Flooring Products

Application Guidelines

Subfloor Preparation:

All substrates must be clean, dry, structurally sound, properly cured and free of dirt, oil, paint, old adhesive, wax, sealers, curing agents and any material that may inhibit bonding. General scouring with 20 grit or #3 1/2 paper will remove most compounds. All loose materials must be vacuumed from the surface after scouring. The subfloor must be flat to a tolerance of 3/16” in a 10’ radius. Hollow spots, popping spots and squeaks are related to unevenness in the subfloor. Grinding concrete floors is preferred over the use of filling compounds. If filling/flattening compounds are used, they must be Portland-based cementitious material and have a compressive strength equal to or greater than 3000 psi when cured. Moisture level in concrete subfloor will fluctuate. Any cementitious material used must be rated for the highest moisture content possible. Consult the cementitious material manufacturer’s application directions. Use of product over light weight concrete and all gypsum-based materials requires the use of a concrete primer prior to application of adhesive. Remove all existing base, shoe molding and door thresholds prior to continuing the installation. All door casings must be undercut with either a jamb saw or a hand saw. Use a piece of the flooring as a guide to determine the thickness needed. For ultimate moisture protection, one of Franklin’s moisture control systems may be applied before using this product.

Open Time:

Open time is 25-45 minutes depending on exposure to moisture and temperature. DO NOT FLASH ADHESIVE!

Installation:

Follow the flooring manufacturer’s instructions and choose one of the installation application techniques below. Due to limitations with solid and bamboo wood flooring (lack of dimensional stability), “below-grade” installations are limited to engineered hardwood flooring. This adhesive cures rapidly. Please see open time.

TITEBOND 741 CHOICE FOR ADHESIVE, MOISTURE AND VAPOR CONTROL INSTALLATION
When using this method, follow all previous instructions for subfloor preparations. Be sure to obtain the correct trowel. Trowel product with the correct trowel and immediately install the wood flooring into the wet adhesive. To reduce slippage, secure the first two starter rows with starting blocks fastened to the substrate or wedges against starting wall. Remaining planks must be placed firmly into adhesive. Planks that are not flat should be weighted for several hours. Complete, 100% adhesive coverage, with no voids, is required to qualify for the all-in-one installation warranty. Product is formulated to cure rapidly. Open time depending on relative humidity is 25-45 minutes. Be sure to seat the flooring into the adhesive firmly. Any low or high spots may cause voids in the adhesive and void the warranty. Roll the floor with a 150 lb. roller within 30 minutes of application to assist in creating a continuous layer to ensure total coverage and protection for moisture control. If installing a product with a hollow back, STOP! You will not achieve the 100% coverage required for the moisture warranty. Use Titebond 741 Choice OVER installation of Titebond 531 Plus instead.

TITEBOND 741 CHOICE ADHESIVE ONLY INSTALLATION
Trowel the adhesive as described above, using the correct trowel as determined by type of flooring. NOTE: Do not walk on the floor during the installation. You should not work on top of the wood. Normally, ultimate strength will be reached in 24 hours. Wait at least 1 day before finishing an unfinished floor. Do not trowel more adhesive than can be covered within 30 minutes. To reduce slippage, secure the first row using Titebond Wood Flooring Tape. Titebond 741 Choice can be used in conjunction with Titebond 531 Plus Moisture Control System for an installation with NO MOISTURE LIMITATIONS.

Cleanup:

Wet adhesive may be cleaned up with a dry towel or a towel soaked with water or mineral spirits. Follow solvent manufacturer’s directions when working with solvents. Cured adhesive will be difficult to remove. For specific cleaning instructions, call Franklin Technical Service at 1.800.347.4583.

Limitations:

Titebond 741 Choice adhesive may be installed on a concrete subfloor with a moisture reading not greater than 3 lbs./1000 sq.ft./24 hours (15 lbs for adhesive and moisture vapor protection, 90% RH*) on a Calcium Chloride Test or 75% RH per an in-situ probe test.

*Note: For hollow-backed products, do not use this product for adhesive and moisture vapor protection. Full, 100% coverage, necessary for effective protection, cannot be achieved with hollow-backed surfaces.

Acceptable conditions of wood substrates are a moisture reading of less than 12% or no more than 4% different from the flooring being installed when using a Delmhorst or equivalent wood moisture meter.

If subfloor moisture conditions do not meet above guidelines at the time of flooring installation or they could exceed them at any time after installation, then a Titebond moisture control system should be used.

Franklin International will honor the applicable terms of any wood floor manufacturer’s current published adhesive warranty or subfloor moisture warranty (where applicable) when the flooring was installed using Titebond 741 Choice Premium Wood Flooring Adhesive in accordance with product instructions and the instructions of the wood floor manufacturer.*

Franklin International will also warrant Titebond 741 Choice to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of manufacture, if the product has been installed in accordance with the Franklin Specification Guide and the installation instructions furnished with the product. In the event of loss of adhesion of Titebond 741 Choice due to product defect, Franklin International will reimburse the customer for the cost of labor and materials necessary to repair or replace the affected area(s) of the installed wood flooring.

*Any and all addendums or changes to the wood floor manufacturer’s warranties will be reflected in the execution of Franklin International’s warranty immediately upon release by the wood floor manufacturer. The effective date of said changes and addendums will dictate coverage by Franklin International in relation to the date of installation. As Franklin International is honoring the applicable terms of all wood floor manufacturers’ current published warranties, Franklin International will also require the same jobsite preparations and installation instructions that accompany each warranty in question.

In the case of subfloor moisture warranties, Franklin International will cover cupping and buckling of the wood floor when the wood floor manufacturer names coverage of these phenomenon explicitly in their subfloor moisture warranty (where applicable), if all installation and subfloor preparation guidelines have been followed.