LESLIE: Tom in Alabama’s doing some tiling work. Tell us about it.
TOM IN ALABAMA: Yes. I’m laying some floor tile and I’m using those peel and sticks. And I was … they’re not sticking real good and I was wondering what kind of glue I could use to make them stick better.
LESLIE: So they’re just not sticking at all or once you get them down they’re just popping back up after a couple days?
TOM IN ALABAMA: They’re just popping back up after a couple of days. I went ahead and sanded the floor real good where we were putting them and everything but they’re just … they’re just not wanting to hold.
LESLIE: Well.
TOM: Yeah, peel and stick doesn’t work too well.
LESLIE: Probably a good fix would be contact cement. Wouldn’t you think?
TOM: You think so? I was thinking more … because contact cement, once he puts it down, you know, it’s a one shot wonder.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) It’s down. (chuckling)
TOM: There actually is vinyl tile adhesive. You know, because vinyl tiles, for years, were sold without being peel and stick. And there are special adhesives that are … that are designed for those and special trowels that you put them down – usually, a very, very thin notched trowel you put it down with. But I don’t think you can do it individually. If you’re going to do it, you have to do the whole floor that way.
LESLIE: (overlapping voices) You’d have to do the whole floor.
TOM: Yeah. Why don’t you pick up some vinyl tile adhesive, Tom, and glue the loose ones down and see how that works for you. And if that works, though, I imagine what’s going to happen is you’re going to be doing a lot of patching. It would have been better if you did the whole floor that way, frankly. If you had a chance – a choice – next time you buy tile, don’t buy self-stick. Buy the regular tiles and put them down with a vinyl tile adhesive. It works a lot quicker and it lasts a lot longer.
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