The right glue for hardwood flooring decides whether a floor stays put for twenty years or starts to hollow, creak and lift within one summer. Flexible MS polymer and polyurethane adhesives are the usual choices for solid wood, parquet and engineered boards stuck to a screed. This page explains the types, the trowel, coverage and cure times. Send one request and suppliers and fitters in your area quote you directly for adhesive and for fitting. It is free and there is no obligation to accept.
Adhesive types for wood floors
Not every glue suits timber. Choose by the floor and the subfloor:
- MS polymer: a flexible, solvent-free adhesive that stays elastic as boards move. It is the popular choice for parquet and engineered boards on screed.
- Polyurethane: strong, with a firm hold on solid wood, but it bonds fast and needs a careful hand.
- Water-based or dispersion glues: for porous, dry subfloors and thin products. Slower to cure.
- Cartridge construction adhesive: for skirting and trims, not for fixing floors.
Subfloor, moisture and preparation
Glue holds only as well as the surface beneath it. The screed must be dry, flat, clean and sound, and a fitter should take a moisture reading before spreading anything. Dust, curing compound and old adhesive stop a bond. Many jobs need a primer, and some need a moisture barrier. Never glue wood floors to a damp slab, as the boards will cup and the bond will fail.
Trowel, coverage and cure time
A notched trowel sets the amount of glue and the ridge pattern. The notch size depends on the board and the glue maker's instructions, so follow the data sheet for coverage per square metre. Full-surface bonding avoids hollow spots. Lay in sections so the glue does not skin over. Light foot traffic is usually possible after 24 hours, but full cure and heavy furniture can take several days. For the whole job, see wooden floor installation and parquet flooring.
Comparing adhesive quotes
Adhesive is quoted per tub, sausage or job, and the amount depends on the trowel and the area. Give the floor type, the size in square metres, the subfloor and whether you want a primer. Ask suppliers for the adhesive type, the coverage per tub, the cure time, the shelf life and which trowel to use. A fitter's price should say clearly what is included, so a cheap rate does not leave out priming or levelling.
What to include in your request
- The floor type: solid, engineered or parquet
- The area in square metres
- Screed, tiles or timber below, and its moisture
- Whether a primer or moisture barrier is needed
- Supply only, or supplied and fitted
Wooden Floor Adhesive for different clients
- Homeowners: flexible adhesive to fix parquet or engineered boards to a dry screed in living areas
- Flats and townhouses: glue-down floors that keep noise low and add no height, with a body corporate approved bed
- Builders, developers and renovators: tubs priced per job for floors glued across a house once the screed has passed its moisture test
- Landlords and letting agents: reliable adhesive for repairs and re-gluing loose blocks without a full new floor
- Offices, practices and showrooms: full-bond adhesive for wood floors in boardrooms and reception areas that take heavy traffic
- Guesthouses, lodges and restaurants: strong flexible glue under lobby and dining floors that see trolleys and heavy use
- Shops, salons and cafés: full-bond glue-down floors that stay quiet and flat under busy shop traffic
- Schools, halls, gyms and studios: adhesive for hall and studio floors that need a firm, even bond under heavy use
Frequently asked questions
What is the best glue for hardwood flooring?
How long does floor adhesive take to cure?
Can I glue a wooden floor myself?
Do you supply or apply adhesive?
Wooden Floor Adhesive by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg