How to choose the right adhesive for ceramic tiles?

A huge variety of finishing materials, which today is saturated with the construction market, contributes to the appearance of more and more adhesives. Depending on the quality of the treated surface and the conditions in which the room will be used, tile adhesive is also chosen. The basis of modern adhesives, as before, are cement and fine sand, to which various modifiers are added, providing high adhesion, moisture resistance, frost resistance and other positive characteristics.

Choosing tile adhesive

When choosing glue for ceramic tiles, tiles or natural stone, pay attention to several key points.

1. General parameters: weight, width, length, height. The greater the weight of a single plate, the stronger the connection between the surface and the trim elements should be. Typically, the packaging indicates what adhesion the adhesive composition has.
2. The material from which the tile is made.
3. Type and features of the processed surface. Tiles can be used for both simple and complex surfaces. Simple substrates include concrete, masonry, foam blocks and other non-deformable materials; complex ones include glass, plastic, wood or metal.
4. The purpose of the premises and the conditions of its operation. There are three classes of glue that differ significantly in composition and in the presence of modifiers. Heat-resistant compounds are used in the repair of baths and saunas, water-repellent - in the decoration of swimming pools, bathrooms and other rooms with high humidity, frost-resistant are suitable for work in harsh climatic conditions.

Do not choose tile glue based on its value. Specific formulations used under special conditions are usually expensive. It is unlikely that their properties will be fully revealed when gluing ordinary tiles.

Tile adhesive composition

Tile glue may contain one or two components, which are supplemented with synthetic modifiers.

Depending on the number of constituents, adhesives are divided into the following categories.

• One component. One-component tile adhesive contains cement and modifiers that provide elasticity to the bonding layer and increase the working time of the adhesive, preventing it from hardening too quickly. One-component tile adhesive is usually sold in the form of a dry mixture, which before use is easy to dilute with water.
• Two-component. Two types of two-component adhesive are distinguished: epoxy (liquid epoxy resin is connected to the catalyst) and polyurethane, in which a special hardener is added to the polyurethane base. A two-component adhesive is prepared by combining two components that enter into a chemical reaction with each other, solidify and form a strong adhesive layer. This type of glue is most in demand for tiling bathrooms and other rooms in which high humidity is kept for a long time.

Important!

Two-component glue quickly hardens, therefore, to work with such a composition you need a lot of experience.

• Acrylic Tile adhesive is a white paste, sold ready-made and does not require mixing or dilution. Acrylic adhesive is very easy to use - just put the mixture on the inside of the tile and apply it to the surface to be treated.Usually acrylic-based glue is used for laying mosaics or tiles. This tool is most suitable for use in wet rooms, since after it dries, a waterproof acrylic film forms between the tile and the base.
• Polymer. Universal tile adhesive based on acrylic water dispersion. Polymer adhesive, unlike acrylic, can not be used in rooms with high humidity, but the composition is great for small repairs. It is easily applied to the surface of the plate and base, dries quickly, forming a strong and reliable connection.

Varieties of glue for tiles

There are several varieties of adhesives that differ in their properties and technical characteristics.

• Quick hardening

Quick-hardening adhesive for a tile hardens within three hours. For comparison, many adhesive mixtures harden over the course of a whole day. Once the quick-drying adhesive has finally hardened, you can use the treated surface. This speed also has its drawbacks, because after half an hour after applying glue to the tile it is impossible to budge. This must be remembered when working with a quick-drying composition. Apply tile glue for external and internal works.

• Leveling

Not always the base is a perfectly smooth surface, so before gluing the tiles, you have to walk along the wall with a primer or cement mortar. If the depth of the bumps is not more than 5 mm, this additional work can be avoided with the help of leveling glue, which is perfect for tiling foundations, socles, loggias and terraces.

• Moisture resistant

Moisture-resistant adhesive for ceramic tiles contains water-repellent modifiers and additives that prevent the formation of fungus and mold. When deciding which glue to choose in the bathroom, you should give preference to waterproof compounds.

• Highly elastic

It is used for laying plates on surfaces subjected to deformation, for example drywall, wood, plywood. In addition, an elastic adhesive is necessary for laying floor tiles on heated coatings. Special plasticizers, which are part of a highly elastic adhesive, provide high flexibility and elasticity of the connecting layer.

• Heat resistant

Heat-resistant adhesive for tiles designed specifically for the decoration of fireplaces, stoves and other sources of fire. Due to the unique properties of this product, the connecting layer withstands short-term heating up to + 600 ° C, does not crack and does not crumble.

• Thick layer

Thick-layer tile adhesive is used when working with heavy large-format floor tiles indoors. The special consistency of this adhesive makes it possible to make a leveling layer up to 12 mm thick.

• Frost resistant

Frost-resistant adhesive for ceramic tiles is used for outdoor work in the winter season. With the help of this adhesive, it is possible to tile the balcony or loggia, porch or pool, as well as insulate the room with mineral wool or other heat-insulating material from the outside.

• Universal

Universal tile adhesive is most often used for repair work. It has average characteristics and is equally well suited for laying floor tiles indoors as well as for exterior decoration. If you do not need to perform a specific task and there are no special conditions, it is better to choose a universal tile adhesive.

• Reinforced adhesive

Reinforced adhesive composition is used for laying large-format floor plates, when the connecting layer requires increased strength and immunity to constant dynamic loads.

How to dilute and apply glue?

Many manufacturers produce tile adhesive in the form of a dry mixture, it should be diluted with water before starting work.Warm water is poured into a clean container, the dry mixture is poured out and well mixed using a construction mixer or a drill with a special nozzle. The prepared solution is infused for 5 minutes and mixed again.

Before you start laying the tiles with your own hands, you need to properly prepare the base. The surface should be cleaned of dust and small debris, remove greasy stains, with glue or a primer to smooth out irregularities. After 24 hours, you can do the cladding.

To apply tile adhesive to the main surface, use a notched trowel. This tool has several varieties that differ in the height of the teeth, which can be 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 mm. The tile is applied to a wall or floor, pressed down and leveled with a rubber mallet. The thickness of the adhesive layer is usually equal to half the height of the trowel teeth.

Important!

If the tile is laid on the heated floor, it is necessary to turn off the heating system two days before the start of repair work. It will be possible to turn on the heating only three days after the completion of the finish.

Tile adhesive expiration date

Each adhesive composition has an expiration date, which is indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging of the goods. In order for the tile adhesive to fully comply with the declared properties and characteristics, it must be used before the expiration date.

Therefore, when purchasing adhesives in a store, you need to pay attention to exactly when the product was made. After all, it is no secret to anyone that before getting on the counter, tile glue can lie for several months at the manufacturer’s warehouse or directly at the outlet.

The cement-based dry mix can be stored for 6 to 12 months. If sand during this time does not completely change its properties, then this is not the case with cement and polymer additives. Cement loses its activity by 5% every month, and modifiers can turn out to be useless additives after the expiration date.

It is also worth remembering that the expiration date on the packaging refers to the dry mix. In the diluted state, the adhesive for ceramic tiles cannot be stored, because after 4 hours after mixing the powder with water, the adhesive will harden and it will be impossible to re-dilute it.