The Thickness Of The Adhesive When Laying Tiles With Your Own Hands On The Floor And Wall

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-24 22:24

• Types of glue and its features
• Dependence of the thickness of the glue on various factors
• Dependence on tile size
• Additional dependencies
• Moisture absorption and moisture
• Using a notched trowel
• How to calculate the amount of glue?
• Conclusion

When wall cladding with ceramic materials, the thickness of the adhesive when laying the tiles becomes an important factor. That is why its correct calculation becomes one of the main tasks. At the same time, a lot of factors are taken into account, including the type of material, size, quality of the base, etc. It is about how to take these factors into account correctly, as well as what thickness of tile laying is needed, and we will talk.

Types of glue and its features

First you need to understand the features of the adhesive mixtures. Although the material itself, which is planned to be laid, plays an important role, but at the same time the type of glue is of no less importance.

In total, there are only three types of adhesive mixtures, namely:

1. Cement mortar. This mixture is used in most cases. In its composition, it contains cement, sand and additional modifying compositions. This glue is simple and easy to use, which is why it is most common.
2. The second one is two-component glue. Most of these include epoxies, which involve a mixture of epoxy resin and catalyst. Such a mixture is capable of providing a sufficiently effective adhesion of the tile to the surface.
3. And the last is dispersive. This adhesive is sold as a ready-to-use mixture. It is mainly based on resin components, in some cases, polymeric substances are also used. The most popular formulation of this type is latex adhesive.

Even now, it can be noted that the thickness of the tiles when using cement glue will be greater than in other cases.

Dependence of the thickness of the glue on various factors

Now let's consider what the thickness of the tile adhesive depends on when laying tiles. It should be noted that during installation, it can vary, but there are some limitations. In this case, in order to obtain a reliable and durable coating, it is necessary to adhere to certain norms, or rather, the limits, both minimum and maximum.

In particular, speaking of the minimum value, a layer of 2 millimeters can be noted, which is used when laying small items. At the same time, for larger tiles the minimum threshold is 4-5 mm. Likewise, the thickness of the adhesive when laying tiles on the floor can be up to 12 mm.

The maximum threshold, depending on which tiles are laid and how, can reach dimensions of several centimeters. If you look at the total, you will notice that the increase in the amount of the mixture is caused by the need to level the coating. But nevertheless, if it is not possible to do this with a layer of glue of 10 millimeters for ordinary tiles, and 2 centimeters for porcelain stoneware, then here it is already necessary to carry out a screed or other type of surface leveling.

And therefore, we note that the size of the layer can vary. Even the most qualified specialists cannot say with accuracy what thickness is needed, since they themselves, in their work, always adjust to the base and level. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account the greater complexity of the minimum and maximum values.

Now let's take a closer look at the factors that affect the thickness of laying tiles on a floor or wall. And let's start.

Dependence on tile size

The first thing that determines the layer of glue when laying tiles is the size of the material. Thus, depending on the dimensions of the tile, its weight depends, at the same time, the thickness of the adhesive is calculated on the surface load. Thus, specialists have already calculated the required thickness based on many years of experience (in some cases, of course, minor edits are made). When using synthetic glue, the layer will be made 1-2 millimeters less, with a cement mixture, accordingly - more.

1. With tile dimensions from 5 to 10 centimeters - 2-3 mm.
2. With a size of 10-15 centimeters, the glue layer will be 3-4 mm.
3. 15-20 cm - 4-5 mm.
4. 20-25 cm - 5-6 mm.
5. 25-30 cm - 6-7 mm.
6. From 40 centimeters or more - from 7 to 10 millimeters.

Additional dependencies

Other factors should also be taken into account, since the size of the tile itself is not the only one among them. For example, when laying porcelain stoneware, the layer will be larger than when using tiles. In addition, it is important to consider where the tiles are laid, on the floor or on the wall. Thus, the thickness of the adhesive layer when laying tiles on the floor will be several millimeters thicker than when working with wall cladding.

