BRITISH STANDARD BS 5442-1:

1989

Adhesives for
construction —
Part 1: Classification of adhesives for
use with flooring materials
Licensed copy:UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH, 05/03/2005, Uncontrolled Copy, © BSI

UDC 006.72:665.93:69.025.3
 BS 5442-1:1989

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Adhesives

Standards Policy Committee (ADC/-) to Technical Committee ADC/10, upon
which the following bodies were represented:

British Adhesives and Sealants Association

British Ceramic Research Ltd.
British Ceramic Tile Council
British Floor Covering Manufacturers’ Association
British Plastics Federation
British Railways Board
British Resin Manufacturers’ Association
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Cement Admixtures Association

Contract Flooring Association
Cork Industry Federation
Department of the Environment (Building Research Establishment)
FeRFA
Gypsum Products Development Association
Mastic Asphalt Council and Employers’ Federation
National Federation of Plastering Contractors
Plastics and Rubber Institute

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Adhesives
Standards Policy Committee,
was published under the
authority of the Board of BSI
and comes into effect on
29 September 1989

© BSI 07-1999 Amendments issued since publication

First published January 1977
First revision September 1989
Amd. No. Date of issue Comments

The following BSI references

relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference ADC/10
Draft for comment 86/50282 DC

ISBN 0 580 17230 9

 BS 5442-1:1989

Contents

Page
Committees responsible Inside front cover
Foreword ii
1 Scope 1
2 Classification 1
Table 1 — Summary of classification of flooring materials/adhesive
combinations for general use 2
Publications referred to Inside back cover
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© BSI 07-1999 i
 BS 5442-1:1989

Foreword

This Part of BS 5442 has been prepared under the direction of the Adhesive
Standards Policy Committee. The standard provides a classification, in terms of
usage, of the many types of adhesives available for use in the construction
industry. Part 1 deals with adhesives for use with flooring materials, Part 2 deals
with adhesives for interior wall and ceiling coverings (excluding decorative
flexible materials in roll form which are dealt with in BS 3046) and Part 3 deals
with adhesives for use with wood.
This revision takes account of changes in some of the flooring materials
commonly used, and in the methods used to fix them, since Part 1 was first
published in 1977. Two classes of adhesive have been deleted and one added to
the table of adhesives and their applications, reflecting current practice. Also,
there are now no entries listing the preferred adhesives for cork tiles, since there
is no clear view on the suitability of given types of adhesive. It is suggested that
recommendations of the manufacturer of the cork tiles be obtained and followed.
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This Part supersedes BS 5442-1:1977 which is withdrawn.

A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 and 2, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.

ii © BSI 07-1999

1 Scope
This Part of BS 5442 classifies the preferred
adhesives for laying the different types of flooring
materials used in building construction.
No suggestion in this standard, as to the materials
to be employed in a particular case, is intended to
override specific recommendations made by the
manufacturer of the flooring material.
NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard
are listed on the inside back cover.
2 Classification
The necessary information is given in Table 1,
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which indicates the preferred adhesives for any
particular flooring material. With certain flooring
materials, several types of adhesive other than
those given in the table could be used, but such
adhesives are not included if in practice they would
usually be avoided in favour of cheaper materials of
equal technical suitability.
The flooring materials are listed using, wherever
possible, the names that appear in the respective
British Standards.
If no British Standard exists, the usual commercial
nomenclature is employed. Flooring materials not
covered by British Standards, however, may vary
appreciably despite being similarly named, and it is
emphasized that the flooring/adhesive combination
shown in Table 1 gives only a tentative indication in
such cases.
Unless otherwise agreed between the supplier and
the purchaser, the flooring materials shall be laid in
accordance with British Standards BS 5325,
BS 5385-3, BS 8201 and BS 8203.
Unless qualified by footnotes or by the comments on
specific subfloor types given below, the information
in the table applies to the three most common
groups of substrates, which are the following:
a) cementitious, in-situ underlay, in-situ terrazzo
and terrazzo tiles, cement based levelling
compositions modified with polymers, rubber
latex or a protein, and synthetic anhydrite
screeds;
b) timber, including boarded flooring, both plain
edged and tongued and grooved boarding, an
appropriate flooring grade of wood chipboard
complying with BS 5669, standard or tempered
hardboard complying with BS 1142-2 and
plywood complying with BS 6566-1;
c) mastic asphalt complying with the
requirements of either BS 6577 or BS 6925.
Unless otherwise agreed between the supplier and
the purchaser, all the above materials shall be laid
or fixed in accordance with CP 102, BS 5385-3,
BS 8201, BS 8203 and BS 8204.
© BSI 07-1999
BS 5442-1:1989
NOTE 1 Some substrates require the standard of finish to be
improved prior to the laying of the flooring. Recommendations for
this are given in BS 5325 and BS 8203 and should be followed.
NOTE 2 Steel floor surfaces are not commonly used as
substrates in normal building construction. The specification to
be used in individual cases should be the subject of consultation
between the flooring material supplier and the flooring
contractor.
Key to Table 1
NOTE 1 Adhesives containing hydrocarbon solvents are not
suitable for use with mastic asphalt substrates.
NOTE 2 In general, aqueous emulsion based adhesives are not
suitable for use on an impermeable substrate unless it has been
first overlaid with a latex/cement screed.
1. Gum spirit. A solution of rosin in alcohol
containing filler and possibly other modifiers.
2. Lignin paste. An aqueous dispersion of
sulphite lye with fillers.
3. Rubber solution. A solution of natural or
synthetic rubber in organic solvent, containing
resinous or other modifiers.
4. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) latex. An
aqueous dispersion of styrene-butadiene rubber,
which may contain added synthetic resin
modifiers and/or fillers.
5. Acrylic emulsion. An acrylate ester
copolymer emulsion based either on acrylic ester
co-monomers or an acrylate ester copolymerised
with other monomers such as styrene, vinyl
acetate etc. It may contain resin modifiers and/or
fillers.
6. Bitumen solution. A solution of a blend of
bitumens in suitable solvents, with the addition
of powdered and/or fibrous mineral fillers.
7. Bitumen/rubber emulsion. An aqueous
emulsion of bitumen of appropriate grade with
the addition of natural or synthetic rubber latex.
8. Epoxide resin. Two-component system
consisting of liquid epoxide resin and liquid
hardener, both of which may contain fillers and
which are mixed immediately before use.
9. Polyvinyl acetate (PVAC) emulsion. An
aqueous emulsion of polyvinyl acetate
homopolymers or copolymers, which may contain
fillers.
10. Polymer modified cement. A blend of Portland
cement and filler gauged with an aqueous
dispersion of polyvinyl acetate (PVAC), ethylene
vinyl acetate (EVA), styrenebutadiene rubber
(SBR), acrylic resin or natural rubber.
11. Cementitious adhesive. An adhesive based on
a cement, e.g. Portland cement, with admixtures,
used in accordance with the relevant parts of
BS 5385-1.
1
 BS 5442-1:1989

