Best adhesive for terracotta wall tiles?

[Deester]

Hi all,

I'm a keen DIYer and about to embark on my first major tiling job, I've done a few bits and pieces before but nothing on this scale. I'll be tiling our kitchen & utility room between the worktops and wall units with terracotta tiles (Mexican glazed "Talavera" tiles, 4"x4") and I'm looking for some advice on the best adhesive to use.
I'd prefer to use a tub of ready mixed stuff (one less thing to worry about) and the choice of products & brands is endless. Is BAL Grip Plus better suited for my project than BAL Green Star (Topps think so, obviously) and are they both better than Mapei Buildfix which is almost half the price?!
I've done a fair bit of reading on various forums and obviously, everyone has their opinion on the best brand, I just want to make sure I use the right product for the job without paying over the odds unnecessarily!

Thanks in advance,

Leo.

 

[Qwerty]

No no to a ready mixed dispersion adhesive I am afraid. Got to be bagged cement adhesive. I like to use rapid set flexible S1 on terracotta

 

[Rich Midge]

What's the wall surface?

 

[Deester]

Bare plaster, the walls were skimmed and painted 8 years ago, I've stripped the paint off completely in preparation for tiling.

 

[Rich Midge]

Are the backs of the tiles flat and even not concave in anyway? Cement based is always going to give you a stronger bond but I'm struggling to think of a reason why you can't use a good quality dispersion (ready mix) adhesive. I'd give the back of each tile a scrape coat of adhesive before fixing. If you're planning on using a grey or coloured grout you might want to avoid ready mix as they tend to be white. Another thing to consider is drying times. In basic terms the longer you can leave a ready mix the better. Happy to proven wrong but I think you'd be ok to use ready mix if that's what you're comfortable using.

 

[widler]

Id usea standard set grey cement based addy .
You can mix as much or as little as you want with no rushing .
As you probably going to be using grey grout , would be better imo

 

[Deester]

Most of the tiles are flat, although they're handmade so a few are a little wonky, "rustic" would probably be the best description. Not a job I'm looking forward to, I guess I can blame the wife, she chose them and now I have to fit them! I was planning on using an off-white grout as the white of the tile is more of a cream colour (not as white as the photo makes out). Thanks for the advice, much appreciated!

 

[widler]

Sorry i read the wrong title , i thought the title was 'grey grout' 🙂

 

[Rich Midge]

In all honesty, if you're happier using ready mix then you'll be fine. Most pros including myself tend to use powder that's not to say there's not a place for ready mix. A kitchen splashback, 4 inch tiles onto plaster is fine for ready mix. Granfix Multifix under the Ultra label is an excellent ready mix as is Bal White star.

 

[Deester]

Thanks, I'll be using powder for the grout (I've used ready mixed grout on previous jobs and it always seems to shrink and need extra work) but in terms of adhesive I haven't used powder before so I was a bit concerned about using an unfamiliar product when I've only got one chance to get it right!

 

[Rich Midge]

Ready mix grout is just awful, avoid, avoid. Lots of quality powder grouts but some bad ones too. Your best bet is to avoid the big sheds and find a local independent tile shop. Your more likely to get better advice professional products. If your only option is Topps you'll pay through the nose but should get quality products.

 

[hmtiling]

my advice would be use a wide joint grout with those tiles.

 

[Rich Midge]

my advice would be use a wide joint grout with those tiles.

Good shout, I agree.

 

[Qwerty]

Any manufacturer of terracotta tiles I have ever spoken to have always informed me that cement adhesive should be used due to the porosity of terracotta. I would personally never use tubbed gear let alone on terracotta, but I'm not the one tiling it 😀

 

[Dumbo]

Hi all,

I'm a keen DIYer and about to embark on my first major tiling job, I've done a few bits and pieces before but nothing on this scale. I'll be tiling our kitchen & utility room between the worktops and wall units with terracotta tiles (Mexican glazed "Talavera" tiles, 4"x4") and I'm looking for some advice on the best adhesive to use.
I'd prefer to use a tub of ready mixed stuff (one less thing to worry about) and the choice of products & brands is endless. Is BAL Grip Plus better suited for my project than BAL Green Star (Topps think so, obviously) and are they both better than Mapei Buildfix which is almost half the price?!
I've done a fair bit of reading on various forums and obviously, everyone has their opinion on the best brand, I just want to make sure I use the right product for the job without paying over the odds unnecessarily!

