In tile laying construction, the coordinated use of tile adhesive and cement is a key link affecting construction quality. Shandong tile adhesive manufacturers, drawing on years of industry experience, elaborate on the key points of using both, helping constructors avoid common problems and improve laying results.
1. Tile Soaking: The Core Difference Between Traditional Cement and Tile Adhesive
When laying floor tiles traditionally, it is necessary to soak the tiles in water for a period of time first. The core purpose is to reduce the excessive absorption of water in the cement mortar by the tiles through pre-absorption. If the tiles have high water absorption and are not soaked, they will quickly "dry out" the water in the cement mortar, preventing the cement from fully hydrating. Eventually, problems such as insufficient adhesion, hollowing of floor tiles, or even falling off later will occur. However, even if the soaking step is strictly implemented, due to the limitations of the cement's own adhesive performance and uneven mortar thickness during construction, the risks of hollowing and falling off are still difficult to completely eliminate.
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The emergence of tile adhesive has completely changed this situation. High-quality tile adhesive has scientifically integrated cement, high molecular polymers (such as latex powder) and selected fillers into its formula. The polymer component can greatly improve the flexibility and adhesion of the bonding system while reducing the rate of water loss. Therefore, when using tile adhesive for laying, there is no need to soak the tiles in advance. This not only saves the processes of soaking and draining, reducing the construction time by at least 2-3 hours, but also reduces the probability of hollowing and falling off to less than 1% through stable adhesive performance. It is especially suitable for laying large-sized floor tiles (such as 800mm×800mm and above).
2. Tile Adhesive Should Not Be Used for Leveling: Considerations from Both Performance and Cost
Some constructors mistakenly believe that tile adhesive has strong adhesion and can replace leveling materials for base layer leveling. In fact, this is a typical misunderstanding in use, and vigilance is required from both performance principles and cost aspects:
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From the performance perspective, the core advantage of tile adhesive is "thin-layer bonding", and its formula is designed with a bonding thickness of 3-5mm as the optimal working condition. Since tile adhesive contains cement components, if it is used for thick-layer leveling (usually the leveling thickness needs to be 10-20mm), the cement will generate shrinkage stress during the drying process. Moreover, the water volatilization is uneven in the thick-layer state, which easily leads to internal cracks, thereby reducing the overall compressive strength and stability, and may cause tile cracking later;Â
From the cost perspective, the unit price of tile adhesive is much higher than that of ordinary leveling mortar (usually 3-4 times that of ordinary cement leveling materials). If tile adhesive is used for leveling, the material cost per square meter will increase by 80-120 yuan, resulting in unnecessary cost waste.Â
The correct approach is: the leveling work needs to be handled separately. Before construction, the base layer should be fully cleaned - use a broom to remove floating dust and sand particles. If there is oil stains on the base layer (such as kitchen floors), use a special solvent (such as industrial alcohol) to wipe and remove them, ensuring that the base layer is flat, dry and free of impurities. Only when the base layer conditions meet the standards can a stable foundation be provided for the subsequent bonding of tile adhesive, and the impact of impurities on the adhesion between tile adhesive and the base layer be avoided.
3. Tile Adhesive Preparation: Do Not Add Extra Cement, Protect the Accuracy of the Formula
The quality of tile adhesive depends on the strict formula ratio of the manufacturer. The proportion of each component (cement, polymer, water-retaining agent, defoamer, etc.) has been verified through a large number of experiments to ensure that indicators such as adhesion, flexibility and weather resistance meet the standards. When preparing tile adhesive, constructors only need to add clean water in the specified proportion according to the product instructions and stir until it becomes a uniform, particle-free paste. Adding extra cement is strictly prohibited.
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If cement is added privately, the original scientific ratio of tile adhesive will be directly destroyed: on the one hand, the extra cement will change the water-cement ratio of the system, leading to the dilution of the polymer component concentration and a significant decrease in adhesion, which may drop from the original 0.5MPa (national standard) to below 0.3MPa; on the other hand, the composition (such as alkali content, fineness) of cement from different brands varies, which may cause compatibility problems with the original components of the tile adhesive, leading to failures such as cracking of the bonding layer and tile warping later, and ultimately completely losing the advantages of tile adhesive.
