What tile adhesive to use

The tile type, size and substrate will dictate what tile adhesive to use, here we breakdown the differing types of adhesive suitable for different projects and how to apply them.

The amount of tile adhesive you need depends on the depth of the adhesive bed you spread across your area. We’ve listed what each adhesive covers per tub to give you a rough indication of how much you will need for your project. The deeper your adhesive bed, the more adhesive you will need.

BAL Green Star is a simple, but effective ready-mixed tile adhesive perfect for fixing ceramics up to 30x30cm, mosaics and some natural stone in dry or wet interior environments. It’s suitable for domestic areas including showers, kitchens and bathrooms and shouldn’t be used for porcelain tiles, power showers or wet rooms. Each 15kg tub will cover approx. 6m2 in a dry area and 4.5m2 in a wet area. It cannot be used for floors.

BAL White Star Plus is a non-slip, water resistant ready-mixed adhesive suitable for showers, kitchens, bathrooms and wet rooms. Suitable for ceramic tiles no bigger than 30x30cm and porcelain 15x15cm. Each 10L tub will cover approx. 6.6m2 in a dry area and 5m2 in a wet area. It cannot be used for floors.

BAL Rapid-Flex Fibre Plus is a non-slip cementitious tile adhesive for walls and floors formulated with BAL Fibre Strand Technology (FST) for improved flexibility, strength and grab, suitable for dry, wet and interior, exterior including showers, swimming pools and total immersion. Each 20kg bag will cover 10m2 in a dry area, 8m2 in a wet area and approx.5m2 on a floor.

BAL Flex Fibre Plus is ideal for large tile formats, it has gel rheology – maintaining its structure – plus excellent non-slump and non-slip properties. This particular adhesive is perfect for walls and floors, formulated with BAL Fibre Strand Technology (FST) for improved flexibility, strength and grab. Suitable for dry, wet and interior, exterior use including showers, swimming pools and total immersion. Each 20kg bag will cover 10m2 in a dry area, 8m2 in a wet area and approx. 5.3m2 on a floor.

For a sustainable and more eco-friendly option, Regener8 is a great adhesive available in S1 rapid and standard setting bags of 20KG (white and grey).

Always mix the tile adhesive as per the instructions on the bag. Most adhesives are available in either white or grey. Generally, when using a lighter tile or grout you should use a white adhesive, and vice versa.

Kerakoll think, develop and produce innovative solutions that focus on the environment and on improving both health and quality of life. They use eco-friendly and naturally breathable building materials that offer quality results for tiling. Their unique H40 gel adhesive is formulated into three types, Gel, Advanced and Extreme depending on your tiling requirements.

Kerakoll’s H40 Extreme is a highly deformable and workable hybrid gel adhesive that has been tested for extreme conditions and uses. The formula features fast bonding, is easily spreadable and stress resistant whilst always remaining fluid and thixotropic. It is ten times more deformable than generic S2 adhesives with the highest level of long-lasting performance.

Don’t know whether you need an S1 or S2 adhesive or want clarity on why S2 adhesives are worth the extra investment? Read our guide on S1 and S2 adhesives.

It’s important to select the right type of trowel for the job. As a general rule for which size trowel to use, follow this generic banding:

• Mosaics (10x10cm or smaller) – 3-4.5mm
• Large format tiles (20×20-30x30cm) – 8mm
• Floor tiles (30×30-40x40cm) – 10mm
• Large format tiles (40x40cm+) – 12-20mm

For more detailed information, read our trowel tool guide.

Starting from above the timber baton and centre line, start to spread the adhesive on the wall holding the notched trowel (depending on the tile size) at a 45° angle and drag across the wall. Spread evenly right up to the timber baton and set out line, ensuring that the notches are in the same direction. Only cover a small area at a time, about 1m2, as the adhesive will dry on the surface.

Place the tile on the bed of adhesive, resting on the top of the timber baton, when in position, twist and slide into place to ensure the adhesive sticks properly. Insert a tile spacer in between each tile and wash down the surface and clean the joint as you go along. If you are tiling brick bond then a T-Spacer is recommended.

Starting at the furthest point away from your exit, use a bucket trowel to apply a suitable amount of adhesive onto your notched trowel and spread the adhesive across the floor. A larger notched trowel (8mm+) is needed for floors to ensure the tile has 100% coverage and no hollow spots are formed.

Similar to walls, comb the adhesive across the substrate at a 45° angle, dragging across the floor and spreading evenly to cover a 1m2 area at a time and making sure the notches are all in the same direction.

Large format and some natural stone tiles need to be ‘back-buttered’, this is where a thin layer of adhesive is applied to the back of the tile before fitting onto the substrate. For larger tiles it ensures a good contact with the adhesive spread on to the surface you’re tiling. For natural stone, in particular travertine, this method will fill the voids that can be found on the reverse of the tile.

Apply a thin, even layer to cover the whole of the back of the tile with the straight edge of your tiling trowel. Whilst the adhesive is still wet, firmly press the tile into the already trowelled adhesive on the tiling surface.