The Fredinator comes by his nickname honestly

April 27, 2018 6:25 AM

What is the best adhesive to use to re-secure vinyl flooring?

There is a gouge in the vinyl flooring in our kitchen at the threshold of the closet containing our washer and dryer. This morning, one of our cats worried at it until he got an edge and started trying to pull up the floor.

I stopped him before he got too far along with his project of destruction, and would like to glue the flap of flooring back down. I would also like to do something about the gouge to reduce temptation for another attempt at feline remodeling.

What would be the best adhesive to use, and how should I apply it? I'm looking for something non-toxic, of course, and since we're leaving for a trip on Sunday, something that requires no more than 24 hours to dry would be a plus.

ObCatPicture.

posted by metaquarry to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

No specific recommendations but I would worry less about the drying time and more about durability. Secure the closet and weigh the flap down really well if it's not cured before you leave, and use way more weight than you think you need. My cat once managed to headbutt two stacked cases of soda (~18 pounds) out of the way to get access to a visiting cat he was really determined to harass (I was using them to prop up a temporary barrier for the other cat).
posted by yeahlikethat at 7:14 AM on April 27, 2018

Liquid Nails. (I think it comes in smaller tubes now) put a brick on top of it until it dries...clean up any excess that squeezes out.
posted by sexyrobot at 8:10 AM on April 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

Something I have used successfully is double-stick tape designed for flooring (Amazon, Home Depot)
posted by ShooBoo at 9:03 AM on April 27, 2018

vinyl tile adhesive. It does take a while to dry, then gets very sticky. Might be better to do after trip.
posted by H21 at 2:16 PM on April 27, 2018

I would just use epoxy for this. Any kind of epoxy. The five-minute stuff that cures in an hour should work fine. Fill the gouge with it too, unless it's a huge gap in which case I would fill it with a mixture of epoxy and sawdust.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 5:00 PM on April 27, 2018

I would use super glue .
posted by hortense at 6:11 PM on April 27, 2018

Given the location (kitchen, near washer) any serious waterproof adhesive should work. Liquid Nails, an epoxy, actual vinyl flooring adhesive, etc. Avoid the usual home-repair glues (like super glue) as they tend to a.) Not be waterproof, and b.) Not stand up to the sort of abuse flooring receives. They'll eventually stop holding.

As others instruct, make sure you weight the repair area down securely, with more weight than it might seem like you need, and leave it there for longer than seems reasonable.

One issue you might encounter is any dried residue beneath the flooring from the original install. You might have to chip much of it away first, in order to get a good, secure bond with your repair adhesive.

ObCatPicture
Definitely a troublemaker ;)
posted by Thorzdad at 5:52 AM on April 28, 2018

I used super glue. That was years ago and it's still holding.

That cat!
posted by james33 at 6:42 AM on April 28, 2018 [1 favorite]