What are the advantages of glue-down wooden flooring? 

There are many wooden flooring installation methods and sometimes it may be difficult to decide which installation method to choose for your home.

A parquet or wooden flooring can be installed by using nails, screws, glue or a floating system. As parquet floors are expected to be solid and last at least a few decades, it is important to choose the right installation method according to the type of flooring you are buying and your existing subfloor. 

Glue-down parquet floors are known to be more durable, withstand loads better and are more noise suppressing than floating parquet floors. Liquid adhesive paste is also much easier to use and does not cause floorboard squeakiness, which may occur when using a traditional installation method such as nails or screws.  

The main advantages of using a glue-down method are its superior stability and compatibility with water-based underfloor heating. In Penosil’s product range we have a ready-to-use hybrid parquet adhesive, Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749, the elastic and flexible structure of which compensates for wood’s expansion and contraction. The adhesive’s elastic structure is especially important when underfloor heating will be also installed because the wood is affected by temperature and humidity changes. 

Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 is compatible with all types of parquet and wooden flooring. It can be used for installing massive-, mosaic-, slatted-, two- or three-layered parquets, wooden boarding and industrial parquets.  

When installing interior flooring it is also important to think about the harmful substances that certain chemical products can release into your home over the years. Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 is safe to use as it does not contain any silicones, isocyanates, solvent and it is practically odourless. 

A glued-down parquet can be laid on almost any subsurface. Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 is a moisture-curing adhesive and forms an elastic connection that reduces the shear stress between the parquet and the subsurface. It is compatible with most common subflooring substrates such as concrete, self-levelling compounds, plasterboard, magnesium oxide plate, fibre board, etc.  

How to use Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 

• First, make sure the surfaces to be sealed are clean, dry, stable, flat and free from any dust, loose particles and oil residues.  

• Bring the product to room temperature before application. Optimal application temperature is between +18 °C and +25 °C. Air humidity in the room should not exceed 65% during application. 

• Cut the corner of a foil bag and pour some product onto the subsurface.  
• Spread the adhesive with a notch trowel onto an area that can be covered within the application time. For 1 kg/m² use trowel B6. Minimum 1 kg of adhesive must be used for 1 m². If necessary, use a bigger trowel for more adhesive. 

• Press the parquet elements onto the adhesive, shift them into the correct position and bring together by using an installation hammer. To install the flooring correctly, follow the parquet manufacturer’s instructions.  

• Do not allow the product to get between the parquet elements. Any adhesive on the parquet elements must be removed immediately.   

• Use weights to fix the flooring: approximately 15–20 kg/m². The final curing time is 24 hours, after which the floor can be loaded, sanded, oiled, waxed, etc. 

Depending on the notch trowel, subfloor and flooring, the consumption of Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 is approximately 1–1.7 kg/m². Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 can be bought either in a handy 5 kg bucket or in a 15 kg bucket. If after finishing the work, there is some adhesive left over, simply close the corner of the bag with a clamp, put it back in the original container and close it with a lid. 

For wooden flooring that has been previously treated with chemicals or contains a large amount of oil, Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749’s adhesion and compatibility should be tested beforehand. 

As adhesive does not substitute insulation or protect wood from moisture, do not use Penosil Floor&Wall ParquetFix 749 on moist, uninsulated surfaces. This product is also not suitable for use on subsurfaces containing asphalt or plasticizers. 

A full overview of Penosil’s adhesives product range can be found here and more information about various adhesive types can be found at the Adhesives Academy.