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Ask the Expert … Good Advice to Stick With. A Premier Flooring Retailer exclusive interview
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Gary Scheidker Taylor Adhesives
hen you think of flooring, most people think of the color, design or comfort that comes with today’s popular styles. But not Gary Scheidker. Gary thinks about what’s underneath—what you can’t see. That’s his job as the director of technical services at Taylor Adhesives. “Like all adhesive companies, we do our work ‘behind the scenes’ and make the floors you enjoy perform their best in your home or business,” observed Gary. “At Taylor, we’ve been doing that for over 40 years, so we’ve got a long history of success in that regard.” We asked Gary some typical questions that customers, or even flooring professionals may have about flooring adhesives to get answers from an expert.
Q: What are some common “urban myths” when it comes to flooring adhesives that you’ve encountered over the years? A: There are several, actually. Here are a few.
“Like all adhesive companies, we do our work ‘behind the scenes’ and make the floors you enjoy perform their best in your home or business. . .”
If the wood flooring adhesive isn’t in a metal bucket, it must be water-based. That’s simply not true. Moisture-cured urethane wood flooring adhesives that contain isocyanates are typically packaged in metal buckets. At Taylor, we developed isocyanate-free, moisture-cured adhesives that are packaged in plastic buckets. Plastic buckets don’t dent and are easy to reseal, keeping the unused portion of adhesive fresh and ready to go for the next job. A flooring adhesive has to smell bad to work well. Again, not true. That harsh chemical smell people are referring to are from traditional, moisture-cured urethane formulations, and is simply not indicative of a superior flooring adhesive. Pressure-sensitive flooring adhesives are susceptible to damage from moisture. At Taylor, that’s not true. Our Transitional Pressure Adhesive uses a proprietary cross-linking technology that changes the characteristics of the adhesive as it cures. It begins as a water-soluble adhesive, then changes to a moisture resistant permanent bond. Q: Aren’t all flooring adhesives pretty much the same? A: Yes and no. It’s true that all flooring adhesives are designed to hold the flooring in place. At Taylor, we have developed products that not only bond the flooring to the substrate, but also solve common site related concerns such as high substrate moisture and sound reduction. These products bond the flooring material to the substrate, whether it’s hard wood, LVT/ LVP, VCT, linoleum, sheet vinyl, rubber, cork, bamboo or carpet. So, we’ve developed advanced flooring adhesives to solve common problems and to provide the best possible results for the installer and end-user.
32 Premier Flooring Retailer | Q1 2020
