200mm) and composite up to 400mm. AB 2000 is also suitable for floor heating. AB 2000 and AB 1300 are both EC1R (GEV-EMICODE) certified. The cordon adhesive is a hybrid polymer adhesive, which is supplied in aluminium sausageshape packs and which is spread using a special pistol. It is ideal for vertical elements (such as skirting boards) and is also used a lot for all possible cordon fittings on the floor.

Chimiver

Chimiver offers UNISIL: a prepolymer based, singlecomponent hydrocuring adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology). Recommended for gluing prefinished wooden floor onto marble, grit, tiles, ceramic or marble-chip floor, etc. Also suitable for gluing wooden floor onto underfloor heating and cooling system. CERTIFICATES: EC1; ATTESTATION CCAEnvironmentally Compatible Product (Certificate issued by Department BEST - Politecnico of Milan CCA Registration No. 20163); Sound Reduction (CSI Test Report No. 0056/DC/ACU/06); Heat conductivity (CSI Test Report No. 0020/DC/ TTS/06). UNISIL can contribute to the achievement of QI CREDIT 4.1 according to the parameters of the GEV dated 03 March 2009, because it meets the certification LEED protocol (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). ADESIVER ELASTIC is a singlecomponent hydro-curing prepolymer based adhesive with a silanic termination (MS technology). Recommended for gluing of pre-finished wooden floor onto marble, grit, ceramic or marblechip floor tiles, etc. Also suitable for gluing wooden floor onto underfloor heating and cooling system. ADESIVER ELASTIC has very good acoustic insulation characteristics. CERTIFICATES: EC1 PLUS, heat conductivity (CSI test report n° 0013/DC/TTS/19). ADESIVER ELASTIC can contribute to the achievement of QI CREDIT 4.1 according to the parameters of the GEV dated 03 March 2009, because it meets the certification LEED protocol (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Pallmann

Pallmann P6 is a hard 1-component wood flooring adhesive with high shear resistance in accordance with DIN 14 293. It combines the strength of common 2-component wood flooring adhesives with the ease of handling of 1-component products. The solvent- and water-free adhesive is very friendly to processing, well spreadable, with excellent rigde formation and high suction liability. Pallmann P6 persuades a high filling capacity, a hard ridge formation and a high shear resistance and can be used for all common types of wood flooring. The adhesive is solvent-free and certified with the Blue Angel (DE-UZ 113 /environmentally friendly because of low emissions). It is also labelled with the EMICODE EC 1 PLUS / very low emission.

Soudal

Nowadays, 1-component hybrid adhesives are a familiar segment in the market. They contain no water, solvents, or isocyanates, so they can be used without any extra precautions. Moreover, spilt adhesive can easily be removed without damaging the base. The combination of a high strength and ongoing elasticity means they can be deployed very widely, often even without treating the subfloor first. Thanks to their high elasticity, they give the wood more space to swell and shrink, but without compromising on efficiency. Soudal hybrid parquet adhesives comply with the EU standard for elastic parquet adhesives, have an EC1+ grade, and stand out for performances and convenience. Furthermore, they are easy to spread, the adhesive grooves show excellent form stability, and they set quickly, things which are all important for a perfectly finished wooden floor. Moreover, all hybrid parquet adhesives from Soudal are used in combination with floor heating and cooling.