Why Is the Vinyl Tile Not Sticking to OSB?

Excess Moisture

• OSB is designed with glues that can be soaked in moisture over the years without falling apart, but there is still an issue with excess moisture during the installation process. The glue that you spread onto the face of the OSB for the tile to stick to needs a dry, clean surface and any water that is there will impede the bond between tile to board, eventually leading to tiles not sticking.

Dirt

• As much as the glue needs a dry surface to adhere to, it also needs a surface that is devoid of dirt, grime and other residue. If you are remodeling a floor, for example, you will need to sand down the existing OSB until you reach its original finish and then clean that completely. For new installations you can simply sweep and vacuum the OSB. If not, the dirt that remains behind can keep tiles from sticking to the adhesive.

Frozen Adhesive

• Human error can always factor into the creation of materials and products. On the rare occasion you might come across a bad batch of adhesive, such as one that has been allowed to sit in an outdoor container and freeze during the winter. In these cases they might spread on fine and feel sticky enough but once things begin to cure the tiles won’t bond because the adhesive is no longer capable of performing its job.

Peel and Stick Tiles

• The do-it-yourself movement prompted the development of the easy-to-use peel and stick vinyl tiles that have an adhesive on the back that allows them to be installed with relatively little in the way of tools required. However, many times the tiles are not pressed down firmly enough on the floor for the adhesive to bond, leading to these folding up at the edges where the bond doesn’t exist.