Why wont my tile adhesive set?
Discussion
Laid floor tiles along half the length of our hall way on Saturday thinking I'd do the other half tonight then grout on Sunday.
Used Focus wall tile adhesive and grout. Floor is concrete, dry, grease free, etc.
Seems to be no consistency as some areas have set fast, others, other than on the edges, the adhesive is as wet as it was when it came out of the tub!
Any ideas?
Ta.
Used Focus wall tile adhesive and grout. Floor is concrete, dry, grease free, etc.
Seems to be no consistency as some areas have set fast, others, other than on the edges, the adhesive is as wet as it was when it came out of the tub!
Any ideas?
Ta.
If its wall tile glue, it might not like being used extra thick to lay floor tiles?
I'm guessing 'Focus' tile adhesive isn't, erm, the quality end of the market for sticking tiles to stuff. If it's a big tub of white gloop, bin it and get some Fastflex type stuff (can't remember the makers name).
I'm guessing 'Focus' tile adhesive isn't, erm, the quality end of the market for sticking tiles to stuff. If it's a big tub of white gloop, bin it and get some Fastflex type stuff (can't remember the makers name).
I install bathrooms and kitchens for a living and as such do a huge amount of tiling.
Most if not all own brand diy products are rubbish. All 'tile and grout' products are even worse.
You dont include specific detail, ie what is the substrate your tiling onto and what type of tile your using. (ie concrete or suspended wooden floor and ceramic or porcelain tile).
Most if not all own brand diy products are rubbish. All 'tile and grout' products are even worse.
You dont include specific detail, ie what is the substrate your tiling onto and what type of tile your using. (ie concrete or suspended wooden floor and ceramic or porcelain tile).
Edited by iiyama on Thursday 5th November 18:21
iiyama said:
Most if not all own brand diy products are rubbish. All 'tile and grout' products are even worse.
You dont include specific detail, ie what is the substrate your tiling onto and what type of tile your using. (ie concrete or suspended wooden floor and ceramic or porcelain tile).
Think you've hit the nail on the head. It's basically naff!You dont include specific detail, ie what is the substrate your tiling onto and what type of tile your using. (ie concrete or suspended wooden floor and ceramic or porcelain tile).
Edited by iiyama on Thursday 5th November 18:21
Floor is mainly solid concrete. and small area screeded to bring the level up but properly treated.
There were some tiles there previously - don't know what you'd call them but a very brittle, solid plastic type material laid when the house was built (1970), There's a black film painted membrane that I've laid them on top of. I did think this was the cause but have laid tile previously on this and they've stuck like limpets. Plus, the issue also exists on the other screeded areas.
Using 13" ceramic tiles.
I used some adhesive from Focus for my bathroom floor and it was naff! After speakig to the lads who work next door to me at Topps they said that some of the stuff from Focus and Wickes isnt the best and he sold me some Bal stuff that was great! I have now used it for tiling the walls in the bathroom, and walls and floor in the kitchen!
sleep envy said:
rich0411 said:
he sold me some Bal stuff that was great!
second thatbtw - anyone can get a trade discount card at topps, 50% off
Mapei is, of course, half the price of BAL to begin with....Topps sell at a huge mark up. Anyways...problem of not setting? Your Focus stuff is pre-mixed tubbed addy? How big are your floor tiles? Most likely they are too big. Tubbed adhesive is a dispersion adhesive that dries by evaporation-too big a tile and it will take days to dry (if at all)You really need cement based addy if this is the case and can have the addy set and ready to grout from between 2 hours and 24 hours depending on the type of addy. Also, what tiles are you using? Porc, or ceramic, travertine? Even if the tubbed addy dries eventually it is most certainly unsuitable for fixing porc or natural stone. My advice? Get the tiles back up and cleaned then fix with the correct adhesive (flexible if natural stone, porc addy for porc tiles) Really ,the tile shop should have told you this if you explained what tiles you where fixing and they advised you......any probs or question feel free to PM me...(this is sort of what i've been doing for the last year)between some motor trade temping.
Thanks for the advice chaps!
What was happening was that the adhesive was setting (sort of) round the edges, creating a seal. I also think that the adhesive - whilst being naff in the first place - was a bad batch as the ammonia stench was at times, quite overpowering!
Anyhow - all lifted. BAL purchased and we start again! Will post a pic of the final result.
What was happening was that the adhesive was setting (sort of) round the edges, creating a seal. I also think that the adhesive - whilst being naff in the first place - was a bad batch as the ammonia stench was at times, quite overpowering!
Anyhow - all lifted. BAL purchased and we start again! Will post a pic of the final result.
On the subject of tile adhesive... I'm going to be fitting porcelain tiles to my kitchen and bathroom walls soon (316x450mm, 9mm thick, about 21 square metres in total), what's a decent adhesive to use?
Until I read this thread I was looking at using this stuff from Wickes at £14 for 10 litres:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Waterproof-Wall-Tile-Adhes...
... but is there a significantly better alternative that doesn't cost silly money? Is this cement-based powdered stuff likely to be any good?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Rapid-Setting-Tile-Adhesiv...
(I'll be damned if I'm paying Topps prices for the Bal stuff; the cheapest one works out at £4 per square metre (tiles only cost £10 per square metre) and that's based on the manufacturers' estimated coverage so probably generous!)
Ta
Until I read this thread I was looking at using this stuff from Wickes at £14 for 10 litres:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Waterproof-Wall-Tile-Adhes...
... but is there a significantly better alternative that doesn't cost silly money? Is this cement-based powdered stuff likely to be any good?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Rapid-Setting-Tile-Adhesiv...
(I'll be damned if I'm paying Topps prices for the Bal stuff; the cheapest one works out at £4 per square metre (tiles only cost £10 per square metre) and that's based on the manufacturers' estimated coverage so probably generous!)
Ta
Edited by Jonny_ on Saturday 14th November 20:55
Jonny_ said:
On the subject of tile adhesive... I'm going to be fitting porcelain tiles to my kitchen and bathroom walls soon (316x450mm, 9mm thick, about 21 square metres in total), what's a decent adhesive to use?
Until I read this thread I was looking at using this stuff from Wickes at £14 for 10 litres:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Waterproof-Wall-Tile-Adhes...
... but is there a significantly better alternative that doesn't cost silly money? Is this cement-based powdered stuff likely to be any good?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Rapid-Setting-Tile-Adhesiv...
(I'll be damned if I'm paying Topps prices for the Bal stuff; the cheapest one works out at £4 per square metre (tiles only cost £10 per square metre) and that's based on the manufacturers' estimated coverage so probably generous!)
Ta
This is what i allways use, never failed me yet.Until I read this thread I was looking at using this stuff from Wickes at £14 for 10 litres:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Waterproof-Wall-Tile-Adhes...
... but is there a significantly better alternative that doesn't cost silly money? Is this cement-based powdered stuff likely to be any good?
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Rapid-Setting-Tile-Adhesiv...
(I'll be damned if I'm paying Topps prices for the Bal stuff; the cheapest one works out at £4 per square metre (tiles only cost £10 per square metre) and that's based on the manufacturers' estimated coverage so probably generous!)
Ta
Edited by Jonny_ on Saturday 14th November 20:55
http://www.tileadhesive.co.uk/products/cement_base...
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