Hardwood floors are a bit special when it comes to construction projects. Some people glue them down completely, while others partially use spray adhesives to bond them.
This article will present the best glues for hardwood flooring and a handy gluing guide!
How much glue do you need for wood flooring? How do you bond hardwood floors in the first place?
It’s not a problem if you don’t know the answers to these questions. That’s why I’m here, to explain everything.
Recommendation – Bostik GreenForce 0 VOC Adhesive is a type of urethane glue that dries flexibly and is very moisture-resistant. Its bonding strength is high enough to last a long while, even under extreme shock and impact damage. This glue will remain flexible even after you apply it, which is ideal for floorboarding.
Types of Glue for Hardwood Floors
In short, there are only two types of hardwood flooring adhesives I’d recommend.
Anything other than these adhesives aren’t nearly as effective as these:
Water-Based Adhesive
Water-based adhesives are best used when you have a moisture barrier in place.
However, this adhesive isn’t very resistant to water and moisture, even after it cures completely.
Once the adhesive gets wet, it may lose some of its bonding strength and even break up.
This type of adhesive isn’t completely waterproof, in other words. You could use it if you know you won’t get the floorboard wet in the future.
Urethane Adhesive
This is one of the most popular structural adhesives used for floorboards of all types.
One of its advantages to other glues is that urethane is very flexible and remains so even after curing.
After all, a floorboard is a bit flexible since you’ll be walking on it. That’s why urethane is the best adhesive for floors!
Not all types of glue will work, however. Unsuitable glues include carpet glue and water-based adhesive.
This type of glue is a great choice if you need glue for cork boards.
Best Glue for Hardwood Floors
Below you can find my recommendations for the best glue for hardwood floors.
1. Bostik GreenForce 0 VOC Adhesive
Pros
- Works also with vinyl flooring
- Perfect glue for wood flooring
- Includes moisture control
Cons
- Can be a bit messy
Almost any glue should dry quickly, so it makes your job easier. Bostik GreenForce is in the middle of the pack in terms of drying quickness.
Aside from that, this adhesive is flexible even after it completely cures.
Floorboarding needs to be flexible because you step on it constantly, and this glue is ideal for the job.
Another great aspect about Bostik GreenForce is that it has built-in moisture control.
This means it maintains a barrier that keeps moisture from penetrating the sub-floor and entering the hardwood.
In other words, Bostik GreenForce acts as a protective layer against humidity, keeping your floorboard intact.
Once the glue dries (about 10 hours), it’ll form a near-indestructible bond that should last for many years.
The glue is VOC-free and works on many materials, not just hardwood floors.
It also doesn’t emit toxic fumes that smell bad, but it’s a bit sticky and messy if you’re not careful.
2. Titebond 2104 Tongue and Groove Glue
Pros
- Optimal choice for any hardwood floor
- Works with engineered hardwood flooring
- Perfect for solid hardwood
- Compatible with laminate flooring
- Non-toxic
Cons
- Long dry time
When working with hardwood floors, you want an adhesive resistant to almost everything.
Titebond Tongue and Groove Glue check most of these boxes because it is resistant to water, solvents, heat, humidity, shock, and impact.
It also forms a very tight bond that will keep the floorboard stable over the years.
Titebond is a non-toxic and non-flammable adhesive that you shouldn’t have problems with, no matter the project.
I recommend using it for tongue and groove applications because that’s what it was made for!
You can use it equally for concrete and hardwood floors since the adhesive works well on either material.
It doesn’t dry quickly and is also not the most affordable glue you’ll find, but it does its job well enough.
It’ll also remain flexible once it becomes dry, allowing for that long-term resilience to good floorboarding.
Titebond 2104 is a great option if you need glue for particle boards.
3. ROBERTS 7350-1 Flooring Adhesive
Pros
- Works with bamboo flooring
- Optimal for engineered wood
- Compatible with ceramic tile
- Non-toxic
- Non-flammable
Cons
- Long dry time
ROBERTS Flooring Adhesive is similar to Bostik GreenForce, my top pick because it has moisture control.
It’ll protect your hardwood floor from extra humidity, preserving its resistance over the years.
Aside from that, this adhesive has a very aggressive bond that sticks incredibly well, thanks to the permanent tack.
Moreover, ROBERTS Flooring Adhesive can be used with several types of flooring, including hardwood flooring, luxury vinyl plank, tile, composite flooring, and another flooring.
