What is the best adhesive for ceramics? Some recommendations

Ceramic adhesive plays a fundamental role in the works and is one of the most important elements to take into account in order to achieve a perfect finish in the final result of the works. It is the “ceramic adhesive” on which will depend to a great extent that the project will be finished in an optimal way and that its useful life will be as long as possible.

The risks of choosing the wrong adhesive are numerous and that’s why we help you to make the best choice from a wide range of products to ensure a perfect finish.

In this sense, at Molins, with almost one hundred years of history, we have a range of adhesives and ceramic tile installation that incorporates solutions and products for indoor and outdoor use, allowing ceramic tile installation with or without absorption, on all types of surfaces and coverings:

• cement or concrete screeds,
• underfloor heating,
• natural and artificial stone,
• cement block,
• brick,
• fresh mortar
• or even plaster, plasterboard and anhydrite supports, which provide a solution to any application we have to carry out.

Among many other applications, as well as ceramic repairs.

In addition, we offer our customers an innovative ecological line without dust and maximum workability, ideal for large format ceramics, which are very common in contemporary style works.

However, before we can place ourselves in a purchase scenario, it is essential to have all the technical information necessary to make the right decisions.

Characteristics of ceramic and tile adhesives

If you are wondering which is the best adhesive for ceramics, here we help you to find out with our recommendations and tips to achieve optimal results. And we recommend all these tips for ceramic tile bonding.

The first thing to bear in mind is that ceramic tiles are one of the most widely used wall coverings and this finish is already widespread on floors, terraces and even on the walls of any room in the home.

To achieve a perfect and long-lasting finish, it is important to take great care in the laying of the tiles and the finishing of the joints. And for this, the selection of materials will be fundamental.

One of our tips is that for each tile installation, whether in wall or floor tiling or ceramic tiling, it is possible to find a type of adhesive and a joint sealing solution depending on whether it is a thinner or thicker finish, whether it is for interiors or exteriors, whether it requires high flexibility or whether an application must be made on special substrates. Among them is Pam EcoGel Flex, which with a developed R+D+i, has given rise to a solution that facilitates the work of professionals, is lighter and creamier, capable of achieving high adhesion to the substrate and to the ceramic and has a double consistency of kneading: fluid and thixotropic.

In addition, it also allows the professional to work without dust, thus advancing towards the demands of the future in terms of the environment and the protection of the health of professionals. Likewise, it also stands out for its flexible properties and for its zero slippage, as thanks to the incorporation of fibres, the adhesive is reinforced to allow greater thicknesses without displacement and allowing the use of self-levelling wedges.

There are also different conventional solutions adapted to the type of substrate on which the ceramic is laid, such as plaster(PAM Especial Yeso) or in outdoor situations, for adhesion under different types of climatic conditions(VAT Super, Vat Extra, Vat Extra Plus, Vat Porcelánico, Vat Flexible, Vat superflex…) and which in turn must be chosen depending on whether it is a façade or paving, substrate, size of the piece, etc.

Other solutions such as Vat Flex Rapid, due to its workability, speed and flexibility, are recommended for the installation of marble and natural stone and to avoid the appearance of efflorescence. This adhesive has properties that achieve a rapid commissioning.

There are also some that require application on fresh mortar(VAT Tac) or other special requirements or special polyester or metal substrates(Vat elastic).

In short, as we can see, there is a whole science involved in laying tiles on our floors and walls. For this reason, the technical team at Molins advises and trains its customers to select the most suitable solution in each case.

In this table, we show you the fresh and application characteristics of the adhesives with essential elements such as: Shelf life, Mixing data, Resting or maturing time, Shelf life, Open time, Wetting capacity, Application technique, Time until grouting, Time to put into service and other data of interest (Source, Association of Mortar and SATE manufacturers, ANFAPA).

Frequently Asked Questions about ceramic adhesives

How long does ceramic tile adhesive last?

It is difficult to make estimates, as this is something we do not know and cannot predict with certainty. However, it is true that with a correct choice of both the bonding material and the grout, as well as the tile installation procedure, following Molins’ recommendations and those contained in the UNE 138002 Tile Installation Standard, an effective and durable tile installation will be achieved.

What is flexible adhesive?

Flexible adhesives are those adhesives that, due to their composition, have technical characteristics that allow the bonding material to adapt to the substrate (deformable or not), the ceramic tile (from small pieces to large formats), and the type of use (terraces, façades, underfloor heating) where ceramic tiles are to be installed. This type of material adapts and accompanies all the components of the system to the expansion and contraction movements that occur without losing adhesion.

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