During application, end users typically remove the adhesive from the container using the trowel and spread it onto the desired substrate. Adhesives with good rheological characteristics, therefore, will allow trowel retention. Adhesives with poor rheological characteristics tend to be unacceptable because they cannot be picked up by a trowel.

Bead configuration is important in order to provide proper wetting/contact of the carpet backing. Beads drawn with a trowel, which show a nonslumping ridge, are preferred because they allow good contact to both substrates.

Measurement of the slump resistance of the adhesive will allow an end user to know if an adhesive is capable of both adhering well to the trowel during application and maintain a nonflowing adhesive ridge.