We lay the tiles on a cement-sand mortar. Can tiles be glued to cement? Ceramic tiles for cement mortar for flooring

Properly prepared tile mortar is of great importance for high-quality wall or floor cladding indoors and outdoors. The strength of fixing the tile depends on it, so the choice of adhesive mixture must be approached with skill. The construction market offers dozens of types of tile adhesive. Consider their features and selection rules.

Mortar for ceramic tiles is of two types:

Made from cement, sand and water. Such a mixture is universal. Its disadvantage lies in the fact that the components are taken "by eye". The amount of sand depends on the brand of cement. The wrong ratio of components affects the quality of the cladding. The cement-based composition has good adhesion, is used for indoor and outdoor use. Laying tiles on a cement-sand mortar can be carried out on any surface.
Tile adhesive. It is purchased in the distribution network in the form of a special dry concentrate. The binder is cement, sometimes gypsum. The powder concentrate contains special additives that impart various properties. All ingredients are in the optimal ratio, which improves the properties of the solution (plasticity, adhesion, water resistance, heat resistance). It can be used not only for fixing tiles, but also for gypsum tiles, as well as glass, porcelain stoneware and facing stone. The method of preparation is simple and indicated on the package.

Among the manufacturers of ready mixes, the leaders are the German company Ceresit and the Finnish Optirok. The quality of their products has stood the test of time.

Dry adhesive mixtures

Solution for tiles, prepared from dry adhesive mixtures, has high adhesive properties. The best glue is cement-based. The following components are used as additives to give the adhesive mass the desired properties:

Antiseptic additives that prevent the appearance of mold.
Water repellents that create water-repellent properties.
frost-resistant chemical substances.
Catalysts to speed up or slow down the setting of the solution.
Plasticizers that give the solution the desired plasticity.

There are 2 types of powder concentrate: one-component (based on one binder) or two-component (with mineral and polymer binders). The latter type of mixture requires precise dosing when preparing a solution, which is difficult to do without having the appropriate experience.

The quality of dry mixes depends on storage conditions: they do not tolerate dampness, low temperatures. During long-term storage, they cake and can petrify, therefore they have a limited shelf life - six months.

Laying tiles on a dry adhesive mixture requires strict adherence to the preparation instructions, as well as careful preparation of the work surface. According to the laying technology, a solution of powdered tile adhesive is applied in a thin layer - 6-10 mm.

Dry mixes are environmentally friendly, easy to use, securely stick tiles, but have a high cost compared to self-prepared cement-sand mortar.

Ready viscous mastics

The most commonly used mortar for laying tiles based on cement or dry adhesive mixtures. As an alternative, you can use adhesive mastic, which is sold ready-made.

The composition of adhesive mastic mixtures includes petroleum bitumen, tar binders, or combinations thereof. Various additives are used as additional components: peat chips, coal tar pitch, chalk, asbestos, cement, wood flour, antiseptics. To improve adhesion, polymeric binders are introduced into some types of mastic. If desired, the mastic composition can be given the desired color by adding a coloring pigment.

Mastics come in 2 types: used hot or cold. The former are preheated to 130-180 °C. The use of cold mastic allows cladding at a temperature not lower than +5 °C. At lower temperatures, the mixture is heated to 60 °C.

Laying tiles with the help of mastic compositions is possible even for a beginner. The mass is applied in a thin layer (2-3 mm), so the working surface must be even. Otherwise, an additional layer will have to be applied in the places of chips. This will lead to an overrun of the mixture and a deterioration in the strength of the connection.

For outdoor work, lining of fireplaces, stoves, a universal thermo-moisture-resistant or heat-resistant mastic is used.

Difference in mixtures

The features of the solutions are due to modifying additives. Adhesive mixtures for tiles are of the following types:

Universal. Used to fix tiles large sizes in room.
Reinforced. Fixes tiles of all types and sizes. Suitable for laying fragile tiles.
For pools, baths. It has good hydrophobic properties, has impurities to prevent mold.
Frost-resistant. Used for outdoor work. Withstands repeated extremes of low temperatures.

For each type of surface to be coated, a composition with the desired characteristics is selected.

For walls and floors

Mixtures for laying ceramic tiles on the floor and walls do not differ much. But for floor cladding, it is desirable that the composition has high elasticity and is thicker. Plasticity also plays an important role: the risk of tile cracking is reduced. If the subfloor is heated, a heat-resistant tile adhesive is used.

For outdoor and indoor work

For getting good result mortar for exterior cladding must be weather-resistant. Therefore, components are added to the powder concentrate that increase moisture resistance, frost resistance, elasticity (which resists temperature changes).

The traditional mortar, made from sand and cement for do-it-yourself tiles, is used for both indoor and outdoor work, but is not suitable for clinker tiles.

For small and large items

To prevent large tiles (more than 300x600 mm) from sliding down the wall, it is recommended to use a reinforced adhesive solution with latex components and granular quartz sand. For mosaic tiles, polymer compounds and special white tile adhesive are used.

Laying tiles on cement mortar produced according to the rule: smaller size, especially the liquid consistency of the adhesive mass.

