It’s a scientific fact: nobody likes change. Humans are naturally risk-averse so when something is working well, we don’t like to change it – and that’s as true for flooring contractors as anybody else.
When something new comes along, we’re naturally suspicious. We look for faults, and we’re much more inclined to believe negative feedback. Word of mouth means that people often form preconceptions about new technology before they’ve seen or tried it themselves – and hey presto, a myth is born.
But there are times when NOT changing is actually far more risky than taking a leap of faith – like swapping to DCM-free adhesives. Even though the science around safety is clear, DCM-free products still have their naysayers, and are associated with a number of myths that can discourage flooring professionals from making the switch. Here are three of the ones we hear most often, and why you should ignore them!
1. DCM-free adhesives smell really bad
One of the most dangerous things about DCM adhesives is the fact that they DON’T smell bad. Dichloromethane is an almost odourless solvent which means you could be breathing it in and you wouldn’t even know until you develop physical side effects like dizziness or lung irritation. DCM-free adhesives use different types of solvent that are much safer for human health. While DCM is heavy and sits just above floor level, these tend to be lighter, which means you’ll notice the smell more. Whether or not you find the smell of a DCM-free adhesive unpleasant comes down to personal preference – but a smell can’t make you sick, while an odourless chemical can.
2. They’re slow to flash off
Different solvents evaporate at different speeds. Dichloromethane evaporates extremely quickly even at low temperatures, which means DCM-based adhesives flash off in just a few seconds. In developing DCM-free alternatives, we understood that this speed is important to flooring professionals, so we worked hard to make sure our healthier adhesives stack up in terms of performance. We’ll be honest and say that our DCM-free adhesives don’t flash off as quickly – but they do all flash off in 20 seconds or less. And who hasn’t got 20 seconds to safeguard their long-term respiratory health?
3. They don’t perform as well
This is one of the myths we love to bust the most! We’ve been conditioned to believe that heavy duty, toxic chemicals are somehow ‘stronger’ than healthy or environmentally friendly ones – but it’s simply not true! Thanks to adhesive research and innovation, you no longer have to put your health at risk in order to achieve robust, reliable bonds from your chosen flooring adhesive. Our DCM-free adhesives use non-toxic solvents to achieve the same incredible sticking power you’ve come to expect from Gekko. They undergo exactly the same rigorous testing process, and we’ve found their performance stacks up admirably – in fact, our DCM-free tackifiers perform even better than their DCM counterparts. No matter what type of floor you’re laying, there’s a DCM-free adhesive to help you tackle the job safely and with complete confidence.
DCM-free is no joke – it’s a proven carcinogen and chances are you won’t know if your health’s been harmed until years from now, when it’s already too late.
So next time you hear that your mate Dave’s mate Jimmy tried DCM-free and didn’t like it, ask yourself – can you trust that feedback, or could it be a myth? If it’s the latter, don’t you owe it to your respiratory health to decide for yourself?
Discover our DCM-free adhesives here or get in touch for more information.