Why are the masters not advised to put tiles on cement mortar? How to lay tiles on the floor in the kitchen, bathroom and hallway (instruction) Ceramic tiles cement mortar floor

Each person who decides to lay the tile with his own hands must first think about how and with what to fix it on the surface. The main role of the solution for ceramic tiles is the tiling by fixing it to the floor or wall. It is not at all difficult to prepare it yourself, at home.

The first thing to do is to decide on the composition. There are two types of mortar for ceramic tiles:

• hand-made cement-glue mixture. It is the most versatile and most reliable material;
• ready-made dry mixes sold in stores and markets. They are intended only for flat, plastered surfaces made of concrete, brick, wood.

The first option is the most popular. The composition of the cement-glue mixture does not depend on where the tile covering will be glued, on the floor or on the walls. For its manufacture, it is desirable to use cleaned, coarse sand and cement. The higher the cement grade, the better the quality of the solution is, but in any case it should not be lower than 300. If you use 300-400 grade cement, then its ratio with sand will be 1: 5, and if you take 500-600 grade cement - then 1: 6.

In order to achieve good adhesion of the surface with the solution, you can dilute it with PVA glue.

Used sand, if it is wet, must be dried, because wet will not penetrate the fine sieve when sifting.

When purchasing cement, it is imperative to check the release date. If the expiration date has expired or is close to this, then for sure it has lost half of its properties. If the purchased cement does not have packaging, then its suitability can be established as follows: you need to pick it up in a handful and squeeze it, while the fresh one will come out between your fingers, and the expired one will go into a lump.

Cement mortar

To make a cement-adhesive mortar for ceramic tiles, the following technology is used:

• The first step is to sift the sand. If this is not done, then various stones, fragments of shells, pieces of clay, which may be in it, will get a solution and a tile laid on it may crack later;
• The sifted sand is mixed with cement in the above proportion, adding water until it resembles dough in density. After that, the solution is ready for use.
• To ensure good adhesion, you can pour PVA glue into it - 1/2 liter of glue is taken for 10 liters of solution.

An excellent substitute for cement-adhesive mixture is a ready-made dry mixture (tile adhesive) purchased in a store. It consists of cement, sand and a huge amount of various chemical additives that give it the properties appropriate for its intended purpose. From this mixture, a solution for ceramic tiles is subsequently made. The price depends, as a rule, on the manufacturer and on the quality of its components.

Dry mix solution

Handling such mixtures requires strict adherence to instructions. The adhesive properties of ready-made suspensions are better, moreover, they are diluted with special antifungal additives. But all this is true only if the solution is made correctly:

• during work, it is imperative to protect the respiratory tract using a respirator or gauze bandage;
• pour three liters of water 22-24 С into a clean ten-liter bucket;
• gradually pour the dry mixture into water, stirring continuously. The finished volume should be approximately 2/3 of the bucket;
• stir the composition thoroughly so that there are no lumps left. This can be done with a special whisk;
• to enhance adhesion, dilute the solution with PVA glue at the rate of 1/2 liter per 10 liters of the composition;
• the finished solution must be allowed to stand for ten minutes and mixed again.

Types of ready-made dry mixes (tile glue)

• A versatile blend. Most popular, used for fixing tiles small size... Usually it is used to decorate rooms with ordinary tiles.
• Fortified mix. Its main purpose is to fix large tiles on floors and walls. A characteristic feature of this type of mixture is to ensure good adhesion to the surface and high resistance to all kinds of loads.
• Pool mix. With its help, pools and baths are finished mosaic tiles... This mixture is moisture resistant and includes ingredients that prevent the appearance of mold.
• Frost-resistant mixture. Designed for outdoor use. With its help, tiles are used to tile the basements of buildings, stairs, terraces, etc. This mixture is resistant to repeated freezing and thawing.

These are the main types of ready-made dry mixes, from which the mortar for ceramic tiles is made. Photos of them can be viewed on the Internet on the websites of enterprises selling building materials.

How to choose a good quality ready-made dry mix

There are several criteria to rely on when choosing a ready-mix:

• when buying a ready-made mixture, you should always check the expiration date and compliance with storage conditions. If they are violated, this material may partially sludge completely deteriorate;
• it is better not to purchase a mixture that was produced more than six months ago, because it has the property of caking, and can subsequently petrify;
• where and by whom the mixture was released also matters. There is a myth that, when purchasing expensive materials, people overpay for the brand that is depicted on the package, but this judgment is far from the truth. Manufacturers who have been on the market for a long time, in order to stay afloat in the face of fierce competition, constantly research the properties and compositions of mixtures, improving their products.
• When choosing the type of this material, you should not buy the same one for walls and floors, because they will have different loads. It is better not to save money and purchase a reinforced mixture for the walls.

