Swapped to a 1/2 inch trowel for vinyl plank and stopped getting callbacks

I used to use a 1/4 inch trowel for all my LVP installs, just like everyone told me. Then last summer I did a big job in Phoenix where the floor started clicking and shifting after 3 months. The distributor told me the glue was too thin on the edges. I switched to a 1/2 inch trowel and make sure to back-butter each plank now. Haven't had a single callback since that change. Has anyone else tried using a bigger notch for their glue-down jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

spencer_chen62mo ago

You ever have one of those jobs where you think you got it figured out and then the floor starts talking back to you? I was doing this big commercial space a few years back and used the standard notch like everyone said. Six months later the planks were popping up in the sunniest spots, looked like a wavy mess. Thing is I also started using a hard plastic trowel instead of a metal one for the glue-down vinyl. The metal ones can actually spread the adhesive thinner if you're not careful with the angle. Not saying it's for everyone but it helped me get a more even bed. That Phoenix heat is no joke, really dries out a glue joint if you don't lay it thick enough.

andrewh431mo ago

Man that plastic trowel thing makes so much sense when you think about it. It's funny how sometimes the right tool just works even if everyone says do it the other way. Kinda like how I've learned to trust my gut on stuff way more than what the manuals say, life's full of those little hacks nobody talks about until you figure them out yourself.

barbaraw162mo ago

Heard that plastic trowel tip before too @spencer_chen6, makes sense for heavy sun.