Tiling Adhesives Strathpine – Know Which Tiling Adhesives to Use

Buying some ceramic tiles for installing in your new bathroom, or perhaps some granite tiles for redoing the kitchen? Aside from the tiles themselves, you also need to consider what type of tiling adhesives Strathpine you will need to buy. After all, not all tile adhesives are the same. Regardless of which brand you buy, you will still have to pick out the right kind that will best suit the tiles and the surface you will be working on.

There was once an idea to create and market dry adhesive mats for tile installation, but the product never really caught on, and so wet adhesives are the way to go nowadays. And when it comes to wet adhesives, you will generally have three options: thinset mortar, mastic, or epoxy.

Choosing the right tiling adhesives Strathpine are just as important as choosing the right kind of tile. Over the years, a lot of upgrades have been done to make tiling adhesives easier to use, especially for the average DIY enthusiasts. But someone who’s planning to install tiles should also pick out what kind of tiling adhesives he will buy depending on what type of tiles he will be installing and where.

Here are a few more questions you need to consider: are the tiles going to be installed on the floor, or on a wall? Will the working area be dry or wet? The type of surface where the tiles will be installed should also be considered, because that will play a critical role in choosing the adhesive and tiles to buy. Otherwise, you would just be wasting a lot of money buying tiles that may look great but are actually unusable because you bought the wrong kind of adhesive.

Mastics are typically the most popular kind of tiling adhesives. They are easy to use because they do not have to be mixed before application, and they are very strong when properly set. The biggest issue when it comes to mastics is that it’s not really suitable for outdoor installation, or in areas where the tiles will frequently be exposed to heat.

Thinset mortar is usually (but not always) the suitable choice when you want to install tiles in either indoor or outdoor areas. You would commonly have to mix it with water first before application, but there are a lot of stores nowadays that also carry pre-mixed thinset mortar if you prefer that. Either way, you’d have a tile adhesive that provides a stronger bond than mastics, plus being highly resistant to heat, water, and molds. It’s perfect for installing tiles in wet areas.

Epoxy adhesives are expectedly more expensive than mastics or thinset mortar, but they do provide an extremely strong bond compared to either of the aforementioned adhesive types. An epoxy adhesive will be impervious to water and highly resistant to heat and chemicals. A major downside, though, is that epoxy adhesives will set quickly, which means you won’t have much time to make changes or fix errors before it sets. Because of this, it is generally used by professional tile installers only.

Comments