the_lucas•23d agoMost Upvoted

Just learned the hard way about a specific seam tape adhesive

I used a generic brand of hot melt seam tape on a big job last month, thinking I'd save about $50 on materials. The adhesive failed completely after two weeks, lifting at every seam. Had to redo the entire 800 square foot install on my own dime, which cost me over $1,200 in labor and new materials. The client was not happy, and I lost a full day of other work. Turns out that specific adhesive doesn't bond well with the newer synthetic backing on a lot of commercial carpet. Has anyone else run into this with certain tape brands?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_beth23d ago

Sounds a bit extreme to blame the tape alone. Maybe the subfloor prep or temperature during install played a bigger part. I've used off-brand stuff before without total failure.

leep3323d ago

You make a fair point about subfloor prep, @the_beth, and temperature is always a factor. My own bad experience was with a specific off-brand seam tape last fall. The adhesive was weak right out of the box, like it was old stock. It peeled clean off the floor after a week, while the name-brand tape in the next room held perfectly under the same conditions. Sometimes the product itself is just bad.