The Floor Pro Community (internetforum):
jwinstaller said
I have been working with Elastilon over the past several months and it has been great!! I am doing more installations easily and faster and without expensive callbacks! No glue mess! Amen to that!!
Years ago, I read about it in Europe and it seemd like the cat's meow. At first it was hard to find it but it seems that LL has it stock most of time. They always seem to be sold out. That must say something! If you have a chance, read up on it.
My question is has anyone tried it with bamboo yet. I have had no problems with domestic hardwoods but no experience with bamboo. Installing 37 3/4 X 3 3/4 X 5/8" Horizontal Carbonized Pre-finished bamboo over concrete. I am going to do my first bamboo install next week. I will let you know how it goes.
Home Depot.com (online experiences)
Super time saver
October 5, 2012
Badger
from Arizona, USA
I just put down 1100 sq. ft. and this made the installation much easier than using glue. It was a little hard getting the first row started until I figured out a good method. The mat cuts easily and makes the job go quickly with no worry of adhesion. A little pricy, but I would use it again.
What a great Product!!
January 9, 2012
dfellerman
Great Product. I just installed 500 sq ft of 3/4" flooring and it was a breeze. Followed the instructions and watched the on line video for reference and tackled the project on my own (with the help of my wife). I am a handy man but never installed hardwood flooring, not this way, and it turned out great. Plan to tackle my basement floor next! This product is a great find! Thanks.
Nathalie Bahadur (Style at Home.com)
17 August 2010
After watching the installation process of my new floors yesterday, I found myself mulling over the benefits of the underlay product that was used. The underlay is probably the most ‘unexciting' part of this whole process, but I realized how important it was and how easy it made the installation. Since I'd never seen hardwood floors installed without glue and
learning more about elastilon underlay. I thought I'd ask a bit more about this product because I thought you, readers, might be interested too. So I checkedin with Rainer Knickmann from Elastilon, to learn more about how it works.
Natalie Bahadur: What are the benefits of Elastilon over other installation methods?
Rainer Knickmann: The main thing is the ease of using it. It's very easy to use, very clean and once you've learned how to use it, it's very quick. It's environmentally friendly because there are no VOCs at all. It uses a very high tech adhesive that is also environmentally friendly. It was invented in Holland and made primarily for the Western European market but it's grown since to be accepted worldwide.
NB: Why is this preferable to other installation methods?
RK: It's faster to use simply because you do everything in one step. You unroll the Elastilon; it's a foam pad that by itself gives cushioning and a lot of sound dampening, something that most condo boards and apartment owners appreciate. In addition to that, it has an adhesive on one side that actually holds the floor. It also has elastic properties so that it expands and contracts with the wood flooring as the climatic conditions change with temperature and humidity. This way, you'll always have nice tight joints. The material expands with the wood and then contracts again as the wood contracts and pulls it together. Rather than fighting against the nature of the wood, the way conventional installation methods do, this actually works with it.
NB: How do you install it?
RK: It comes in a roll with a film on the adhesive. All you have to do to install your floor is unroll the material with the adhesive side up, place your flooring on it. Once you've got it started, you pull the film out from under the flooring as you progress. Because of that, you don't need all the other equipment you'd normally need. No nails, no compressors, no
glue or trowels. You don't have to spread glue, which often gets all over your hands and all over the space and all over the installer himself! It's just much cleaner to use.
One of the nice things is if it's being used in a home, you can do a room or two and not disturb the rest of the family because there's no smell from the glue. The only mess or dirt comes from the sawdust from cutting wood. The environmental aspect is a big deal, too. There are no harmful VOCs emitted from this product.
NB: Anything else interesting about Elastilon?
RK: Elastilon is developed to allow you to lay hardwood floors directly onto cement construction. A further advantage of that is that it can be used to install solid wood flooring on a cement surface below grade, for example, a basement floor, provided that the basement is reasonably dry, etc. You do not have to first build a plywood subfloor, which of course is
more expensive, time consuming and takes up space and uses more resources. All you need to do is put down 6 mil or thicker plastic film with the Elastilon on top. It definitely saves you time and money when installing a wood floor in the basement.
It can also be used over radiant or in-floor heating, which is becoming ever more popular. The installation requirements are a bit different than a normal installation but as long as those are followed, it works perfectly well to allow you to lay a solid wood floor.
So, we're about halfway done with the flooring and it's looking great! The guys from End of the Roll are working hard and have installed about half of the flooring in my condo. As I've mentioned before, I chose a bamboo wood in Solid Onyx from Tarkett. I love the colour. It's so dark, rich and dramatic.
But before they began laying the floors, they needed to install the underlay. My condo board was very clear on the regulations. The underlay needed to have an IIC rating of 62 so I had to be sure to comply with the building code. In determining which underlay to use, I was introduced to Elastilon, a new product that makes the installation of hardwood
floors faster, easier and cleaner.
