Resilient Flooring

Rolling Resilient Floors: Roller Weight and Timing

Roller weight, rolling direction and timing for glue-down resilient and rubber flooring, and why the adhesive sets the schedule.

Updated · 2 min read

Rolling pushes the flooring into the adhesive, flattens trowel ridges and gets full transfer to the back of the material. Most manufacturers call for a 100 lb roller in two directions. The adhesive sets the timing.

Roller weight

A heavy, sectioned roller is the default for the field of the floor.

  • Roll LVT in both directions with a 100 lb roller.[1]
  • For rubber, use a three-section, 100 lb roller.[3]
  • Some adhesives allow lighter rollers. Mapei Ultrabond ECO 379 allows a 75 lb or 100 lb roller.[4]
  • Use a hand roller where the big roller can't reach: walls, toe kicks, under cabinets.

When to roll

The adhesive sets the timing, and it varies widely.

Product Timing
AHF LVT with S-1000 Roll within 30 minutes[1]
AHF sheet with S-1000 Roll immediately, then re-roll 1 hour later[2]
Roppe rubber Within 30 minutes[3]
Roppe Envire Within 15 minutes, cross-roll again at about 30. Roll as you go, not after the whole floor is down[3]

How to roll

Roll as you go, then cross-roll. Direction and pattern matter as much as weight.

  1. Roll each section as you go, inside the adhesive's time limit.
  2. Roll in one direction, then cross-roll perpendicular.[3]
  3. On sheet goods, roll from the center toward the edges, staying 2" away from the seam.[2]
  4. Hand-roll edges and seams with a small roller.
  5. Re-roll if the adhesive's instructions call for it.
  6. Pull a piece in the first area to check transfer.

Common mistakes

Rolling mistakes usually show up later as bubbles, ridges or loose edges.

  • Rolling the whole room at the end. The adhesive in the first areas has already skinned over.
  • Using a hand roller for the field. It doesn't put down enough force.
  • Rolling in one direction only. Trowel ridges stay in the adhesive.
  • Skipping the edges. Walls and toe kicks are where edges lift first.

Rollers we carry

These are the floor and hand rollers we stock.

References

  1. AHF: Dry-back LVT installation instructions
  2. AHF: Commercial sheet installation instructions
  3. Roppe: Rubber flooring installation
  4. Mapei: Ultrabond ECO 379 technical data sheet

Linked PDF documents are archived copies saved by PreFloor Tools so they stay available if the publisher moves or removes them. Check the publisher's website for the latest revision.

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