How to Glue Down Carpet Tiles

Avoid the hassle of using a stretcher by installing glue-down carpet tiles. These tiles are installed just as their name suggests. They don’t require padding, tack strips, complex measuring and cutting or labor-intensive stretching. Tiles also have the advantage of enabling you to create complex or sophisticated patterns that aren’t possible with standard carpet. These tiles are perfect for the novice do-it-yourselfer, and an average-sized room only takes about one day to complete.
1.Test the moisture level of concrete floors, using a calcium chloride test. The moisture level must be less than 5 pounds per 1,000 square feet per 24 hours. Test the PH levels of the concrete floor. The PH must be below 9 to directly glue the carpet to it.
2.Clean the subfloor thoroughly, without using any solvents or oil-based compounds. Remove any old adhesives, dirt, debris, grease and oil stains.
3.Paint concrete subfloors with a PH blocking primer if the PH is between 9 and 12. Cure the primer according to the manufacturers’ instructions.
4.Set the temperature in the room to between 65 and 95 degrees. Ensure that the humidity level in the room is below 65 percent. Set the tiles in the room for 48 hours before installation to acclimate them to the temperature in the room.
5.Locate the midpoints of each set of opposing walls and snap a chalk line between them. These lines will intersect at the center of the room.
6.Check each package of tiles for the manufacturing sequence number. Open the box with the lowest sequential number. When installing the tiles, start with the lowest sequential number and work your way to the highest number.
7.Dry-fit a row of carpet tiles along each chalk line, staring at one wall and working your way to the other. If there is less than half a tile width at the perimeter, shift the perpendicular row of tiles toward that wall one-half the width of one tile. For example, if your tiles are 12 square inches, shift the row of tiles by 6 inches to ensure you utilize the largest possible perimeter tile.
8.Snap new chalk lines to reflect any changes you made when shifting the carpet tiles. Remove the tiles from the floor and stack them somewhere outside of the room.
9.Roll a layer of adhesive onto the floor, using a 3/8-inch nap roller. Spread the adhesive consistently, ensuring there are no thin patches even if the floor is smooth. Consult the tile manufacturers’ recommendations for thickness of the glue. Allow the glue to dry before installing the tiles. The glue is dry when it no longer sticks to your finger when you touch it.
10.Install the tiles just as you had them laid out before. Start at the center and form a square by lining up each tile with two of the chalk lines. Double-check the arrows on the back that indicate the direction of the nap before installing each carpet tile. Place the tiles so that the nap of each one points in the same direction.
11.Install two tiles on each side of the square, lining up the edges of the tiles. Install a tile to fill in the corners between the tiles to form a larger square. Continue installing the tiles in this manner until you reach the walls.
12.Measure perimeter carpet tiles by laying one full-sized tile on top of the gap with the nap facing downward. Mark the back of the tile and place it onto a piece of cardboard. Hold a straightedge even with your mark and cut the tile, using a utility knife. Install the tile with the cut side toward the wall. Once you have all the tiles installed, roll over the entire floor with a 100-pound floor roller.

13.Wait 24 hours before bringing furniture or other items into the room. Where heavy traffic is expected, cover the carpet tiles with a non-staining, building-material paper. Maintain the temperature and humidity in the room for 72 hours after installation.