Tried tack strip on a concrete slab with PL glue, came back 3 days later to a surprise
Did a basement job in Aurora last month and the slab was too far gone for nails. So I glued the tack strip down with PL Premium and figured that was that. Came back 3 days later and half of it popped loose, but only on the side where the homeowner had a dehumidifier running 24/7. Never thought about moisture pulling the glue before. Anyone got a better method for gluing strip to green concrete?
Been there man. PL Premium actually needs moisture to cure, but that dehumidifier was pulling the water out of the slab faster than the glue could set up. The real problem is green concrete off gassing vapor and the glue never gets a solid bond when its fighting that. What I do now is roll out a vapor barrier first, 6 mil poly, then glue the strip to that with a good construction adhesive meant for wet surfaces. Or if the slab is really bad, drill and set tapcons every 8 inches into the strip itself, that never fails. Also check the slab with a moisture meter before you even start, if its over 3 percent you're fighting a losing battle with any glue.