Elastilon has been used in Europe for nearly a decade but is relatively new in North America. Instead of mucking about with nails or staples and glue, Elastilon boasts a simple non-toxic peel-and-stick technology, which bonds directly to the hardwood and creates a permanent seal that will prevent the wood from warping, gapping or buckling in future. Even more beneficial, the Elastilon expands and contracts with the wood in varying levels of humidity, preventing any distortion to the floors.
Its thickness adds comfort underfoot (I can feel the difference already!) and minimizes sound transfer - a big concern when you live in a condo like me. And because it's so simple to use and doesn't create a mess, floors can be installed in about half the time usually required.
These guys from End of the Roll are amazing - they've worked so quickly and efficiently and things are really starting to come together.
National Installations Inc.
72 Churchill Drive
Barrie ON L4N8Z5
O-866-341-5660
F-705-728-5885
January 26, 2010
It is with great pleasure that I write this recommendation for a new flooring installation membrane that allows us to install hardwood flooring directly onto concrete with ease. This system called Elastilon was introduced to us approximately a year ago, and after some fairly intensive research and testing, we are now using this method of installation with great comfort.
First, our research determined that this product had been used around the world for over 10 years in almost every conceivable application, from the cold and dry to the very warm and humid exterior climates. I was also surprised to see that hundreds of thousands of sq ft of hardwood flooring were being installed on this product with absolutely no floor failures. Our research determined that installation with Elastilon is approx. 50% faster than traditional direct glue methods, it offers sound reduction, sealing of the boards to help prevent cupping, has no VOC's, it allows under floor heating and the list goes on. We have had experience testing the material in some actual installations. After several successful installations, I can say that we are supporters of Elastilon. It is a great option for installing hardwoods over a
concrete floor (including basements if Manufacturer allows) with dozens of added benefits that are not possible with other install methods. If you are an architect, a builder, a flooring installer or even a home owner, be sure that you take a look at the Elastilon installation membrane before you decide on how to bestinstall that floor.
Chad Frenette
National Installations Ltd.
Tarkett Press Release:
Farnham, Quebec,
January 25th, 2010
This spring, Tarkett Canada will be introducing a new product that promises to
revolutionize where and how hardwood floors are installed.
Tarkett Canada has agreed with Supra Floors of Toronto, Canada, to become lead
distributor in Canada for Elastilon, a self adhesive installation membrane for wood
floors. Elastilon replaces the nails and glue traditionally used in installation, and
allows hardwood to be installed directly over concrete. Developed in the
Netherlands and widely used in Europe, and South Africa for years, it now is
developing acceptance around the world. Elastilon reduces wood floor installation
time by 50 to 70 percent, is VOC free and provides improved ergonomics, sound
reduction and floor life compared to older installation methods.
"With Elastilon, hardwood flooring can now be used in applications where
previously it was not easily installed," says Mario Allard, Director Product
Management of Tarkett Canada. "We project rapid growth in demand for this
product."
Paolo Zampieron, Vice President of Supra Floors adds: "We are delighted that
Elastilon will be distributed by Tarkett Canada. With Tarkett Canada's vast
distribution network this advanced floor installation product will now be widely
available to trades-people and consumers across the country. "
Tarkett Canada is a leader in the flooring industry. They bring extensive knowledge
and support to flooring dealers and pride themselves in offering flooring solutions
to the marketplace. Supra Floors is a Canadian-based firm that imports innovative
flooring products from across the world and distributes them to customers
throughout North America.
Mistral
June 15th, 2009
To whom it may concern,
Mistral, is the first Canadian Hardwood Floor Manufacturers to have extensively tested the Elastilon Installation Method in North America, with results have been extremely convincing on all aspects. We have been testing and recommending this Method over the last 3 years, with absolutely no glitches.
Our clients have used this Method with our Hardwood and are extremely satisfied. Installations are fast, very effective and clean. Most installers state that their installation time is reduced on average by 50%.
The construction of the Elastilon installation pad, permits the wood to react very favourably to climatic changes, which is why you can install Solid Hardwood even below grade with the addition of a vapour barrier, as long as the same installation climatic conditions are followed as for above grade installations. Most importantly, with the Elastilon Installation Method, you can now install Solid Hardwood Flooring, directly on concrete, as long as the concrete is properly cured and measures correctly for the humidity content, like all other installations on concrete. Therefore, no need for expensive subfloors and as an added bonus, you also get an IIC rating that meets industry standards. With the Elastilon Installation pad, you couldn't ask for a more complete and trouble free Method to install Hardwood, Solid or Tongue and Groove Engineered flooring. You save time, you save money, it's clean, you get sound insulation and most of all, no claims.
We strongly recommend the use of the Elastilon Installation pad for everybody. This product has been used for many years in Europe, South-Africa and other countries with rave reviews. Try it once and you are sure to use it over and over.
Robert Milette
Sales director