Selleys Timberflex Timber Flooring Adhesive
What is Selleys Timberflex, and where should you use it?
Selleys Liquid Nails Timberflex is a flexible, trowel grade adhesive suitable for most types of solid, engineered strip and sheet timber flooring, bonded to concrete and timber. It is an MS polymer adhesive built on an Advanced Polymer Technology formulation that contains no isocyanate, and it is described as solvent and isocyanate free.
Its working characteristics are the reason to choose it: easy clean and spread, good wet grab, and a bond that is both flexible and strong. Flexibility in a timber flooring adhesive matters because timber moves with humidity and temperature — a glue line with some give accommodates that movement instead of transferring it into the board.
The limitation to settle before you buy: Timberflex is not recommended for outdoor or wet area flooring. It is an interior, dry-area adhesive.
Key figures
| Property | Detail |
|---|---|
| Technology | MS polymer adhesive; Advanced Polymer Technology, no isocyanate |
| Coverage | Approximately 20m² per 10L, using the correct trowel |
| Clean up | Damp cloth, before curing |
| VOC content (ASTM D3960 & ASTM D2369) | 32 grams per litre |
| GBCA VOC limit for wood flooring and laminate adhesives and sealants | 100 grams per litre |
| Meets GBCA VOC content requirement | Yes |
What the VOC certificate actually says
Timberflex has a published VOC Content Test Certificate rather than a full technical data sheet, and it is worth reading for what it does and does not establish.
The adhesive was tested in August 2022 by FORAY Laboratories (NATA Accreditation 1231), using ASTM D3960 and ASTM D2369 — the standard practice for determining volatile organic compound content of paints and related coatings. ASTM D3960-05 is the method referred to in the Green Building Council of Australia's laboratory testing guidance.
The result: 32 grams per litre, against a GBCA limit of 100 grams per litre for wood flooring and laminate adhesives and sealants under Green Star Design & As Built V1.3-13.1.1B and Green Star Interiors V1.3-12.1.1B. The certificate records that the product meets the GBCA VOC content requirement.
What that means practically: if you are working on a project chasing Green Star points, this is the document your specifier will want. It is a VOC content result, not a full performance data sheet — figures such as open time, cure rate and trowel size are not on it, so check the packaging and Selleys' own guidance for those.
Why the trowel notch determines your coverage
The stated coverage is approximately 20m² per 10L, using the correct trowel, and that qualifier is doing real work. The trowel notch size is what sets how much adhesive is deposited per square metre, so it controls the coverage figure directly. Use a bigger notch than specified and you will run out of adhesive well short of 20m²; use a smaller one and you will not get proper contact with the underside of the boards.
The other characteristic worth planning around is good wet grab. That is the adhesive's ability to hold a board where you place it without the board sliding. It is what makes laying possible without extensive clamping, but it also means you have less opportunity to reposition a board once it is down. Set out carefully, and place boards deliberately rather than sliding them into position.
Where to use it
- Solid timber flooring
- Engineered strip flooring
- Sheet timber flooring
- Bonding to concrete and to timber substrates
Selleys states that Timberflex is best used in combination with the Selleys VBS systems, and gives a specific reason: to protect timber from concrete slab moisture, use Liquid Nails VBS Vapour Barrier. That is not an upsell — an adhesive is not a moisture barrier, and a slab passing water vapour into a timber floor will cause problems the adhesive cannot prevent.
How to lay a floor with it
- Prepare the surface and ensure the substrate is primed and levelled.
- Apply the adhesive with the correct notched trowel.
- Lay the timber boards into the wet adhesive.
- Roll or weight the floor if needed, to ensure contact across the bond area.
- Remove excess adhesive before it cures, using a damp cloth.
Step 5 is the one that saves you work later. Timberflex cleans up easily with a damp cloth while it is still wet; once cured, adhesive on a board face or a skirting is a mechanical removal job. Keep a damp cloth in hand and deal with squeeze-out as it appears rather than at the end of the row.
Limitations — where it should NOT be used
- Not recommended for outdoor flooring.
- Not recommended for wet area flooring.
- Do not apply to dusty, greasy or damp surfaces. All three prevent the adhesive from bonding to the substrate rather than to a contaminant layer on top of it.
Where it fits in the Selleys timber flooring system
Selleys presents a complete timber flooring system on the basis that proper subfloor preparation is essential to the longevity of a new floor. In sequence, that means sealing a concrete slab against moisture with VBS Vapour Barrier or VBS Rapid, bridging with VP30 Primer, levelling with SLC50 Leveller where needed, and then bonding the floor. Each of those products has its own requirements — read them rather than assuming the sequence is optional.
Hazard classification
Not classified as hazardous according to the criteria of Safe Work Australia GHS 7. No signal word and no hazard statements are assigned. It is also not classified as Dangerous Goods by the criteria of the Australian Code for the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road & Rail or New Zealand NZS 5433.