Thanks in advance,

Leo.

Slow setting cement based adhesive preferably one with an extended open time see if you can find a one which says c2te on the bag also prime the background with an acrylic or sbr primer . Do not use pva as a primer .

 

[Dumbo]

Hi all,

I'm a keen DIYer and about to embark on my first major tiling job, I've done a few bits and pieces before but nothing on this scale. I'll be tiling our kitchen & utility room between the worktops and wall units with terracotta tiles (Mexican glazed "Talavera" tiles, 4"x4") and I'm looking for some advice on the best adhesive to use.
I'd prefer to use a tub of ready mixed stuff (one less thing to worry about) and the choice of products & brands is endless. Is BAL Grip Plus better suited for my project than BAL Green Star (Topps think so, obviously) and are they both better than Mapei Buildfix which is almost half the price?!
I've done a fair bit of reading on various forums and obviously, everyone has their opinion on the best brand, I just want to make sure I use the right product for the job without paying over the odds unnecessarily!

Thanks in advance,

Leo.

Also don't use rapid set as you won't be fast enough . It will be constantly going off. Absolutely agree a proper old school wide joint floor grout will look best with these tiles and easier to get a decent finish . Also when I do these types of tiles I use a wide grout spacing about 5mm as if they are hand made the sizing between tiles is probably not going to be very accurate. 5mm is only a guide because of what I just said so some of them will have to beset by eye with a slightly different grout gap.

 

[Deester]

Thanks all, you've persuaded me against the tubbed adhesive approach as clearly, it isn't the best product for my choice of tiles so powder it is. Currently looking at Mapei Keraflex and found a local indie tile shop that recommended Ultra Tile ProFlex Standard S1.
Thanks for the tip on the wide joint grout too, there's no way I can get a neat 2mm gap with all the slight variations in size, I'm guessing spacers will be pointless and it's best to do things by eye...

 

[hmtiling]

Thanks all, you've persuaded me against the tubbed adhesive approach as clearly, it isn't the best product for my choice of tiles so powder it is. Currently looking at Mapei Keraflex and found a local indie tile shop that recommended Ultra Tile ProFlex Standard S1.
Thanks for the tip on the wide joint grout too, there's no way I can get a neat 2mm gap with all the slight variations in size, I'm guessing spacers will be pointless and it's best to do things by eye...

the ultra stuff is good and defo do it by eye

 

[Rich Midge]

You won't go wrong with ProFlex, their grouts are also excellent. Make sure you prime the walls and if the tiles are dusty on the back, terracotta often is, it's best practice to give them a scrape of adhesive. You should also be able to get the complementary silicones for finishing the corners and worktops.
Best of luck with it.

 

[WetSaw]

Don't forget the photos when you've finished, good luck!

 

[Deester]

Well, it's taken me a while but I've finished the biggest area (still got the opposite corner of the kitchen to do, along with the utility room). The powder adhesive was really nice to work with, more of a cement mortar kind of feel and less sticky/gloopy than the tubbed stuff, I shan't be going back! Really pleased with the finish (as is the wife!). Used two neat coats of Granfix acrylic primer on the bare plaster walls, Ultra ProFlex standard set adhesive, Palace antique white grout and LTP crackle glaze protector (a lot of the tiles had crazing).

Thanks again for the advice 🙂

Leo.

 

[LauraCTW]

Good choice on the adhesive. I have just completed my own personal projects and that is the exact adhesive I used for my kitchen walls. Brilliant working time and lovely to work with.