Odor-Free Adhesives for On-Site Replacement of Laminate and PVC Banding

Some contact cements are very low odor. This thread also has some advice about organizing the work. September 30, 2010

Question
We have a rather large job starting soon with some new cabinets and some that will get new doors and replacement of PVC on the box. Most countertops will be replaced, but some will be relaminated. Does anyone have tricks for replacing the PVC? This location has a history of complaining about odor, and although the work will be done at night, I am still concerned about the lingering odor of the contact cement and cleaners.

Forum Responses
(Adhesives Forum)
From contributor M:
Most glue smell evaporates pretty quickly. Use lacquer thinner or something similar for cleaning - it dries very fast and the smell goes away fast. As for PVC edge tape (I hope that's what you are referring to), use a heat gun to remove it. I like to use this double sided tape made by FASTCAP. I think it's called FASTEDGE? It's about 1" wide and you just apply it on the edge, remove the protecting tape, and then apply the new PVC. No glue!

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From contributor D:
I use the canisters of contact made by Imperial Adhesives on site. There is no odor - it's barely noticeable if you're spraying in a confined area. It flashes off in less than a minute. I use it in hospitals, schools and offices and never had a complaint about the smell or headaches. It's the only solvent contact officially approved for use in our local hospital, which is a scent free workplace.

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From the original questioner:
Which of their contact cement products are you referring to?

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From contributor D:
The canister I have doesn't have a product number on it. It has methylene chloride listed on the label and flashes of in less than a minute, so I would say it's the Permagrip 107. I buy from McFaddans, but they don't have any info on their site.

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From contributor A:
I've just done a large optometrist's office relaminating their cabinets and countertops with plastic laminate. I can offer three pieces of advice which made the job much easier for me.

1) Pre-rip your laminate to width in the shop, unless you have a tried-and-true system for doing this on site.

2) Spray contact cement on the back of your PVC in at least 8' strips by sticking a number of pieces edge to edge backside up on a board. I use contact cement which stays tacky for days, so I can even do this in the shop before going to the job.

3) Use a large guillotine paper shear to end cut your plastic (I use a 36" one). You get perfect cuts without chipping.