You can even use it for concrete and plywood subflooring without a problem.
This glue is also re-bondable pressure-sensitive, which is another plus in my book.
Even though it takes a long time to dry and cure, the bond will be nearly indestructible once it does.
You may have problems applying it because the tack makes it somewhat messy.
But other than that, ROBERTS Flooring Adhesive is great!
4. DriTac Professional Wood Floor Repair Adhesive
Pros
- Perfect for solid hardwood
- Works with floating floor
- Strong metal bonding
- Compatible with laminate flooring
- Easy to apply
Cons
- It does not work with sealed concrete
You’ll want to use DriTac Professional Floor Adhesive for filling gaps and voids between the wooden floor and the subfloor.
This glue is also good at general repairs, but I’d recommend it for gap filling. Its texture and characteristics are perfect for this.
However, if there’s sealed concrete under the floor, you shouldn’t use it for gap filling.
DriTac Adhesive is moisture-resistant and has a super-strong bond that should keep the flooring stable for many years.
However, this glue hasn’t been designed with complete bonding in mind. In other words, you shouldn’t use it to glue the floor fully.
Instead, stick to general repairs to harness the true potential of this glue!
It’s very easy to apply and dries quite quickly as well.
Once dry, it becomes moisture-resistant, keeping the flooring intact for a long time!
5. Cal-Flor GL82114CF Eurobond
Pros
- Works with most flooring material
- Perfect for most hardwood installation
- Compatible with ceramic tile
- Heat resistant
Cons
- Has a strong smell
Cal-Flor Eurobons are quite versatile because you can use them for real hardwood and engineered wood flooring.
Even though this one is technically floating glue, you can still use it to glue down the flooring fully.
It works great on click and grove/tongue flooring, and you can also use it for other types of flooring.
Like my top pick on this list, Cal-Flor Eurobond also has a great moisture barrier that keeps humidity out of the flooring and sub-floor.
Thanks to the high-quality moisture barrier, you can even use this glue in the bathroom.
As for its bonding strength, Cal-Flor Eurobond is quite powerful and resistant to external hazards.
It’s resistant to shock and impact, high temperatures, and water.
Once it dries and cures completely, the glue remains flexible, giving the flooring a longer lifespan.
You should know that Cal-Flor Eurobond is only used for solid wood, which won’t work for other materials.
This glue also has a strong odor, so you may want to wear a mask when working with it.
How to Glue Hardwood Floors
The bonding process is complex and takes a long while. There are several preparatory steps you need to take, from the sub-floor and hardwood preparation to the preparation of the floor and other materials.
To keep it short, I’ll only talk about using glue to bond the wood floors.
How much glue do you need to do the job? This depends almost entirely on how well-fitting each piece of flooring is and how they all fit together.
For various situations, you’ll need a thicker or thinner glue line. If the sub-floor is straight and level and you cut the wooden boards to size, you’ll only need 1/64th of an inch of glue.
If the sub-floor is uneven, the individual pieces are coarse, and they don’t fit together perfectly, you’ll need a thicker glue line.
Think of 1/32nd of an inch worth of glue in this case. That’s twice as much glue used for the same thing.
You should expect a gallon of wood glue to cover about 75 square feet of flooring.
Below you’ll find several safety tips when working with wood glue:
Wear protective gear when you work with wood glue.
Cover all your skin with long sleeved-jackets and long pants, wear gloves for your hands, and even eye protection to cover your eyes.
Work in a well-ventilated area, reducing the risks of choking to a minimum.
Some wood glues are very smelly and emit toxic fumes, which may harm your health if you breathe in too much.
Turn on the AC or open up a window to ventilate the workspace!
Wear a facial mask or a respirator if you can’t ventilate the workplace place
Ideally, it would help if you went with a non-VOC (volatile organic compounds) glue because it’s a much safer option than VOC-based adhesives.
Hardwood floor projects are extensive and require a lot of planning and hard work.
The procedures are complex and will take quite a while, but with the right adhesive, you should have no problems finishing it nicely.
Bostik GreenForce 0 VOC Adhesive is my top pick for this list, a strong, flexible, moisture-resistant glue that works on any wooden flooring and subfloors!
If you have other questions regarding glues for hardwood floors, feel free to post them below, and I’ll answer shortly!