For dry and wet conditions

In rooms with high humidity waterproof adhesive mixture is used on cement base: it has the highest adhesive power. The increased humidity of the room promotes the growth of fungi and the appearance of mold, so the powder concentrate must be moisture resistant and contain antifungal additives.

The solution for dry rooms is marked "for internal works". It is chosen depending on the characteristics of the tile and the facing surface.

Cement mortar for a bath, bathroom and other rooms with high humidity is prepared from sand and cement.

For normal and elevated temperatures

Indoors, where there are no high temperatures, cement-sand and universal adhesives are used for wall and floor cladding. But they are not suitable for finishing heated surfaces. Tiles on a fireplace or stove are laid on a refractory compound.

How to delete

You can wipe fresh cement mortar from the tile with a dry rag. Old cement-adhesive mortar can be removed by wetting the surface with any of the following means:

special wash (sold in building materials stores);
liquid for cleaning the toilet;
hydrochloric acid (5% solution).

After 5 minutes, the softened solution is removed with a sponge moistened with water.

Mechanically, the remaining solution is removed as follows:

Moisten with water, sprinkle generously with salt, then remove with a stiff bristle brush.
Moisten the remains of the adhesive mixture with water, remove with a spatula, being careful.
Use a drill with a wire attachment.

Fresh residues of mastic from the lined surface are removed with a damp cloth. Dried residues are moistened with warm water for several minutes or hours before removal. A citrus extract cleanser speeds up the process. Acid cleaners can be used.

Mix for tiles and its features

When solving cladding with tiles, the first step is to finish the walls. For these elements, you can use a conventional solution, which is made on the basis of sand and cement, as well as ready-made adhesives.

Ready-made glue can be sold both in the form of a mixture already prepared for use, and in the form of a powdered material, which must be further diluted. Preparation of mixtures is carried out strictly according to the instructions on the package.

Ready-made dry compositions are cement with the addition of a special modifying agent. Usually found in packages of 5 or 25 kg.

Some nuances

Considering the floor cladding, it should be noted that it is large, in contrast to the walls, which exceeds 3 mm. And because what solution is needed for the tile will be determined by some factors.

First of all, the evenness of the base. Since in the presence of irregularities, it is advisable to use a cement mortar, which will not only serve as glue, but also help smooth out the irregularities. In this case, the thickness of the solution layer can reach 3 cm. In turn, the use of ready-made adhesive mixtures requires a perfectly flat surface.
The type of tile is also an important factor. Considering, for example, porcelain stoneware, this material has low adhesion, therefore, a mixture for laying tiles of this type should contain special plasticizers that improve this indicator.
The human factor, or rather, the economic one, also has an impact. Since a self-prepared mixture is cheaper than a ready-made one, therefore, if everything indicates the possibility of using a standard cement mortar, then it is better to use it.

Speaking, by the way, about the issue of savings, there are also several factors here:

When finishing a cement base, the solution will be spent slightly more than when laying on concrete.
There is also another factor regarding tiles. In particular, glazed will require less solution for itself than unglazed.

Structure and composition

Considering the finished adhesive for laying tiles on the floor, it is almost impossible to fully know the composition, since this is the secret of the manufacturer. A big plus of such mixtures is that they are divided into different types designed for various operating conditions and surfaces. Thus, we can distinguish:

Universal glue. It is used in standard conditions for flat surfaces.
Reinforced, which is often used when laying fragile tiles.
Non-traditional compositions designed, for example, for glass or metal tiles.

At the same time, the standard composition of the cement mortar is known to everyone. It also adds cement and sand in various proportions, depending on the brand of the first element. In particular:

With cement M300 - 3 parts of sand.
For M400 - 4 parts of sand.
For M500 or M600 - 5 parts.

The sand itself must be sifted, which is done to remove debris and clay.

If necessary, enhance adhesion, also add standard PVA glue. It is added in a ratio of 1 to 50, where the first value is the proportion of glue, and the second is the proportion of the total amount of the mixture. To put it more clearly, for 10 liters of solution, 200 g of glue is added.

Also, when laying tiles, the tile adhesive does not always meet the requirements for elasticity and water resistance.

In some cases, to increase elasticity, you can use detergents. For example, liquid soap, shampoo or diluted powder.

If it is necessary to improve frost resistance, then special additives are used for this, for example, Primer EC-30. It is a universal hardening accelerator, which, accordingly, gives resistance to low temperatures.

Solution preparation

Now it is necessary to consider the preparation of both the finished composition and the one made independently.

Ready dry mix

Let's start with the finished mixture. In this case, the first step is to carefully read the instructions, which are usually located on the package. In some cases, additionally attached.

The main thing is not to pour water into the dry mixture, but to do the opposite.. Otherwise, lumps will remain, which will affect the quality. The cooking process itself is as follows:

An important factor is the temperature of the water. It should not be cold, warm or hot. The liquid is used strictly at room temperature. Otherwise, the components of the composition may lose their properties. Directly the temperature in the room during the work should be in the range from 10 to 24 degrees.

