This weekend, my wife and I retiled our kitchen floor using preglued linoleum square 12 x 12 tiles. We had heard the glue on these isn't worth spit, so we purchased tile adhesive and a small trowel. The kitchen is now completely tiled, but the glue is not drying. We believe by referencing another answer on this site is the glue was not for tiles bigger than 12 x 12.

so now we have a beautiful new floor oozing glue for the past 3 days. We have kept wiping the excess glue off hoping it would begin to set and it hasn't. It continues to ooze through the gaps between tiles. Here is my question.


Is there something we can do to make the adhesive dry beside riping the tiles up and redoing them?


Could we possible purchase a clear varnish and seal the gaps?

Many adhesive tiles are not great but if you prime the floor first they usually work. If you used flooring adhesive that is oozing up between the tiles you likely used too much adhesive or too wide of a notched trowel. Stay off the fllor for at least 72 hours or you will need to pull up each tile and remove the excess adhesive. Trying to seal the edges will not help you so don't try.

Exactly what type of tile did you install? Is it real thin and flexible or brittle?

More important is which glue specifically did you use, need a name and manufacturer, spread with what size trowel. From that info what went wrong will be easy.

Jaz

Many adhesive tiles are not great but if you prime the floor first they usually work. If you used flooring adhesive that is oozing up between the tiles you likely used too much adhesive or too wide of a notched trowel. Stay off the fllor for at least 72 hours or you will need to pull up each tile and remove the excess adhesive. Trying to seal the edges will not help you so don't try.


We used the smallest notched trowel as possible. And we even went extremely light on the adhesive and it is still coming up. Also this was done in several shifts and the 1st section has been step free for about 72 hours and it is still oozing.

Exactly what type of tile did you install? Is it real thin and flexible or brittle?

More important is which glue specifically did you use, need a name and manufacturer, spread with what size trowel. From that info what went wrong will be easy.

Jaz

premium 2.0mm thickness 12 x 12 tiles.

Armstrong tile adhesive.

As for the size of the trowel

It is a small triangle shaped trowel with the same size edge as this one.

QEP Notched Sheet Vinyl and VCT Trowel, 1/16 x 1/16 x 3/32 In. U-Notch, Cold-Rolled Steel Blade - 10121-12 at The Home Depot (http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10&productId=100193036)

Which Armstrong adhesive? They must make 125.

Jaz

While you are getting that information can you tell us how long you owned the adhesive?

I think it was S-750 not for sure though.

This was a weekend job and we bought it on Sat all flooring was laid out Sat and then Sun morning.

We started with ROBERTS 3300 Premium Multi-Purpose Carpet and Sheet Vinyl Adhesive, Solvent Free

So you are saying you used sheet vinyl adhesive under tiles, right? That is the wrong stuff to use for tiles. I think we are getting to your problem, that stuff is for foam or cork back materials.

The Roberts 3300 is the wrong adhesive for vct, it is for sheet vinyl or carpet. This adhesive is spread with a trowel and the material is laid into the wet adhesive and then rolled.

Armstrong S-750 is the right adhesive, BUT you used it wrong. I would have used a smaller trowel or rolled it. However, I think you forget to read the directions, (?) and used it like the Roberts adhesive. :(

For vct, you are supposed to let it "set-up" until it is tacky to the touch, but NO adhesive is transferred to your fingers. It has no sticky value until it sets, and will either take years or may never fully dry. Read the label of the S-750.

Jaz