cut back / thin-set

8196 Views 5 Replies 3 Participants Last post by poppameth, Jun 4, 2011

jimp

Discussion Starter · Jun 2, 2011

Hello...considering the Allure Ultra flooring for Dining Room and Kitchen. After removing carpeting and tiles in DR I noticed the tiles were installed using cut-back...an oil based "glue" which is not removable in its entirety. I'm somewhat skeptical about the thin set in the kitchen as the glue responds to warm water easier than chemicals. I would like to place the Ultra flooring over both. The floors are level and smooth, trowel ridges in cutback can barely be felt, rooms square. In the DR, I have removed the carpet tack strips which left small holes against the wall as well as the "entry" between DR and kitchen. I was told by sales person at HD that nothing needed to be done with these holes and could lay Ultra flooring on top w/out problem. I guess the basic question is if I need/must do anything to the floor I'm installing the Ultra upon as long as it is completely clean and free of any grit, sand, dust, dry wall remnants, etc.? And, how in the world do you paint and install molding later w/out ruining the new flooring? Please advise and thank you.

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poppameth

· #2 · Jun 3, 2011

Is this the new click together floor they have? You should be fine with the tackstrip holes so long as it's a floating install and not a glue down. Glue down would require minor patching. As for the cutback residue, I'd seal it with some sort of tack abatement product. Apac use to make one called Tac-Abate, but it's off the market now so far as I know. You take the chance on it being sticky and causing noise if you don't seal it. You can also powder it with floor patch to absorb the stickiness. My other concern would be if any of the solvent in the glue leaches into the new floor and discolors the vinyl. I'm not sure what your reference to thin-set is here. Maybe there is a type of Allure I haven't seen.

Paint your molding before installing, then touch it up after it's on the wall. Use a paint shield to keep paint off of the floor while touching up.

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poppameth

· #6 · Jun 4, 2011

Ceramic actually can be installed over cutback residue, which means you have to scrape it down to virtually nothing on top of the subfloor. The residue will be what remains in the surface of the floor, not on it. There are several thinsets that allow for this. I'd still avoid it if possible.

The problem with cutback is that it never completely cures. Even decades later it can still have a tacky feel, which will cause popping sound when a floor is laid directly over it. The oils in it can also discolor the vinyl and in the worse case, migrate through the seams if it is very pliable still.

Here is a little info from a Parabond patching compound that talks about requirements for skimming over cutback.
http://www.parabond.com/techdetail.php?prodRef=p9500

It's important to keep in mind that while there are plenty of patches that can bond to the cutback, they may not stop bleed through.

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