Why green strength matters in synthetic turf adhesives

By Jesse Sanchez. 

High green strength helps synthetic turf adhesives hold materials in place during installation while still allowing adjustments before the bond fully cures. 

Outdoor synthetic turf installation presents a challenge that goes beyond simply finding an adhesive that sticks. According to NORDOT® Adhesives, one of the most important characteristics for outdoor applications is green strength, also described as grab or tack. 

Green strength refers to an adhesive’s ability to hold two surfaces together immediately after contact, before the adhesive develops its ultimate bonding properties. NORDOT Adhesives are formulated with high green strength to help counter the forces that can cause synthetic turf to separate, curl, bubble, lift, creep, slip or wrinkle during installation. 

That initial grab can also provide installers with flexibility. The adhesive can be formulated to hold materials securely while remaining workable enough to permit corrective adjustments and repositioning before curing. They caution that the consistency of an adhesive alone does not indicate its level of tack or green strength. 

These handling characteristics become particularly important outdoors, where installation conditions can change throughout the day. Temperature, wind, moisture, and humidity can affect the work, while sunlight, shadows and passing clouds can cause surface temperatures to fluctuate. High green strength can also help installers manage wind lift, edge curl, wrinkling, unexpected rain and expansion or contraction of the turf surface. 

NORDOT high green strength adhesives move through five phases of grab after application. The process begins with a period when bonding is too early, followed by a rapid increase in grab as solvent evaporates. The third and fourth phases represent the optimum bonding range before the adhesive reaches a final stage when it is too late for bonding because adhesive transfer no longer occurs. 

For installers, understanding this working range can support more practical outdoor installations under variable conditions while reducing the need for excessive rolling or sandbagging. 

Learn more about NORDOT adhesives and their high green strength for synthetic turf installations from Synthetic Surfaces Inc!