How Much Floor Adhesive Do I Need?

How We Calculated This

For a 4m × 3.5m room (14m²) with vinyl flooring:

• Coverage rate: 0.4 kg/m² (mid-range for vinyl adhesive)
• Adhesive needed: 14 × 0.4 = 5.6 kg
• Standard tub: 5 kg or 15 kg — buy a 15 kg tub (allows for waste)

Coverage by Flooring Type

• Sheet vinyl: 0.3–0.5 kg/m² (acrylic-based)
• LVT/luxury vinyl tile: 0.3–0.5 kg/m² (pressure-sensitive or hard-set)
• Carpet tiles: 0.2–0.3 kg/m² (tackifier or pressure-sensitive)
• Sheet carpet: 0.3–0.5 kg/m² (acrylic-based)
• Engineered wood: 1.0–1.5 kg/m² (MS polymer or PU adhesive)
• Parquet: 1.2–1.8 kg/m² (flexible PU adhesive)

Adhesive Types

• Acrylic (water-based): Most common for vinyl and carpet. Low odour, easy clean-up
• Pressure-sensitive: Stays tacky, allows tile lifting/replacement. Ideal for LVT
• MS polymer: Flexible, moisture-tolerant. Best for engineered wood on concrete
• PU (polyurethane): Very strong bond. Used for parquet and solid wood

Subfloor Preparation

The subfloor must be smooth, clean, dry, and level (max 3mm deviation over 2m). Use a self-levelling compound on uneven floors. Prime porous concrete subfloors before applying adhesive to prevent the subfloor absorbing adhesive too quickly.

Tips

Use the correct notch trowel size — the manufacturer will specify (usually A1 or A2 for vinyl, B1 or B2 for wood). Apply adhesive evenly and allow the correct open time before laying. Temperature should be 15–25°C for best results.