Quartz product care

Quartz tiles are actually man-made, combining quartz stone, polymer resin and colour pigment. Mirror flecks are often added to the mix to provide a sparkle or shimmer to the finished tile.

The original quartz forms in an igneous rock, being created as the magma cools. The slower it cools, the larger the crystals grow.

Due to the nature of the material, we’ve pulled together a few fitting requirements to ensure your new quartz tiles are laid properly with no reoccurring issues.

Fixing your quartz tiles

Due to the moisture sensitivity, inherent in all quartz tiles, your intended substrate must be clean and fully cured/dry before laying.

As the quartz is made of elements of natural stone, we’d always advise dry laying your tiles first to ensure you’re happy with how the variation sits across the entire space.

Quartz tiles can be used in conjunction with electric underfloor heating, to a maximum temperature of 27˚C, they cannot be used with water fed underfloor heating. They are also susceptible to fading in direct sunlight, so we’d advise avoiding using them in these areas.

When fixing, it is advised to back butter the tiles (applying adhesive to the back of the tile) as well as trowelling the adhesive onto the substrate.

All quartz tiles should be fitted with a minimum grout joint of 3mm to compensate for any thermal movement. Due to this sensitivity to movement quartz tiles should be installed with perimeter joints and movement joints in the following intervals:

7m x 7m – light traffic areas

4m x 4m – high traffic areas

What products should I use to fit my quartz tiles?

Quartz tiles should be fitted using a rapid setting, low water content, cement-based adhesive. We’d recommend, for tiles up to 60x60cm, Kerakoll H40 Gel Adhesive. Slow setting adhesives should be avoided completely as the extended setting period increases the tile’s contact with moisture (found in the adhesive) and can cause curling.

As quartz tiles are scratch resistant you can use any suitable grout for your project, however before grouting then we’d recommend first applying the BAL Protective Sealer, it will prevent any staining and aid in the removal of grout residue.

Maintaining quartz tiles

The tiles will need a good clean to remove any grout residue after installation, for this use Fila Porcelain Cement Residue Remover.

For removal of epoxy residues, use the Fila Multi Surface Stain Remover undiluted. Apply it directly onto the tile with a cloth and leave for around 20 minutes. Then using an abrasive sponge, work the solution over the tile and clean using fresh water.

For ongoing cleaning, read our guide on regular tile maintenance for some helpful tips.