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Which Adhesive Goes Where in Dunlop Double-Bond Carpet Cushion Systems?

Dunlop’s commercial guidance separates the two bonds: Tac & Peel secures cushion to the subfloor, while Ultra Bond secures woven or tufted carpet to the cushion. This guide explains Performa 5 specifications, the limits of Dunlop Carpet Tile Adhesive, alternative products and a job-ready installation checklist.

By ThatPainter Team 18 October 2026
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Use two separate adhesive interfaces in a Dunlop double-bond installation: Tac & Peel beneath the cushion and Ultra Bond between the cushion and the carpet. Dunlop’s commercial material describes Ultra Bond as capable of bonding cushion to a subfloor too, but recommends Tac & Peel underneath and Ultra Bond above so the cushion is easier to remove or replace later. Confirm the exact cushion, carpet backing, subfloor and current technical data sheet before specifying any combination.

What “double bond” means

A double-bond carpet system is not one layer of adhesive doing two identical jobs. It has two interfaces that must each be compatible with the materials they join:

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  • Lower bond: the resilient carpet cushion or underlay is attached to the prepared subfloor.
  • Upper bond: the carpet is attached to the top of that cushion.

The cushion may be a slab, foam or other resilient underlay, while the carpet may have a woven, tufted or laminated backing. Adhesive that performs well at one interface may be unsuitable at the other. A complete specification therefore identifies the cushion, carpet backing, substrate, environmental conditions and adhesive for each bond rather than simply naming a “double-bond adhesive.”

Dunlop’s commercial cushion brochure assigns different roles to its named products. Tac & Peel is described for securing Double Bond cushion to common interior subfloors. Ultra Bond is described for securing most woven and tufted carpets to the cushion. The same brochure says Ultra Bond can also bond cushion to a subfloor, but recommends the Tac & Peel/Ultra Bond combination for easier future removal and replacement. Treat those descriptions as product guidance, not a substitute for the current instructions covering the particular job.

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Dunlop’s described adhesive arrangement

Tac & Peel under the cushion

Tac & Peel is the lower-interface choice in Dunlop’s commercial description. Its job is to hold the cushion to a sound, clean interior subfloor while allowing the cushion to be removed more readily than a permanently aggressive bond might. The substrate still has to meet the adhesive manufacturer’s requirements: contamination, weak surfaces, excessive porosity, moisture and unsuitable temperature can all undermine the result.

“Removable” does not mean “install over an unprepared floor.” A cushion installed over dust, curing compounds, oil, loose laitance or uncontrolled moisture can release, telegraph defects into the carpet or create movement under traffic. Prepare and test the floor exactly as the current Tac & Peel data sheet and the flooring manufacturer’s instructions require.

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Ultra Bond above the cushion

Ultra Bond is the upper-interface adhesive in Dunlop’s description. It is intended for most woven and tufted carpets installed over the cushion. The carpet backing is decisive: a backing construction outside the product’s stated scope may need a different adhesive or a written compatibility approval.

Apply Ultra Bond only after checking the cushion’s surface, the carpet backing and the required installation method. A pressure-sensitive, wet-set or other adhesive technology can have different transfer, open-time and rolling requirements. Do not infer those details from the product name; use the current technical data sheet for the exact product and conditions.

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Why Dunlop recommends two products

Dunlop’s brochure presents the two-product arrangement as a practical serviceability choice. Tac & Peel is used below, while Ultra Bond is used above, so a future refurbishment can focus on lifting or replacing the cushion without treating both interfaces as one permanently bonded mass. Ultra Bond’s described ability to bond cushion to a subfloor does not make it the preferred lower bond in that recommendation.

For a project that prioritizes permanent attachment, unusual traffic loading, a special carpet backing or a nonstandard substrate, obtain a written recommendation from the relevant manufacturers. The brochure does not establish approval for every combination of cushion, carpet and floor.

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Performa 5: the named commercial cushion option

Dunlop Underlay lists Performa 5 as a general-commercial dual-bond underlay. The following figures are manufacturer-published specifications on its commercial underlay page, accessed in 2026; they are not independent comparative test results.

