Tile Adhesive Selector

Residential ceramic wall tiling in dry interiors

Basic to polymer-modified depending on tile size — Pitfall: fixing into skinned adhesive and <80% coverage on walls leads to debonding.

Residential and commercial kitchen splashbacks

Prefer reduced slip for verticals; grout with stain-resistant system — Pitfall: grease residue and inadequate T-class control cause slippage and debonding.

Interior wall tiles on primed gypsum boards

Ensure board rigidity and primer; limit tile size/weight — Pitfall: unprimed gypsum and overloading exceed pull-off capacity.

Wet areas and semi-exposed balconies

Ensure slope and waterproofing compatibility — Pitfall: incompatible primer or early wetting before full cure causes bond loss.

Tiles over compatible waterproofing on terraces and balconies

Confirm primer compatibility with membrane supplier — Pitfall: incompatible primer or trapped moisture blisters the system.

Coastal exposures with salt and wind loads

Rinse down during cure window; ensure movement joints and slope — Pitfall: salt spray contamination during cure and missing joints accelerate failures.

Tiling over steel stair treads and MS angles

Use compatible metal primer; confirm movement isolation — Pitfall: poor primer adhesion and differential movement shear the bond.

High temperature and humidity interiors

Verify service temp of adhesive and grout; allow extended cure — Pitfall: exceeding temperature limits or rushing cure leads to softening/failure.

Grease, alkali, thermal shocks

Use resin systems; confirm temperature limits — Pitfall: grease contamination and hot-wash shocks degrade cementitious bonds.

High thermal movement exterior decks

Deformable adhesive; back-buttering advised — Pitfall: missing movement joints and no back-buttering under porcelain in sun-exposed decks.

Large format porcelain on ventilated or direct-bond facades

Engineering checks for wind suction; back-butter and medium-bed — Pitfall: no mechanical checks for wind/thermal bowing and missing expansion joints.

Heavy pedestrian traffic areas

Check substrate deflection; ensure ≥95% coverage — Pitfall: low coverage causes point-load cracking and hollow sounds.

Marble and granite; interiors and facades

Use white adhesive to avoid staining; consider R2 for dense stones — Pitfall: moisture staining/warping on sensitive stones when using gray or too-wet mixes.

Light‑colored marble cladding

Use white adhesive; for dense stones or harsh exposure, consider R2 — Pitfall: discoloration from gray adhesive and thermal bowing without joints.

Shower enclosures and wet walls with glass mosaic

Reaction resin enhances bond to impervious backs — Pitfall: using cementitious on glass or incompatible mesh back reduces adhesion.

Submerged or constantly wet areas

Epoxy or reaction resin systems; verify chemical resistance — Pitfall: premature filling and unverified chemical exposure attack the bond.

1200×1200 mm or thin slabs; facades and interiors

Medium-bed, back-butter mandatory; check wind loads on facades — Pitfall: wrong notch size and missed back-buttering cause voids and lippage.

Rustic indoor floors and walls with high absorption tiles

Pre‑dampen tiles to reduce suction; consider C2 if large format — Pitfall: high suction steals water from adhesive causing weak bond.

Renovation over sound existing tiles

Degrease, abrade, and use compatible primer — Pitfall: bonding over soap/grease or skipping abrasion results in shear failure.