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Can I glue down vinyl plank over particle board?

5 years ago

Hi all, we just bought a rental built in the 70's that needs some rehab. I picked up some vinyl plank that I found on close out. after the carpet and linoleum came out we discovered particle board over the plywood subfloor in good shape. Will it work to glue vinyl plank down? Any advice on how to do this would be appreciated.

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Comments (10)

PRO
The Cook's Kitchen
5 years ago
Remove the particle board. It is not a suitable substrate for any type of flooring.
geoffrey_b
5 years ago
The road to hell is paved with particle board and OSB.
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If these are Torlys engineered click together floors (with the HDF core) you are going to have concerns gluing down. Only if this is SOLID CORE hardwood engineered flooring can you look to glue down. The problem: HDF moves A LOT. It LOVES to expand and contract (as much as 1" over 25 linear feet....that's a LOT). The hardwood on top DOES NOT! If you glue down the HDF core product, you restrict a DYNAMIC plank. That plank will have problems. It will eventually rip itself away from the adhesive....the expansion forces will break the glue bond. And the glue is NOT grabbing the HDF....it is grabbing the CORK UNDERLAY. The cork underlay is the weakest part of the plank. Go ahead and pick at it with your nail. It crumbles after a few strokes. That's what the glue will be grabbing. It would only take one full "heating-cooling" cycle (winter-summer) for the bond to break. If you have installed floating floors with T-moldings before and "had no problems with it" then I suggest you keep going with that successful approach. Remember: "If it ain't broke; don't fix it," is something we all live by in the building industry.
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PRO
WeShipFloors
5 years ago
You can buy some pressure sensitive adhesive and try it out with a small cutting of the vinyl. I have seen some urethane adhesives work on particle board. The keys seems to be an adhesive that does not soak in. What do you have to lose by trying?
Dawnelle
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks We ship floors! I will give it a try. If the linoleum stuck, then maybe...if not we will just have to buck up and get the floating click together lvp. I do appreciate the advice!
PRO
Cancork Floor Inc.
5 years ago
The ADHESIVE you purchase will dictate whether or not particle board is a suitable bonding surface (will it stick or won't it). The FLOOR manufacturer will tell if the particle board is a suitable SUBSTRATE to sit on (is it allowed under the vinyl or not).

Check up on BOTH technical data sheets or installation instructions. If you see particle board on BOTH write ups you are allowed to glue down. It must be on BOTH write ups....that's the key.
lazy_gardens
5 years ago
What you are calling "particle board" is probably OSB subflooring.

Self-stick stuff doesn't adhere well to that because of the fibers and pores.

There is a latex sealant/bonding agent you can apply to subflooring to imp[rove the adhesion. Read the installation instructions for the tile and follow the instructions for sealing the subflooring.
millworkman
5 years ago
lazy, 70's is probably real particle board underlayment and the op even said it is over plywood subfloor.
PRO
n/a n/a
5 years ago
Even if you decide to glue down the vinyl plank over the particle board (which isn't ever really recommended) you wont get your desired outcome. Particle board isn't a smooth and flat surface and vinyl has extremely little forgiveness for subfloor discrepancies. Either pull the particle board out and install a new 1/4" plywood for your subfloor, or for the smoothest and flattest installation, remove the particle board, install wire mesh and pour self leveling mix and allow to cure before installing the vinyl. Granted, that added prep will cost more, but depending on how long you would like your vinyl flooring to last, it is the best option for long term. And it gives you a truly flat subfloor for your vinyl.

How to achieve a truly flat subfloor

The Importance of a solid subfloor

The Couture Floor Company
PRO
Cinar Interiors, Inc.
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Check the glue. Water based glue will not work over any wood product and your vinyl planks will pop loose over time. Urethane glue would be better.
Tim S
last year
Never ever use particle board even with releasable adhesive..the moisture in the adhesive WILL leach/ wick into the particle board. The installation will fail.

Check the flooring industrial council web site..check any manufacturer's web site for recommendations.

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