Specification Performa 5
Nominal thickness 5 mm
Roll length 20 m
Roll width 1.37 m
Area per roll 27.4 m²
Classification AS 4288: General Commercial
Density 160 kg/m³
Acoustic performance 23 dB (manufacturer-published figure)
Thermal insulation R 0.11 (manufacturer-published figure)

Dunlop names hotels, retail premises, offices, theatres, government and education buildings, healthcare and public spaces, entertainment venues, bars and lounges, restaurants, and conference facilities among the recommended settings. Those are application recommendations, not a guarantee that every room or traffic class is suitable. Confirm the project’s carpet specification, castor-chair exposure, rolling-load requirements, fire performance and maintenance regime with the flooring parties before ordering.

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The manufacturer’s comparison page uses intended application, floor covering, thickness, density, acoustic performance and thermal insulation as the useful ways to compare underlays. Performa 5 and Performa 7 are both listed for double-bond and conventional applications, but a comparison label alone does not establish that either product suits a particular carpet backing or subfloor. Check the current installation instructions and obtain compatibility confirmation for the selected system.

Do not mistake Dunlop Carpet Tile Adhesive for the upper bond

Dunlop Trade’s Carpet Tile Adhesive data sheet describes a water-based pressure-sensitive adhesive and includes double-bond underlays among the items it fixes. The same sheet explicitly states that it is not suitable for installing carpet to underlay. That limitation is critical: the product description cannot be used to specify Carpet Tile Adhesive as the complete adhesive system for broadloom carpet over cushion.

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Use that product only within the scope stated on its current data sheet, such as the applications and floor-covering types it names. For a double-bond broadloom installation, select a product that the manufacturer expressly approves for the carpet-to-cushion interface, such as the described Ultra Bond arrangement where the carpet and cushion are within its scope.

The Carpet Tile Adhesive sheet also calls for a dry, smooth and clean substrate, moisture testing, and priming of highly porous concrete or plywood. It specifies temperature limits that must be checked in the current document. These preparation requirements illustrate a general rule for the whole system: adhesive selection cannot compensate for a substrate that has not been tested and prepared.

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Other documented adhesive examples

Several other products are documented for particular double-bond uses. They are examples for technical review, not blanket approvals for every Dunlop cushion.

Product Documented use What must still be verified
Nexus 920 Described for bonding slab underlays to subfloors and common tufted or woven carpet to underlay. Confirm the exact Dunlop cushion, carpet backing, substrate, preparation and current installation method.
ARDEX AF 271 Its product page includes double-bond underlays and provides coverage guidance. Coverage depends on the specified application and conditions; verify approval for the selected cushion and carpet.
RLA Universal Pressure Sensitive Adhesive RLA recommends it for laminated slab underlays used in double-bond installations. Check that the recommendation covers the actual underlay construction, carpet and subfloor on your project.

These examples should be evaluated by bond role, not by brand familiarity. An adhesive recommended for slab underlay to concrete is not automatically approved for carpet to cushion, and an adhesive approved for a laminated slab may not be suitable for another cushion construction.

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How to specify and install the system

The following workflow keeps the two bonds separate and leaves a record of the decisions that affect performance.

  1. Identify every layer. Record the exact cushion product and thickness, carpet manufacturer and backing construction, subfloor material, room use and expected traffic. Include transitions to adjacent floors and any areas exposed to castor chairs, rolling loads or frequent wet cleaning.
  2. Obtain current documents. Use the current data sheet and installation instructions for the cushion, both adhesives and the carpet. The Dunlop commercial brochure is useful for understanding the Tac & Peel/Ultra Bond concept, but it does not replace job-specific instructions or establish present stock.
  3. Check the lower bond. Confirm that Tac & Peel, or another selected adhesive, is approved for the subfloor and cushion construction. If the specification calls for Ultra Bond below the cushion instead, verify that use in writing and understand how future removal will differ.
  4. Prepare the subfloor. Make it dry, smooth, sound and clean as required by the selected adhesive. Remove contaminants and loose material. Correct irregularities that could telegraph through the cushion. Do not cover a substrate with unresolved moisture or alkalinity issues.
  5. Moisture-test and prime where required. Follow the adhesive data sheet’s test method and limits. Highly porous concrete or plywood may require the specified primer. Do not substitute a different primer because it is available on site.
  6. Control site conditions. Keep the area within the temperature, humidity and acclimation conditions stated by the product instructions. Record readings and the date; adhesive behavior and carpet dimensions can change when installation conditions fall outside the stated range.
  7. Install the cushion with the lower adhesive. Apply Tac & Peel, or the approved alternative, using the specified spread rate and tool. Place and seam the cushion as directed, then roll or otherwise consolidate it using the manufacturer’s method. Avoid gaps, ridges, trapped debris and unbonded edges.
  8. Inspect before bonding carpet. Check that the cushion is flat, secure and free of contamination. Resolve bubbles, loose areas or damaged sections before applying the upper adhesive. Do not use the carpet to hide a defect in the cushion installation.
  9. Install carpet with the upper adhesive. Apply Ultra Bond, or another product explicitly approved for the carpet-to-cushion bond, according to its spread rate, open time, transfer and rolling instructions. Follow the carpet manufacturer’s seam, pattern, tension and directional requirements.
  10. Protect and document the finished floor. Respect the adhesive’s cure and traffic restrictions. Keep the product lot numbers, data sheets, substrate test results, room conditions and installer notes with the project record so a future repair can identify the original system.