Table 1 — Summary of classification of flooring materials/adhesive

combinations for general use
Type of flooring material Type of adhesive (see key on page 1)

10 Polymer modified
4 Styrene-butadiene

9 Polyvinyl acetate
6 Bitumen solution
rubber (SBR) latex

5 Acrylic emulsion
3 Rubber solution

7 Bitumen rubber

(PVAC emulsion)

11 Cementitious
8 Epoxide resin
2 Lignin paste
1 Gum spirit

solution

cement
Cork tile (PVC backed) x x
Cork carpet (complying with BS 6826) x x
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Linoleum sheet x x
Linoleum tile (complying with BS 6826) x x
PVC, flexible unbacked sheet and tile
(complying with BS 3261-1:1973, type A) x x x x
PVC, flexible tiles (complying with
BS 3261-1:1973, type B) x x x
PVC, needle-loom felt backed sheet x
(complying with BS 5085-1) x x x
PVC, cellular PVC backed sheet and tile
complying with BS 5085-2 x x
PVC, latex-mineral fibre backed sheet x x
PVC, semi-flexible tiles (complying with
a

BS 3260) x x x
Thermoplastic tiles (complying with
a

BS 2592) x x x
Rubber sheet and tile x x x
Rubber bonded cork sheet and tile x
bFelts, needled and similar x x
bTextileflooring, cellular PVC backed,
sheet and tile x x
b
Textile flooring, cellular rubber backed, x
sheet and tile
c
Ceramic floor and wall tiles
d
(complying with BS 6431) x x x
Wood block x
Wood mosaic x
x Indicates a suitable adhesive.
a
It is advisable that this type of flooring is used on timber substrates only where recommended by the manufacturer of the flooring.
b
It is advisable that because of abnormal shrinkage of some types of textile flooring, SBR latex or acrylic emulsions are used only
where the material is known to be dimensionally stable.
c
The recommendations for this type of flooring apply only for use on cementitious substrates.
d
Adhesives referred to under this heading in the table which comply with BS 5980 are available.

2 © BSI 07-1999
 BS 5442-1:1989

Publications referred to

BS 1142, Specification for fibre building boards.

BS 1142-2, Medium board, medium density fibreboard (MDF) and hardboard.
BS 2592, Specification for thermoplastic flooring tiles.
BS 3260, Specification for semi-flexible PVC floor tiles.
BS 3261, Specification for unbacked flexible PVC flooring.
BS 3261-1, Homogeneous flooring.
BS 5085, Specification. Backed flexible PVC flooring.
BS 5085-1, Needle-loom felt backed flooring.
BS 5085-2, Cellular PVC backing.
BS 5325, Code of practice for installation of textile floor coverings.
BS 5385, Wall and floor tiling.
BS 5385-3, Code of practice for the design and installation of ceramic floor tiles and mosaics1).
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BS 5669, Specification for wood chipboard and methods of test for particle board.
BS 5980, Specification for adhesives for use with ceramic tiles and mosaics.
BS 6431, Ceramic floor and wall tiles.
BS 6566, Plywood.
BS 6566-1, Specification for construction of panels and characteristics of plies including marking.
BS 6577, Specification for mastic asphalt for building (natural rock asphalt aggregate).
BS 6826, Specification for linoleum and cork carpet sheet and tiles.
BS 6925, Specification for mastic asphalt for building and civil engineering (limestone aggregate).
BS 8201, Code of practice for flooring of timber, timber products and wood based panel products.
BS 8203, Code of practice for installation of sheet and tile flooring.
BS 8204, ln-situ floorings2).
BS 8204-1, Code of practice for concrete bases and screeds to receive in-situ floorings.
BS 8204-2, Code of practice for concrete wearing surfaces.
CP 102, Code of practice for protection of buildings against water from the ground.

1) In course of preparation
2) CP 204 is in course of revision, and is being superseded by Parts of BS 8204

© BSI 07-1999
 BS 5442-1:
1989
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