Posted on Date 20th Dec 2023
Whats the best adhesive for tiling walls?
When it comes to choosing the right tile adhesive for your home, it is not always as straight forward as it could be, especially with so many products on the market.
Whats more, after investing so much time, effort and money on your tiles, it is vital that you do the right thing by them and select the right tile adhesive to ensure they last a long time on your wall. Thats why weve created this handy guide to help make selecting (as well as applying) the right adhesive that much easier.
Different tiles require different adhesives
Because there are so many different types of tiles available, there are, in turn, many different types of adhesives of available. But what are they and what the differences between them?
Ready mixed tub adhesives
Ready Mixed Tub adhesives, as the name suggests, are ready to use straight from the tub. Although ready mixed tile adhesives save time because you do not need to make-up the adhesive yourself, and can be used on cement board, plaster and plasterboards, they do have their limitations.
Firstly, they shouldnt be used when installing porcelain tiles (due to their non-porous surface). And, secondly, they should only be used to fix small format, ceramic tiles to a wall. Although this sounds a bit harsh, it is because the drying chemistry behind a ready-mixed product doesnt function well with areas like floors which require a greater amount of water evaporation.
Standard rapid set cement adhesives
Standard Rapid Set Cement is a type of adhesive that comes in powder format. It should be mixed with water for at least 20 mins to produce the correct form. Standard Rapid Set Cement should be used only for fixing ceramic and porcelain tiles to a solid wall or floor.
Rapid set multi flex cement adhesives
And, last, but by no means least, there is Rapid Set Multi Flex. This particular adhesive comes with a latex additive, giving it greater flexibility as well as strength over the Standard Rapid Set Cement. This makes Rapid Set Multi Flex ideal for tiling over plywood (and other wooden) surfaces that are subject to movement as well as to fix porcelain and natural stone tiles which require more grip.
Watch our video
If you need help with mixing tile adhesive, why not our watch our video. Tile Warehouse has teamed up with YouTuber to show you how to mix as well as apply tile adhesive at home.
Need more information?
If you have any questions regarding selecting the right adhesives for your home, then feel free to contact our Customer Services team using our web chat facility. They will be more than happy to help.