Tilers Trade Warehouse Brisbane: Choosing The Right Tile Adhesive

Have you picked the perfect tiles for your house? If yes, do not relax just yet, as there are some things to be done. The next thing to think about is the installation and adhesives. After all, your new tiles will only look their best if they are fitted properly from products in the tilers trade warehouse.

People use tile adhesive when they need to stick their tiles to the walls and floors. There is a variety of different substrates and types of tiles out there, so it is essential that the right adhesive is chosen to make sure the tiles stay in place for a long time.

It is always recommend to seek the advice of a professional tiler who can pick the most suitable adhesive for your project. But, we have this handy guide to help you make the best choice if you are looking for tilers trade warehouse Brisbane adhesive yourself.

What Are the Kinds of Tile Adhesive?

Powdered adhesives and ready-mixed pastes are two different types of tile adhesive.

As the name indicates, ready mixed pastes can be used directly to the tub, making them easy to use. But there are some limitations, in which the pastes can only be used to fix smaller tiles to the walls.

On the other hand, powdered adhesives should be mixed with water into a semiliquid mixture, which takes a little more effort and time. However, they provide a far stronger bond and typically, can be used to fit natural stone, ceramic, and porcelain tiles to almost any substrate.

What Substrate Are You Fixing?

There is a wide range of different substrates that you can use to fix tiles. Take a look at the most typical option:

Plasterboard and Plaster – Walls. These small ceramic tiles are commonly used for splashbacks  and walls and in many cases, a ready-mixed paste is ideal for the job. If you are fixing a bigger than 30 x 30 cm ceramic tile or any size porcelain tile to the walls, it is better to use a powdered adhesive. They are available in different colours, setting flexibility and speeds options. It is vital to ensure that the wall can withstand the weight of tiles and adhesive. Whenever necessary, you should tile directly onto the plasterboard compared to the fresh plaster.

Timber – Floors. While it is sometimes possible to tile straight onto the floorboards, it is better to install a layer of marine grade plywood that has minimum 15mm thickness, or use a tile backing board on top. These will provide you with a stronger, more durable surface to tile onto.

You can never use ready mixed pastes to tile floors, even if you are working on ceramic tiles. What you can do is use a powdered adhesive. The main factors to consider when selecting the right powdered adhesive are flexibility, color, open, or setting time.

Screed or Concrete – Floors.  The same with the timber floors, you will need to use a powdered adhesive. Newly laid floors must be dry enough before you can tile using the products from tilers trade warehouse Brisbane. In general, concrete bases would need 6 weeks minimum.