Exact spread rates, working times, rolling sequences and cure periods are product- and condition-dependent. They are intentionally not generalized here; use the current instructions supplied for the adhesive on the job.

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Decision points that prevent common failures

Carpet backing is outside the stated range

Ultra Bond is described for most woven and tufted carpets, not every backing ever made. PVC, polyurethane, cushion-backed, needle-punched, hybrid or specialty backings may behave differently. Obtain a compatibility statement before installation rather than assuming that a carpet’s face fiber determines adhesive suitability.

The substrate is porous or contaminated

Porous concrete and plywood can draw water from a water-based or pressure-sensitive adhesive and alter its film formation. Contamination can prevent wetting and create localized release. Follow the specified cleaning and primer procedure, then repeat testing if the substrate changes.

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Moisture results are unacceptable

Do not proceed by increasing adhesive quantity or switching products casually. Stop, determine whether the issue is construction moisture, vapor transmission, a leak or an invalid test, and use the remediation and retest process required by the flooring and adhesive manufacturers.

The cushion moves after installation

Movement can indicate an unsuitable lower adhesive, poor transfer, insufficient coverage, an unprepared floor, debris beneath the cushion or traffic before cure. Isolate the cause before bonding carpet above it; the upper adhesive cannot reliably correct a failed lower interface.

Future replacement is important

Specify the Tac & Peel lower bond and Ultra Bond upper bond arrangement described by Dunlop when the project values easier cushion removal. Tell the owner which interface is intended to release and retain the adhesive records for the next refurbishment. A different adhesive choice may change removal effort and the condition of the subfloor or carpet backing.

How to read the acoustic and thermal figures

Performa 5’s published 23 dB acoustic performance and R 0.11 thermal insulation value are useful specification data, but they are not universal predictions for a finished room. Installed performance also depends on the carpet, slab, ceiling and wall assemblies, flanking paths, workmanship and measurement method. Use the figures as manufacturer-published attributes of the underlay, then have the project’s acoustic or building consultant confirm the assembly-level requirement.

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Pre-installation checklist

  • Two adhesive interfaces are listed separately on the specification.
  • The exact cushion and carpet backing are identified, with current manufacturer instructions available.
  • The lower adhesive is approved for both the subfloor and cushion; the upper adhesive is approved for both cushion and carpet backing.
  • The subfloor is sound, smooth, clean and dry within the stated limits.
  • Moisture testing, primer use and environmental conditions are documented.
  • Spread rates, tools, open times, rolling and cure restrictions are taken from the current data sheets.
  • The installer has a plan for seams, transitions, protection and future cushion replacement.
  • Any unusual combination has written technical approval before material is installed.

The practical answer is therefore specific rather than generic: in Dunlop’s described commercial system, Tac & Peel belongs under the Double Bond cushion and Ultra Bond belongs between cushion and carpet. Performa 5 is a 5 mm general-commercial option with the manufacturer-published dimensions and performance figures listed above. For every project, let the current product instructions and a verified compatibility check decide whether that arrangement—or a documented alternative—is appropriate.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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