Debate: Tack strips on concrete - glue down or mechanical fasteners?

I finally got a clean hold on a polished slab by switching to adhesive, but the old timers swear by hammer drills and sleeves, so what's your method?

3 comments

3 Comments

butler.ivan1mo ago

Why fuss over tack strips anyway?

adam7511mo ago

Polished concrete is basically designed to reject glue, so surface prep is everything. You need to grind or etch that shiny surface off first to get a mechanical key, otherwise it's just sitting on top. Skip that step and you're guaranteed a callback when it lets go.

amy_lewis871mo ago

Wait, you got them to stick on polished concrete? I mean, that's wild, my guy. I tried adhesive once and the whole corner popped up after a week, it was a total mess. @butler.ivan, you ask why fuss? Because if a strip fails, the carpet buckles and you have to redo the whole seam. With a polished slab, there's just nothing for a fastener to bite into, so maybe glue is the only way. It still gives me nightmares though.