At the recommended temperature, the mixture for floor tiles It freezes quite quickly, so large batches are not recommended. It is advisable to prepare as much glue as you can use within 30-40 minutes.

As you know, tiles are often soaked before laying, and the base itself is moistened. When laying on glue, this is not recommended.

Homemade cement mortar

When a solution is chosen self cooking, and not glue for laying tiles on the floor, you need to clearly know how to prepare it, which we will talk about next.

The preparation is as follows:

Tiles before such laying, while the period of being in water is 8-10 hours. Just soak one tile to begin with, because if you come across poor quality material, then as a result, ugly yellow spots will appear under the enamel, which will ruin the whole look of the room.

If, after soaking and laying on cement, the sample has not lost its appearance, then the entire tile is soaked. If soaking is not possible, then immediately before laying it is necessary to wipe the back side with a damp cloth.

When laying floor tiles with self-made tile adhesive is done on a concrete base, the job is somewhat simplified. In this case, a sufficient process will be to pour water on the surface, and pour cement through a sieve. Next, the tiles are laid on the resulting "dough".

Most Common Mistakes

Quite often when planned quick styling tiles, when preparing the solution, a number of errors are made:

Often one comes across poor quality sand, not sifted and not dried, and in a hurry this is used.
Also, an unacceptable mistake is the use of old cement, which often loses its properties.
Water should only be used clean, in no case should not be used sea water or dirty, settled.
The mixture must be thoroughly mixed so that no lumps remain, which entails a loss of quality.
It is also a mistake to lay tiles with increased requirements (for example, porcelain stoneware) on a standard adhesive mixture or cement mortar.

It was a series of mistakes when using cement mortar, now consider the use of ready-made compounds:

The use of cold or hot water is strictly prohibited.
You can not fill the mixture first, and then pour water, in which case lumps will form.
Do not soak the tile or moisten the base.
Containers for cooking must be clean, after each batch it is necessary to clean and wash.
It is necessary to stir the composition at a low speed of rotation of the mixer. At a high speed, the mixture will foam, at a low speed, lumps will remain.

And finally, a little advice, if you plan to lay tiles on tiles, our article on this topic will help you decide.

Often involves the use of floor tiles and cladding. It is made from natural and artificial stones, cement, ceramics and porcelain stoneware, as well as glass! Accordingly, for each type of material, a specific mortar for laying tiles is required. It contributes to the strong and long retention of tiles on the grounds.

Types of solutions for tiles

Based on pure cement

The most popular type and simple. It is diluted with water, getting the consistency of the dough. It is used in the case when the base of the concrete floor is tiled with ceramic tiles.

In this case, water is poured onto the floor surface, cement is poured in dry form and the tile is pressed in in accordance with the drawings on it.
This version of the mortar for laying tiles on the floor is quite competitive with the second version of the mixture.

Based on sand and cement

When laying tiles on a sand-cement mortar, water, sand, cement should be added during the preparation of the tile-laying mortar. Such solutions are suitable for laying paving slabs, as well as to perform facing works of walls and floors.

To increase the strength and plasticity of the mass, PVA glue, latex or acrylic are added to it.

Dry types of adhesive mixes

They are sold ready-made, dry powders in bags. As a rule, their basis is cement, and there is also gypsum. The mixture activates its action when water is added to it. Additives in them can be: polymers and catalysts, dyes and hydrophobic components.

If we compare the convenience of self-prepared cement mortar and ready-made mixtures, in the second case, everything is much more convenient. The most popular brands are: Atlas, Sopro, Eunice, Vetonit (Optirok), Ceresit, Kreisel.

Viscous mastic, ready to use

To apply this material, the base must be level. They are packed, as a rule, in plastic buckets. Apply in a very thin layer. The material is based on latex or petroleum products, to which glue and other components are added. They are convenient to use, but they are not able to hold the slabs too tightly, compared to cement compositions. As a rule, this material is used on ceramics. In addition, it cannot be heated.

The difference between masonry mixtures

On floors and walls

What is in the structure of adhesive mixtures does not really matter. To lay tiles on walls, floors, the same mortar can be used. The difference is only in the applied thickness, as well as in the method of application. So, when the coating is clad on the floor, the tiles are laid on the cement mortar, in the process of finishing the walls, the mortar is applied to the back of the slabs.

External, internal works

On packages with dry mixes, manufacturers usually indicate under what conditions the material is suitable. For outdoor work, certain components are added to the composition during production, due to which the material behaves stably in relation to frost. Its elasticity increases, and also increases the ability to moisture resistance.

Solutions based on sand and cement are suitable for interior work, as well as for exterior cladding. It holds ceramic tiles fairly well, but it's still not worth the risk with vertical surfaces.

Different size of elements

The basic rule in laying ceramic slabs is that the smaller the size of the tile, the thinner the mortar must be prepared for it. But if the plates are heavier, use an adhesive mixture already, on which there will be a designation that it is reinforced. For example, Kreisel 103/104.

Dry or wet conditions

For corridors and kitchens, for example, the solution can be almost anything. But, if you line the pool, you will need a certain material here. It must have such properties that it will not collapse, exfoliate.

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