In addition, the base itself also affects the thickness of the adhesive under the tiles. If the base is made on a level, without defects, then the thickness will be unchanged. If they have any bulges, pits or other defects, then the thickness in some cases will need to be reduced, and in some places increased. Although, in the presence of defects, high-quality masonry is out of the question, therefore it will be desirable to perform alignment in order to save time, effort and financial costs, since the cost of glue is somewhat more expensive than mixtures for alignment.

The surface of the material is also becoming an important factor. In some cases, porcelain stoneware can be distorted, i.e. bulges or bulges in its surface. In such a situation, it is necessary to provide the same layer (no more than 10 mm) at the extreme points, and adjust the central one to the edges.

Moisture absorption and moisture

And here are a few more factors to consider when answering the question of what layer of tile adhesive is needed. In particular, we are talking about the moisture content of the solution, along with the ability of the base to absorb moisture. Considering these factors, we can say that when laying ceramics, the use of a semi-dry mortar is strictly not allowed, and at the same time the base must be necessarily primed. In this case, it is necessary to make such an amount of layers that will minimize the absorption of moisture.

In this case, if there is a high level of moisture absorption at the base, it becomes necessary to increase the layer in order to avoid peeling off the tiles after drying. And note that additional moistening of the base will not help much, especially when it comes to plaster.

Excessive hydration is the main mistake of many. Because people pour a lot of water to avoid this drying out and then peeling off the tiles. And this entails a decrease in the durability of the coating, since in the presence of excess moisture, adhesive mixtures lose their operational characteristics.

Using a notched trowel

In order to properly distribute the glue, it is necessary to use special devices (tools). In this case, we are talking about a special notched trowel, using which it is possible to significantly facilitate your work.

Here, what thickness of the tile with glue will depend directly on the size of the teeth. There is one factor to consider when choosing a tool. The applied layer is approximately half the height of the teeth. Thus, choosing a trowel with teeth of 8 millimeters, a layer of adhesive of 4 mm is applied to the tile.

In addition, it must be borne in mind that there is a corrugated pattern on the back of the tile, onto which the mortar also enters.

Also, the size of the spatula teeth will depend on the type of glue. Thus, for example, a tool with 2-4 mm notches will be used to apply synthetic resin or latex based adhesive. At the same time, for cement glue, this value will be 8 mm and more, depending on the thickness.

In addition, an important factor is that the adhesive mixture must cover at least 80% of the tile base. That is why the composition is applied both to the tile and to the base. In this case, the application should be perpendicular, i.e. if the mortar is applied horizontally on the tile, then it must be applied vertically on the base.

How to calculate the amount of glue?

And the last question, which we will analyze further, will be the calculation of the amount of the required adhesive mixture. The calculation itself is performed in several steps, which we will consider:

1. The first will be to determine the size of the material, and the selection of the required thickness of the adhesive mixture based on the data presented above. It is also necessary to take into account the quality of the base.
2. Based on the instructions provided on the package of glue, you can find out its consumption per square meter with a layer of 1 millimeter.
3. Thus, it is necessary to multiply the thickness of the selected layer by the consumption indicated on the package. Thus, we get an intermediate result.
4. Next, you should calculate the area of the cladding. And after calculations, we multiply it by the result obtained at the last stage.
5. Thus, we get a number that shows us the consumption of the adhesive mixture for the entire room. But, at the same time, take into account possible force majeure circumstances that often arise during installation. For them, a 10-15 percent supply of glue should be provided. Accordingly, we multiply the past number by 1.1 or even 1.2.

It is easier to calculate the tile adhesive with an online calculator.

Conclusion

So, gradually we came to an end. Finally, we would like to reiterate the importance of choosing the correct adhesive thickness. It is she who helps to ensure the durability of the coating, increase its strength and protect the surface from cracks. That is why this issue should be given maximum attention. And in order for you to understand the issue in more detail, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the video materials on it:

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