Why Haven't My Floor Tiles Stuck?

[Scooby]

Hi All - am posting on behalf of my husband who is having a nightmare tiling our cloakroom floor.

He is laying 45cm square porcelain tiles onto a concrete floor. He used B&Q own brand tile adhesive suitable for concrete on most of the floor which it says takes up to 48 hours to dry. He's gone back to do the grouting and found that the tiles have not stuck. He is currently lifting them and cleaning them off. Where he ran out of the B&Q adhesive he used fast drying adhesive on 4 tiles which has mostly gone off ok apart from 1 tile that still feels a bit wobbly but this could be down to uneven floor maybe?

Hubbie has now seen that the B&Q adhesive says not suitable for porcelain tiles (yes he knows now to read the label). Could this be the reason why the tiles did not stick? Can anyone recommend a good adhesive we can use next time?

Thank you - Scooby

 

[hillhead]

Mapei keraquick would be what i would use on porcelain that size,i layed 500x500 polished porcelain yeasterday with keraquick,no doubt one of the very best available for porcelain,did your husband brush the floor clean and prime it first too? if the surface was dusty the tiles wouldn't stick either.

 

[DHTiling]

Hi and welcome....You really need a flexible cement based adhesive as this will create a better bond to the porcelain tiles and a flexible grout as well...

You can get an adhesive called buildfix( mapei) from B&Q and they do a flexible one called.. single part super flex...it will give your hubby a longer time to work with it than using a fast setting one..

Buildfix Single Part Super Flexible Adhesive White 20kg, 8022452048104

 

[Scooby]

Hi Hillhead - I'm told that he did brush the floor clean but didn't prime it as it is covered in bitumen so he didn't think it was necessary. Where he has taken the wall tiles off though he has sealed the wall with watered down pva - would this have been suitable for the floor too?

 

[DHTiling]

Here is what grouts they do and the primer as well..

buildfix

 

[hillhead]

Hi Hillhead - I'm told that he did brush the floor clean but didn't prime it as it is covered in bitumen so he didn't think it was necessary. Where he has taken the wall tiles off though he has sealed the wall with watered down pva - would this have been suitable for the floor too?

PVA is a no no,get your hands on a proper primer like Mapei PrimerG or similar,some flexi adhesives don't need priming but as long as there is no dust thats a good start.

 

[Rad2474]

Hi Hillhead - I'm told that he did brush the floor clean but didn't prime it as it is covered in bitumen so he didn't think it was necessary. Where he has taken the wall tiles off though he has sealed the wall with watered down pva - would this have been suitable for the floor too?

No no no not pva use sbr primer.

 

[Scooby]

I've told hubbie no to pva so he will get some of the primer you've recommended when he starts again. He's also going to get a quote from a professional tiler just in case he can't face starting again!

As professionals would you be happy to re-use the tiles especially the ones he's cut already himself? Don't really want to have to pay out for more tiles if I can help it.

Sorry for all the questions but this is a fab site - wish I'd asked before he started the job! Hindsight eh?

 

[hillhead]

I've told hubbie no to pva so he will get some of the primer you've recommended when he starts again. He's also going to get a quote from a professional tiler just in case he can't face starting again!

As professionals would you be happy to re-use the tiles especially the ones he's cut already himself? Don't really want to have to pay out for more tiles if I can help it.

Sorry for all the questions but this is a fab site - wish I'd asked before he started the job! Hindsight eh?

Get a professional in and he or she will let you know if the tiles can be used again, if the backs are clean then thet should be ok,cuts i'm not sure,depends how your hubby lined out.

 

[Rad2474]

Post where your from scooby and there will probably be someone on here who lives near you and can advise on the job.

 

[DS Tiling]

You want something with porcelbond or equivalent in it. Bal rapidset flex or if the tiles are large format and he is using the appropriate trowel notch then he may be better with a PTB flex.

Try somewhere like ctd

 

[Scooby]

Thank you everyone for your help. The tiler we used for our kitchen floor came tonight and is coming back next week to 'put things right'. :hurray: