Flooring Products

Application Guidelines

Suitable Substrates:

Refer to the flooring manufacturer’s specific recommendations for suitable substrates. Porous: Concrete, well-bonded cementitious underlayments, APA grade underlayment plywood (untreated) and radiant-heated subfloors where temperatures do not exceed 85°F (29.4°C) on all grade levels. Also can be used over well-bonded, properly primed gypsum underlayments (above-grade only). Non-porous: Ceramic tile, terrazzo, marble, certain epoxy coatings and existing well-bonded resilient flooring (not perimeter bonded or cushion-backed). Please note that all substrates must be sound, solid and well-bonded.

Subfloor Preparation:

All substrates must be clean, dry, structurally sound, properly cured and free of dirt, oil, paint, old adhesive, wax, sealers and curing agents. General scouring with 20 grit or #3 1/2 open-coat sandpaper 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. Grinding concrete floors is preferred over the use of filling compounds. If filling/flattening compounds are used, they must be Portland cement based 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 Titebond Concrete Primer or equivalent prior to application of adhesive. The substrate, adhesive and flooring must be acclimated in an enclosed building with the HVAC operational between 60-95°F (15-35°C), and between 30-65% relative humidity, for at least 72 hours before, during and after the installation.

Subfloor Moisture Check and Alkali:

Titebond 780 is not to be used where excessive moisture and alkalinity limitations are exceeded. All concrete slabs should tested for moisture per ASTM F2170 to determine RH and placed in strict accordance with applicable specifications and standards. Do not use this product when temperature of the substrate is below 65ºF or above 85ºF when the relative humidity exceeds 65%. Concrete should be fully cured (at least 45 days) and without hydrostatic pressure. Titebond 780 should not be used on slabs treated with sealers or curing compounds, wet, dusty, contaminated or friable substrates. Flooring must be acclimated per manufacturers guidelines. Titebond 780 may be used on slabs up to 99% RH and 5-8 pH (90% RH and 5-8 pH for sheet vinyl). When installing directly over wood subfloors the moisture content of the subfloor should be 13% or less.

Floor Covering Recommendations:

Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT)/Plank, solid vinyl/rubber flooring and stair treads. For use on exterior grade plywood, Group 1, other underlayments approved by manufacturers, concrete, cementitious flattening materials, primed lightweight concrete and well bonded VCT, sheet goods or ceramic tiles all deglossed. Adhesive provides a strong, permanent bond on heavy traffic areas including commercial, institutional and industrial installations. Carpet: Polypropylene woven, woven, unitary, jute, latex unitary, foam, sponge, polyurethane, hot melt, rubber backings, latex, soft backed unitary. Tile: Vinyl composition tile, cork tile, rubber tile, pure vinyl tile. Sheet Goods: Mineral, felt, paper, rubber backings.

CARPET INSTRUCTIONS: Lay carpet between 15 and 60 minutes of adhesive application, to insure that adhesive transfers to backing. In case of sealed surfaces, it may be required to allow adhesive enough open time to become tacky to the touch before laying carpet. After installation is complete, roll carpet with a lightweight roller or a carpet tube.

VCT INSTRUCTIONS: Open time is between 30 minutes and two hours. Lay tiles, positioning them carefully since it will be difficult to slide tiles. Roll with a 75 pound roller within one hour of laying tile. Restrict traffic for 24 hours. Do not expose floor to water within a week of installation.

SHEET GOOD INSTRUCTIONS: Lay sheet goods into wet adhesive within 10 and 60 minutes after adhesive application. Lift corners periodically to determine if adhesive is transferring to the goods backing. Immediately after installation, roll the floor with a 75 pound roller, working from the center towards edges to expel entrapped air. For “hard to hold” curled goods, allow applied adhesive to tack up to the touch before laying goods in order to promote quick adhesion.

LVT/Plank Instructions:

WET LAY METHOD-POROUS SUBSTRATES: Open time is between 10 and 30 minutes. Adhesive must transfer to backing to promote optimum adhesion in wet lay applications. Employ a 100 lb. roller in both directions within one hour of installation to work out air pockets and produce solid bonding.

PRESSURE SENSITIVE METHOD-NON POROUS SUBSTRATES: Titebond 780 has the ability to be rolled or troweled for use as a pressure sensitive adhesive. When using a 3/8” nap for rolled application, coverage will be approximately 150–200 square feet per gallon, depending on the amount of pressure used to apply the adhesive. The adhesive offers adequate strength to bond an LVT floor in a pressure sensitive application. Allow adhesive to dry until a firm touch does not transfer adhesive. When using a 1/16 x 1/32 x 5/64 trowel, coverage will be approximately 250 to 300 sq. ft. per gallon. Spread adhesive and let it become dry to touch, where there is no transfer to fingers. This will take approximately 35-90 minutes depending on temperature and humidity, or about 15 minutes with a fan assist. Do not install floor before adhesive is ready. Installing flooring too soon can lead to slippage and gaps between pieces. Install LVT per manufacturer’s directions with no more than twelve hours of open time. Keep the adhesive free from dust and dirt during long open times. Dust and dirt will negatively affect strength.

Cleanup:

Clean wet adhesive with water. Clean dry adhesive with mineral spirits, and follow solvent vendor’s safety precautions.

Limitations:

SUBFLOOR MOISTURE CHECK & ALKALI: Titebond 780 is not to be used where excessive moisture and alkalinity limitations are exceeded. All concrete slabs should tested for moisture per ASTM F2170 to determine RH and placed in strict accordance with applicable specifications and standards. Do not use this product when temperature of the substrate is below 65ºF or above 85ºF when the relative humidity exceeds 65%. Concrete should be fully cured (at least 45 days) and without hydrostatic pressure. Titebond 780 should not be used on slabs treated with sealers or curing compounds, wet, dusty, contaminated or friable substrates. Flooring must be acclimated per manufacturers guidelines. Titebond 780 may be used on slabs up to 99% RH and 5-8 pH (90% RH and 5-8 pH for sheet vinyl). When installing directly over wood subfloors the moisture content of the subfloor should be 13% or less.

CAUTION: Do not sand, scour or abrade any material that is suspected of containing asbestos fibers. Asbestos is known to cause cancer. Federal law requires that asbestos be handled by a licensed and certified hazardous materials contractor.

Franklin International will honor the applicable terms of any resilient floor manufacturer’s current published adhesive warranty or subfloor moisture warranty (where applicable) when the flooring was installed using Titebond 780 Premium Multi-Purpose Adhesive in accordance with product instructions and the instructions of the resilient floor manufacturer.*

Franklin International will also warrant Titebond 780 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 780 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 resilient flooring.

* Any and all addendums or changes to the vinyl floor manufacturer’s warranties will be reflected in the execution of Franklin International’s warranty immediately upon release by the vinyl floor manufacturer. The effective date of said changes and addendums will dictate coverage by Franklin International in relations to the date of installation.

As Franklin International is honoring the applicable terms of all vinyl floor manufactures’ current published warranties, Franklin International will also require the same jobsite preparations and installation instructions that accompany each warranty in question.