Description
Roberts R100 Commercial Carpet Adhesive is a water-based adhesive built for both Double Bond and Direct Stick carpet installations, offering quick grab with enough working time to handle larger commercial jobs without racing the clock. Its tolerance for concrete substrates up to 85% relative humidity is a genuine practical advantage on newer slabs, avoiding the extended wait a lower-tolerance adhesive would require before installation could begin.
The temperature-dependent grab behaviour matters on real jobs: above 15°C, a strong tack develops quickly enough for carpet or underlay to be lowered almost immediately, while in colder conditions the adhesive needs to be left open until tack and grab properly develop before laying. Getting that timing right — checking for adhesive transfer to the carpet backing — is what confirms a successful bond rather than assuming it from application alone.
Technical Specifications
| Appearance | Creamy paste |
|---|---|
| Size | 15 litre |
| Application temperature | +10°C to +30°C |
| Set to traffic | 24 hours |
| Spread rate (V1 1.6mm) | 5m² per litre |
| Spread rate (V2 2.4mm) | 3m² per litre (45m² per 15L tub) |
| Spread rate (V3 3.2mm) | 2m² per litre |
| Moisture tolerance | Up to 85% RH (In-Situ Probe, ASTM F2170) |
| pH tolerance | Up to 10.0 |
Where to Use
- Double Bond carpet installations — underlay to subfloor and carpet to underlay
- Direct Stick installations onto hessian-backed, tufted-backed and woven carpet
- Woven polypropylene and jute-sided latex foam laminated slab underlays
How to Apply
- Prepare the substrate — must be absorbent, dry, smooth, sound and clean, mechanically prepared if required.
- Prime if needed — highly absorbent concrete should be primed with Roberts R48 Universal Primer first.
- Select the correct trowel — V1 for underlay to subfloor, V2 for hessian-backed carpet, V3 for Action Bac or heavily textured backings.
- Lay into the adhesive — above 15°C, lower carpet quickly once tack develops; in cooler conditions, allow more open time first.
- Roll and restrict traffic — roll with a 25-35kg roller; avoid heavy traffic for 24 hours.
Important Notes
- For temperatures below 5°C or above 35°C, contact RLA Technical for guidance.
- Don’t allow the adhesive to skin over or dry before the floorcovering is installed into the wet film.
- Internal use only; do not apply in direct sunlight or on substrates with rising dampness.
< That moisture tolerance genuinely changes project scheduling on a new-build commercial fit-out, where waiting for a slab to dry down to a conservative moisture threshold can otherwise hold up the whole flooring trade. Its anti-microbial formulation is also a genuine consideration for commercial installations in healthcare, hospitality or education settings, where indoor air quality and hygiene standards are part of the project brief. Ordering enough adhesive for the full room in one batch, rather than estimating conservatively and running short mid-installation, avoids a visible seam where two different adhesive batches meet under the same carpet run.
Commercial carpet installations often run to tight handover deadlines, which is exactly where R100’s balance of quick grab and sufficient working time earns its place — quick enough that early-laid sections start bonding promptly, but with enough open working time that a larger commercial floor plate doesn’t force the installation crew to rush the later sections of the job to keep pace with the adhesive’s set time.
