There are many different types of tile adhesive available today, each for a different purpose and application. Selecting the correct adhesive your job is of paramount importance to ensure your tiled surface looks great and remains strong and stable during its lifespan.
This help sheet only relates to cement based adhesives, excluding ready mixed and resin based options which have their own features and benefits. Cement based adhesives are primarily split into two different classes, C1 and C2 – but what do these mean?
C1 Cement Based Adhesives
C1 adhesives are basic cement based adhesives and not stocked by Tile Fix Direct. As these adhesives are generally not suitable for Porcelain tiles, the most common type of floor tile.
C2 Cement Based Adhesives
Improved adhesives that often have their polymers modified, resulting in increased adhesion and bond strength. This also adds a degree of flexibility as well as water repellent characteristics. This type of adhesive is suitable for most tile types and on a wide range of background surfaces.
Suffixes and Additional Adhesive Properties
These C1 and C2 adhesives may also have some suffixes after their name that tell you a bit more about the tile adhesive and indicate it’s additional properties. You may see some of the suffixes listed below, so we’ve created a handy guide to let you know what they mean!
F = Indicates that this tile adhesive is Fast Setting or Rapid Setting, shortening curing time and allowing you to grout and complete your project quicker.
T = This indicates that the adhesive is Thixotropic or Slump resistant/Non slip. This can be particularly useful for wall tiling as the adhesive will not slump with gravity and weight.
E = Indicates Extended Working Time or pot life and can apply to both fast setting and standard setting adhesive. Extended pot life means you don’t have to rush, and is particular useful when tiling larger areas or projects with a complex design where a lot of tile cutting is required.
S1 = The S rating relates to how Deformable the adhesive is. S1 tile adhesives are suited to most tiling surfaces subjected to limited movement or subject to vibration, such as well braced timber floors. S1 adhesives are the industry standard tile adhesives for flooring as they have flexibility and strong support for your tiles.
S2 = This indicates that the product is a Highly Deformable adhesive. A highly deformable adhesive may seem the ideal product for floors with more movement, however, the S2 adhesive doesn’t provide as much support to the tile as an S1 version. This means that thinner or softer tiles may not have the strength to cope with the deformable nature of the adhesive and a less than stable background.
British Standards
All adhesives conforming to British standards should have packaging marked with the appropriate adhesive coding e.g. C2 FTE S1. Using the suffixes above, we can tell that this product would be an Improved Cement Based Adhesive, Fast Setting, Extended working time with some deformability.
Tile Adhesives at Tile Fix Direct
As well as our wide selection of tiles here at Tile Fix Direct, we also offer a wide range of solutions to help you fix tiles and complete your project. Whether you’re a DIY hero looking to adhere wall and floor tiles, or even a flooring contractor getting tile materials for your next project – we’ve got you covered.
The backbone to any tiling job is tile adhesive and with an unrivalled selection of professional tile adhesives, you can be sure to find one that will meet the needs of your specific tiling project. We have a wide selection of tile adhesives currently in stock, with ready mix, rapid setting, and cement based options available. Our smoothing compounds ensure that your floor coverings site on a smooth and level floor. We have a range of indoor and outdoor solutions to suit your needs.
It’s no secret that your tiling project will only come out as good as the materials that you’ve used, and that’s why we hand pick our range from trusted brand names such as Ardex, BAL, Kerakoll and Norcros to ensure quality. We’ll let you know which adhesives and floor levelling compounds are rated to use with large format tiles and underfloor heating so you pick the right materials.