Floor Covering News: Adhesives: Choosing the right glue

Be the expert. It’s sage advice meant to help the retail community not only differentiate from the competition but to level up when it comes to service. And it’s true across all areas of business. Where it’s perhaps most impactful, at least in the flooring retail industry, is product—and that includes adhesives and other sundries.

It’s no secret that flooring retailers are able to add to their bottom line by offering the sundry products that typically complement a flooring purchase— adhesives, moldings, trims, etc. But what’s perhaps not talked about is the fact that those choices need to be made with as much care as the flooring itself. This is where retailers and their sales associates can level up the conversation and truly become the experts.

Suppliers of these sundry products point to several ways that RSAs can find the perfect adhesives for their customers. First, understand the needs of your market. “Knowing the specific needs of your market is a good place to start,” said Gary Scheidker, director of technical services, Taylor. “Different regions and communities can have various challenges. Some areas may be prone to substrate moisture issues while others may experience seasonal temperature and humidity fluctuations. You will want to stock adhesives that will protect the floor from these environmental challenges. Moisture barrier adhesives designed to protect wood are essential in moisture prone areas. Transitional pressure-sensitive adhesives can reduce problems from temperature and humidity fluctuations. Elastomeric wood flooring adhesives will allow the floor to expand and contract seasonally without losing bond.”

Once you know your market, you need to understand your customer. “When attempting to best understand the ideal adhesives to stock or when recommending the right adhesive choice for a customer’s project, it’s important for retailers to lead the conversation by asking questions and ascertaining the needs of the customer base and/or project first,” explained John Lio, director of marketing, Sika Corp. “Once equipped with the needs and full understanding of all product and project goals, the retailer can then begin to match up and determine the product solutions that best meet the requirements of their customers. An adhesive’s performance attributes and unique features should be viewed in tandem with the customer’s budgetary requirements. It all starts with understanding the needs of the customer along with the capabilities of an individual product and then marrying them together.”

And, finally, know your product. “Retailers and consumers need to be able to rely on an adhesive and trust that it will improve the installation experience and perform as needed over the long term,” Lio explained. “It’s essential for an adhesive to perform identically with each use in order for a consumer’s expectations to be met, whatever its traits may be. There are many desired performance characteristics that could define what to expect from a particular adhesive.”

Karl Danzer, senior product manager, Performance Accessories, agreed, noting that versatile adhesives can hit on many consumer needs. As he explained: “Choosing the right adhesive to match both the product requirements and its environment is essential for achieving optimal performance while maintaining cost-effectiveness; however, stocking adhesives can be challenging, as it’s hard to anticipate every scenario. That’s why versatile adhesives are ideal. This flexibility allows you to use it across a variety of applications and purchase in bulk for the best pricing.”

Some suppliers noted that the adhesives they carry should align with the flooring they provide, too. “For instance, if a store stocks hardwood, vinyl or carpet, it should also provide adhesives specifically formulated for each of these materials,” said Adam Sartain, senior marketing manager, TotalWorx. “This ensures a seamless, one- stop shopping experience where customers can find both the flooring and the correct adhesive for their project in one visit. Display clear signage to direct customers to the appropriate adhesive for each flooring category. To address unique project requirements, it’s essential to offer adhesives tailored for specialized conditions.”

For those who carry a variety of flooring types, choose the adhesives you carry accordingly since they will only work to support each other. “The right adhesive bonds the flooring covering to the substrate and allows the floor covering to maintain its intended life cycle,” explained Shane Jenkins, director of technical training and development, Schönox. “Retailers should stock a variety of adhesives suitable for different flooring types (hardwood, laminate, tile, carpet, etc.) substrates (wood, concrete, gypsum, porous and non-porous) and applications (water-resistant, eco-friendly, quick drying).”

Last but not least, no matter what kind of sundry products you carry, it’s imperative to train your RSAs to know which products are optimal for the project at hand and the flooring materials chosen for it. “It is very important to know how the retail store operates,” said Mark Long, technical director, Stauf. “Training the right person on what is available is the key. Stauf has focused on training the distributor salespeople. The distributor salespeople are the ones who are in the stores every day. Stauf has a trained sales team and an open line to answer technical questions for any Stauf customer. We aim to make the installations easier for the retail store and the installer.”