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HomeHow to Select the Best Tile Adhesive to Fix Ceramic and Natural Stone Tiles?
Sep 12, 2024
Ceramic or natural stone tiles, using the wrong tile adhesive can turn your dream home into a pricey nightmare with issues like loose tiles, water damage or uneven surfaces. All you need is a tile adhesive designed to sustain the rigidity of ceramic and natural stone tiles while withstanding the movements they endure without cracking.
With many similar ceramic and stone adhesives in the market, making the right choice can become challenging. To simplify this process, we have listed a few factors to consider before selecting tile adhesives to fix your home’s tiling.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Tile Adhesive for Ceramic and Natural Stone Tiles
1. Types of Tile Adhesives
First, learn the various types of tile adhesives:
- Cementitious (C): This formulation contains cement, sand and other additives. It is suitable for fixing various tiles including, ceramic and natural stones.
- Dispersion (D): This polymer-based solution is dispersed in a liquid to form a flexible glue. It is ideal for tiling applications on surfaces, such as wood, paper, and cloth.
- Reaction Resin (R): These adhesives are reactive resins formed through chemical reactions involving unsaturated and saturated dibasic acids and other ingredients. These are ideal for metals, stones, composites and similar tile surfaces.
Now that you know cement-based tile adhesives are ideal for ceramic and natural stone tiles, let’s move to the next factor.
2. Surface Type
The surface or substrate’s material, state and capacity on which tiles will be put considerably influence the type of cement-based tile adhesive required. For example,
- Porous surfaces like concrete or cement absorb water and require ceramic or stone adhesive with higher bonding strength and moisture resistance to avoid seepage
- Non-porous surfaces like existing tiles or waterproof membranes require adhesives that can be adapted to non-absorptive smooth and impermeable layers without compromising the bond
Read the manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure the ceramic or stone adhesive is appropriate for the substrate.
3. Know Your Tiling
Ceramic tiles are generally less porous than natural stone. They are adaptable to most general and specific cement-based ceramic adhesives. On the other hand, natural stone tiles come in various porosity levels. To know the right stone adhesive, first understand its sub-types:
- Calcareous stone tiles like limestone and marble contain calcium carbonate and require specific stone adhesives that prevent discolouration
- Non-calcareous stone tiles like granite, sandstone and basalt do not contain calcium carbonate and can employ a broader range of general and stone adhesives
4. Environmental Conditions
The location where the tiles will be installed—whether on walls, or floors, indoors or outdoors, in dry or wet areas, all these factors affect the choice of tile adhesive.
- Wall applications require vertical bonding strength to hold tiles in place
- Floor applications need ceramic or stone adhesive that can cure without much air exposure
- Wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens need waterproof cement-based adhesives to prevent water infiltration
These are a few factors to consider when selecting the right tile adhesive for your ceramic or stone tile fixing. Considering all the requirements, at Astral Trubuild we provide a wide selection of tile adhesives that meet various industry standards and your individual fixing requirements.
Tile Adhesive Recommendations by Astral Trubuild
- TA-600 White: A general glue for various tile types including ceramic, clay, terracotta, brick and stone tiles. It is suitable for both floors and walls, indoors and outdoors. Its flexibility and high adherence make it ideal for places prone to vibration and bright sunlight
Meets: IS 15477:2019-TYPE 4 -T4TS1
- TA 100: A general tile adhesive specifically intended for interior floor applications. It has superior adhesive and slip resistance capabilities and keeps the ceramic and stone tiles securely fastened in high-traffic indoor environments.
- TA 220 Grey: A grey tile adhesive for big-format ceramic and semi-vitrified tiles. It is designed for interior flooring and wall applications in dry environments. It is slip-resistant and has self-curing qualities ensuring effective curing even in areas with little ventilation.
Meets: IS 15477:2019- TYPE 2 -T2T
- TA 220 Plus Grey: A flexible grey adhesive for various tile types including ceramic and stone. It is suitable for indoor and outdoor applications in dry and wet environments. It boasts self-curing qualities with an extended open time, providing flexibility during installation.
- TA 220 Plus White: A general cement-based grey counterpart for interior and exterior tiling applications. It supports dry and moist environments with self-curing qualities, an extended open time and greater adhesion qualities.
Meets: IS 15477:2019- TYPE 2 -T2T
- TA 330 Grey: A strong grey ceramic and stone adhesive for ceramic and stone tiles fixing on interior and exterior floors and walls up to 10 feet tall. It supports dry and damp environments and boasts self-curing qualities, extended open time, strong adhesion and slide resistance.
Meets: IS 15477:2019- TYPE 3 -T3T
- TA 330 White: A general white tile glue with superior self-curing qualities, good adhesion and slide resistance. It is suitable for interior and exterior floors and walls of up to 10 feet tall.
Meets: IS 15477:2019- TYPE 3 -T3T
- TA 660 Grey: A flexible polymer-modified grey cement adhesive for big format cement and stone tiles on floors and walls. It supports both dry and wet floor and wall tiling applications. It has enhanced adhesion qualities and is recommended to apply only on a fully cured cementitious substrate.
Meets: IS 15477:2019-TYPE 4 -T4TS1
These are the various types of tile adhesive available in our tiling and grouting category. Ensure you choose the right one by carefully considering the factors we discussed and reviewing each product thoroughly. Whether you’re working with ceramic tiles or natural stone, our comprehensive range of adhesives has a solution for all your specific tiling requirements.
Explore our extensive product line on our website to find the perfect solution for your tiling needs. For further insights and tips on tiling, visit our blog at Smart Choices for Waterproofing the Interior Tiles in Your Home.