Tried a different glue for that tricky stair nose job in the old Craftsman

Had to replace a worn oak stair nose on a 1920s house last week, and the owner wanted carpet right up to it. I usually use my standard multi-surface adhesive, but the wood was painted with some kind of old, glossy enamel. My glue just beaded up and wouldn't stick. Out of ideas, I grabbed a tube of PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive I had in the truck from a siding job. I figured it was a long shot, but I scuffed the paint with 80-grit, applied a thin bead, and tacked it down. Came back the next day and it was locked in solid, no movement at all. I guess the polyurethane just bonds better to slick surfaces. Anyone else ever use something way outside the normal toolbox for a carpet trim problem?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert_lopez641mo ago

My buddy Dave had a rental property with this awful linoleum kitchen floor. The quarter round kept popping off because the baseboard was that cheap, shiny laminate stuff. He went through three different kinds of wood glue and even tried some epoxy. Nothing held for more than a week. Finally, he smeared on some silicone caulk he had left from sealing a tub, clamped it overnight, and painted over it. That was like five years ago and he swears it's still stuck. Sometimes the weird fix is the one that works.

the_hayden1mo ago

Five years is a long time for a silicone hack job. I've seen that stuff let go on a shower surround after a couple of seasons. Maybe his floor just stopped moving for some reason.

wadem8927d ago

Yeah, five years is a long run for a silicone fix. Maybe @the_hayden is onto something and the floor just settled.