If you have never used tile adhesives before, it can be quite daunting. We’ve put together the below guide to use tile adhesives safely and effectively.
Please Note: The below is only a guide. Use normal or rapid setting adhesives conforming to BS EN 12004 and follow the manufacturers’ instructions.
Mix the adhesive as per manufacturers’ instructions and spread with the recommended notched trowel to give a ribbed adhesive bed on the surface to be tiled. Butter the back of each tile with a thin layer of adhesive immediately before bedding it firmly into the fresh ribbed adhesive bed with a slight twisting motion to ensure a solid bed and prevent voids under the tile. Some “solid bedding” trowels and pourable adhesives are available that allow the floor tile to be solidly bedded without the need to butter the back of the tiles.
Remove surplus adhesive from the tile surface and joints with a damp sponge or cloth. Work in small areas of about 1 sq. metre at a time so that tiles are fixed whilst the surface of the ribbed bed is still wet and workable.
Every so often use a spirit level or straight edge to check that the tiles fixed are flat. Remove and adjust the amount of adhesive to achieve a flat surface, but don’t leave it too late or the adhesive will set. Leave adhesive to set before grouting (usually 24 hours unless using a rapid setting adhesive). In bathrooms, special attention should be paid to sealing the gap between wall and floor base using a flexible antibacterial sealant. A category C2 adhesive should be used when fixing fully vitrified tiles such as porcelain.