What is in it
| Chemical entity | CAS number | Proportion (w/w) |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2-Ethanediamine, N-[3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl]- | 1760-24-3 | <1% |
| Ingredients determined to be non-hazardous or below reporting limits | — | Balance |
One disclosed ingredient, under one percent: an aminosilane, which is the adhesion promoter that makes a silane-terminated polymer grip a concrete slab. Everything else is below the reporting threshold. The Safety Data Sheet describes the product as MS polymer (silyl modified polymer) technology, isocyanate-free and solvent-free.
This is the most consequential difference between Timberflex and the direct-stick adhesive it is offered as an alternative to, and it is not a difference in performance. Selleys Liquid Nails Direct Stick is a polyurethane adhesive carrying the signal word Danger, with respiratory sensitisation Category 1 (H334: may cause allergy or asthma symptoms or breathing difficulties if inhaled), skin sensitisation Category 1, carcinogenicity Category 2 and acute inhalation toxicity Category 4. Timberflex carries none of those. Where the two products are both suitable for a job, that is a real reason to choose one over the other, particularly for a trade installer who lays floors every week rather than once.
Not classified does not mean there is nothing to do. The Safety Data Sheet still asks you to avoid eye contact and repeated or prolonged skin contact, avoid inhaling dust, and handle it in a well-ventilated area — natural ventilation is adequate under normal use conditions. Nitrile rubber gloves are suitable for intermittent contact. Keep it away from food and drink, do not eat, drink or smoke while using it, and wash your hands afterwards. Wet adhesive on skin is far easier to deal with than cured adhesive, so wipe it off as you go.
Store unopened pails below 30 °C in a cool, dry place out of direct sunlight, away from foodstuffs and sources of heat or ignition, standing upright and closed. Unopened, the stated shelf life is 18 months from manufacture — worth checking on a pail that has been sitting in a van or a lock-up.
If it gets in an eye, wash out immediately with water; it is a sensible precaution to seek medical advice in any case of eye contamination. If poisoning occurs, contact a doctor or the Poisons Information Centre — 131 126 in Australia, 0800 764 766 in New Zealand — with the container to hand. Selleys emergency line: 1800 220 770 in Australia, 0800 220 770 in New Zealand.
Common questions about Selleys Timberflex
What flooring types is it for?
Most types of solid, engineered strip and sheet timber flooring, bonded to concrete or timber.
How much will I need?
Approximately 20m² per 10L, provided you use the correct trowel notch size.
Does it contain isocyanate or solvent?
No. The formulation is stated as solvent and isocyanate free, and the Advanced Polymer Technology formulation contains no isocyanate.
How do I clean up excess adhesive?
With a damp cloth, before the adhesive cures.
Can I use it outside or in a bathroom?
No. It is not recommended for outdoor or wet area flooring.
Can I apply it over a damp slab?
No. Do not apply to dusty, greasy or damp surfaces. To protect timber from concrete slab moisture, use Liquid Nails VBS Vapour Barrier.
Does it meet Green Star VOC requirements?
Yes. Its tested VOC content is 32 grams per litre against the GBCA limit of 100 grams per litre for wood flooring and laminate adhesives and sealants, and the certificate records that it meets the GBCA VOC content requirement.
Who tested it, and when?
FORAY Laboratories (NATA Accreditation 1231), in August 2022, using ASTM D3960 and ASTM D2369.
Do I need to roll or weight the floor?
Roll or weight the floor if needed, after laying the boards into the wet adhesive.
How is it different from Direct Stick?
Selleys Direct Stick is a high modulus, semi-rigid polyurethane with a foaming action; Timberflex is a flexible MS polymer adhesive. They have different technologies, different coverage figures and different limits — check both data sheets against your job rather than treating them as interchangeable.
Does the substrate need priming?
The directions call for a primed and levelled substrate. VP30 Primer is the primer in the same system.
What is Selleys Timberflex Timber Flooring Adhesive used for?
Selleys Liquid Nails Timberflex Timber Flooring Adhesive is a trowel-grade adhesive designed to secure timber flooring, providing a strong, flexible bond for long-lasting protection.
What adhesive technology does Timberflex use?
Timberflex uses MS polymer (Silyl Modified Polymer) adhesive technology.
How much coverage does Timberflex provide?
Timberflex provides approximately 20 m² of coverage per 10L when applied with the correct notched trowel.
What is the recommended application temperature for Timberflex?
Timberflex should be applied at temperatures between 5°C and 40°C.
Is Timberflex suitable for outdoor or wet area flooring?
No, Timberflex is not recommended for outdoor or wet area flooring.
What surface conditions should be avoided when applying Timberflex?
Timberflex should not be applied to dusty, greasy, or damp surfaces.
How do you clean up Timberflex before it cures?
Before curing, Timberflex can be cleaned up using a damp cloth.
What are the steps for applying Timberflex Timber Flooring Adhesive?
According to the directions for use: 1. Prepare the surface and ensure the substrate is primed and levelled. 2. Apply the adhesive with the correct notched trowel. 3. Lay the timber boards into the wet adhesive. 4. Roll or weight the floor if needed. 5. Remove excess adhesive before it cures.
What brand makes Timberflex Timber Flooring Adhesive?
Timberflex Timber Flooring Adhesive is made by Selleys.