VCT floor - glue seeping out???

[kingwillie]

I had VCT installed in our office about 3 months ago - about 3 weeks after it was installed we started seeing dirt build-up around the edges of the VCT... after further investigation i realized it was the VCT glue seeping up through the seems - it is only happinging in the high traffic areas. We have cleaned it up twice but it comes back. My question is: how can I stop it? Will a sealer work? And whats the best/easiest way to clean this up? Oh, by the way, the installer will not return my call, so he's no help! Thanks for any advice!

 

[Omega Man]

Sounds like he used too much glue. I think your just going to have to wait until it is all squeezed out.

 

[djjsr]

I agree. Either too much glue or the glue wasn't dry enough when the tile was laid (impatient installer). It happened to me (I was the impatient installer). It cleans up pretty easily with adhesive remover and it does eventually stop but it seems to take forever.

 

[TheShrine]

I've seen this before. BE CAREFUL how you clean the excess adhesive that is bubbling up! What ever you are using to "clean" the bubbling excess should be used VERY sparingly. If "X" amount is recommended..use half that amount. You don't want any, and I mean ANY, of the cleaner to seep down through the cracks and react with the adhesive. If you do, the bubbling will continue until the adhesive is corrupted and then eventually the edges of the tile will start to curl up. The fix then is to pull the tile, clean the adhesive and reapply adhesive and tile.

This is experience talking!

Good luck!

 

[427HISS]

(TheShrine- that's the funniest avatar I've ever seen) !

With a hidden or extra tile or if you have something on top of a tile, where it doesen't matter, try a few chemicails on the adheisive and see if it removes it without damage.

 

[jkuro]

Sounds like too much adhesive was put down, to clean up, use steel wool and repolish floor. Using any chemicals will damage your floor.

 

[G-force]

It's possible that the VCT was too warm when it was installed. Then when it cools it shrinks allowing area for glue seepage. Try and climatize the tile before installing it and definitely dont install it right after it's sat out in the hot sun.

My floor was done on a pretty warm day (80*-90*) we just made sure to keep it out of the sun. It's held up well.

 

[tkrum5]

It's possible that the VCT was too warm when it was installed. Then when it cools it shrinks allowing area for glue seepage. Try and climatize the tile before installing it and definitely dont install it right after it's sat out in the hot sun.

My floor was done on a pretty warm day (80*-90*) we just made sure to keep it out of the sun. It's held up well.

Did you seal or wax your floor? How do you keep dirt/ water out of the seams?