How to choose the right tile adhesive

Recommendation points

• What does tile glue consist of?
• The main characteristics of quality glue
• How to choose the right glue for price and properties
• What points to consider when choosing an adhesive
• How to apply glue correctly

Before proceeding with the choice of adhesive for the tile, it is necessary to decide where it will be glued: indoors or outdoors. You should also take into account what surface the tiles will be laid on: on concrete, brick or drywall.

If the tiles are laid in the bathroom, then you need to make sure that the tile adhesive is suitable for rooms with high humidity..

Today, modern tile adhesive is easy to prepare, easy to use and highly water resistant. It can also be used for finishing various surfaces: wood, plastic, painted, etc. But it should be noted that the quality of repair depends on the correct choice of glue..

What does tile glue consist of?

Previously, all the glue consisted of cement and sand, which were mixed in the required proportions, and they included PVA glue or other additives. Immediately before work, the tiles had to be soaked, and only then laid on the surface. Over time, for better quality, polymer materials were added to the cement-sand mortar, which helped to lay out the tiles with high quality. Thus, the modern market offers a rich assortment of adhesive mixture..

Today, tile adhesive consists of a powder that has an astringent consistency. It contains polymer modifiers, water-retaining additives and antifreeze agents. All this mixture is presented in dry form and is designed for a specific application..

The main characteristics of quality glue

One of the main qualities that glue should have is long pot life (how much you can work with the glue mixture after mixing).

To prevent tiles from sticking to building surfaces, it is necessary that the adhesive has a high degree of adhesion. Only in this case, even the heaviest tile will not fall off and slide from the previous place..

Also, high-quality glue should have high plasticity, due to which, it can be easily applied to the surface in the required amount..

If the tiles are laid on the floor, then the glue should have increased spreading, due to which a flat surface is provided..

A high-quality adhesive mixture should not harden quickly, since then the possibility of adjusting the tile is excluded.

How to choose the right glue for price and properties

Tile adhesive can be divided by cost into expensive, average price and the cheapest. A cheap type of glue or “economy” contains the most basic formulations, and accordingly provides an average percentage of quality.

Glue “standard” or middle class is widely used by craftsmen. This type has high adhesion and high plasticity. The price of this glue is slightly more expensive than the previous one. “Standard” is used for laying tiles, ceramic tiles and for embossed surfaces.

As for the expensive glue, it is the most common “universal” type used in specific work. For example, for a surface that can deform over time, this type of glue is used.

According to the color characteristics, the glue can be of various shades, thanks to the various color additives included in it..

When buying glue, you should take into account how much weight is required for the work, since modern packaging is designed for both a small amount of work and a large one. The standard calculation for the glue is approximately five kilograms per square meter. But this calculation is given taking into account that the surface will already be prepared, i.e. there will be no need to putty it with an adhesive mixture.

What points to consider when choosing an adhesive

The dry adhesive mixture must be suitable for the substrate to be applied (concrete, brick, wood, etc.).

It is necessary to pay attention to the information indicated on the packaging of the adhesive about its strength properties.

Before choosing a glue, it is worth deciding on the type of tile, since it also comes in different types: well absorbing water and weakly absorbing. This point is important, because when in contact with water, cement hardens, and if it is absorbed into the tile earlier than necessary, this can lead to a weak adhesive strength..

How to apply glue correctly

After choosing the required type of glue, you can start working. The dry mixture is usually diluted with water in the ratio indicated on the package by the manufacturer. The main thing here is not to make a mistake, but to follow the instructions exactly.

The consistency of the adhesive solution must be plastic, i.e. do not spread. Also, before using any brand of glue, you need to pay attention to what temperatures the mixture is intended for, since even the smallest deviations from the norm can affect the result..

In the event that glue is used for a “warm” floor, the heating should be turned off so that the room has the same surface temperature. Also, for laying tiles on this surface, there are different types of adhesives that are suitable for heated floors. There is a minimum water consumption here, so that over time the glue does not dry out and crack.

If you follow all the instructions and think about the necessary details regarding the materials in advance, then you will get a high-quality composition for laying tiles, and the repair work will not turn into a natural disaster..