The cost of tile adhesive significantly impacts the overall cost of tile installation. When is it possible to save by choosing a more affordable adhesive, and when is it necessary to use the highest quality flexible adhesives?
When it comes to tile installation, one of the biggest challenges is choosing the right pattern or color. However, many people overlook the importance of what isn’t visible: selecting the right tile adhesive. Choosing the wrong adhesive can cause bigger problems than choosing the wrong tile color.
The choice of tile adhesive depends on several factors, such as the type of substrate on which the tiles are being installed, the material of the tiles themselves, and the location where the tiles will be placed. It is also important to consider whether the tiles are floor or wall tiles, whether they are indoors or outdoors, and if they are covered or exposed. Additionally, the presence of underfloor heating beneath the tiles can influence the choice of adhesive.
Are Expensive Adhesives Always Necessary?
The choice isn’t simple, but it’s important to note that the highest quality adhesives with a wide range of applications can generally bond all types of tiles to all substrates in any location. However, if you’re installing the tiles yourself, cost savings might be a goal, and in some cases, tiles can be effectively bonded with more affordable adhesives.
Related Articles:
BUYING OUTDOOR TILES? PAY ATTENTION TO THIS…
GRANITE TILES – ALL PROS AND CONS
If you choose traditional ceramic tiles, whose structure and back are made of baked clay, they are absorbent materials that bond well with adhesive. If these tiles are installed on an absorbent substrate, high-quality adhesive might not be necessary.
The same applies to concrete screeds, which also create a strong bond with adhesive. However, a distinction should be made between wall and floor tiles, as wall tiles are less stressed and therefore less demanding.
When is High-Quality Adhesive Necessary?
Stone, granite, and porcelain tiles have non-absorbent backs, requiring adhesives with high adhesion power. Flexible adhesives are necessary for such tiles as they bond well. The same applies if the substrate is made of non-absorbent materials, which generally achieve poorer adhesion. These materials include glass, stone, and old tiles over which new tiles are laid.
Flexible adhesives form a strong bond with the substrate and maintain their adhesive properties under varying conditions. They are used for all exterior work where temperature fluctuations are common (sun, rain, day, night, summer, winter).
Temperature changes cause thermal expansion, and the expansion of the tile and substrate is not always the same. Without flexible adhesives that can compensate for this, cracking or detachment of tiles can occur. Flexible adhesives expand and contract with temperature changes, ensuring a lasting bond.
What are Flexible Adhesives for Ceramic Tiles?
Flexible adhesives are used for all substrates, usually floors exposed to thermal, static, or dynamic loads. Due to temperature changes and frequent thermal expansions, flexible adhesives are necessary when installing tiles over underfloor heating systems.
The issue with underfloor heating is not the temperature itself, as it is not high, but the frequent temperature changes. Tiles and adhesives used for outdoor tiles during summer months endure much higher temperatures than those produced by underfloor heating.
Outdoor uncovered tiles, which endure high summer temperatures, autumn rains, and winter frosts, are the most demanding regarding adhesive quality. These positions do not use traditional ceramic tiles with absorbent backs, but higher quality tiles with non-absorbent structures, requiring the highest quality flexible adhesives available.