With the help of this guide, any beginner in the field of renovation and construction will be able to prepare their own mortar for ceramic tiles. See a video with more illustrative instructions below.

Advice: despite the fact that the optimal composition of ingredients has already been selected in all mixtures, there are several additional additives that will make the glue even stronger. Manufacturers do not add them as it is not cost-effective and greatly complicates the production process. These additives include PVA glue (added to the diluted mixture) and cement (above grade 50).

There are many different companies on the dry mix market, but not all of them offer decent products. Among the time-tested and customer reviews are:

• Ceresit,
• Optirok (Vetonit),
• Atlas,
• Sopro,
• Bolars,
• Eunice.

The most famous of all manufacturers is undoubtedly the Ceresit products. This brand is part of the Henkel concern, which also produces goods under the Thomsit, Metylan and Moment brands. The main facilities are located in Ukraine, but the products fully comply with the requirements and technical standards. The assortment offers quite a lot of different compositions, which differ from each other in compositions and method of tile operation. There are frost-resistant mixes for outdoor use and various compounds for porcelain stoneware, thin tiles and other types of tiles.

The Finnish corporation Optirok offers the domestic consumer the Vetonit product range. Taking into account the harsh Finnish weather conditions, adhesive mixtures are made with an additional margin of safety, therefore Vetonit adhesives are suitable for work in all regions of Russia.

Polish Atlas is also of sufficient quality, but it is cheaper than analogues. The company specializes specifically in adhesive mixtures, therefore it offers a lot of compositions designed for specific loads. This allows you to optimize the installation process of the tile so as to maximize its service life.

Sopro is a German company that has won numerous awards at international construction competitions. Of course, the quality of its products is at the highest level, in this regard, domestic distributors significantly overstate the cost of goods. It makes sense to stop at the choice of this company if a large amount of work is required and a wholesale purchase is possible. Then the price will be reasonable.

From domestic companies, Bolars and Eunice are worthy of attention. Both companies have their own factories in Russia. Products comply with GOST. Since there are no customs clearance and delivery costs, the goods of these manufacturers are cheaper. But little experience in this industry allows us to recommend firms exclusively for internal works for decorating the walls with tiles. Also, it should be added that the Moscow company Yunis does not yet have a wide network of distributors, therefore it is available only to residents of the Moscow region.

A few of the basic elements that are used in ceramic tiling are mix and tile crosses. And it is the mixture that becomes a rather interesting moment, since there are a number of its varieties, and in addition, you can use both a regular solution and special adhesives.

Tile mix 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 powdery material, which must additionally be diluted. The mixtures are prepared 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 packs of 5 or 25 kg.

Some nuances

Considering the floor covering, it should be noted that it is large, in contrast to the walls, which exceeds 3 mm. And therefore, what kind of mortar is needed for the tile will be determined by some factors.

1. First of all, the evenness of the base. Since in the presence of irregularities, it is advisable to use cement mortarwhich will not only serve as glue, but will also help smooth out irregularities. In this case, the thickness of the mortar layer can reach 3 cm. In turn, the use of ready-made adhesive mixtures requires a perfectly flat surface.
2. 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.
3. The human factor, or rather the economic factor, 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 of the issue of economy, by the way, there are also several factors:

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

Structure and composition

Considering the ready-made adhesive for laying tiles on the floor, it is almost impossible to fully find out the composition, since this is the manufacturer's secret. A big plus of such mixtures is that they are divided into different types intended for different conditions operation and surfaces. Thus, we can distinguish:

1. Universal adhesive. Used in standard conditions for flat surfaces.
2. Reinforced, which is often used when laying fragile tiles.
3. Unconventional formulations for glass or metal tiles, for example.

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

1. With M300 cement - 3 parts of sand.
2. For М400 - 4 parts of sand.
3. For M500 or M600 - 5 parts.

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

If necessary, to enhance adhesion, standard PVA glue is also added. 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. More clearly, 200 g of glue is added to 10 liters of solution.

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

In some cases, detergents can be used to increase elasticity. 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, imparts resistance to low temperatures.

Solution preparation

Now you need to consider the preparation of both the finished composition and the one made on your own.

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 found on the packaging. 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:

Water temperature becomes an important factor. It shouldn't 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 work should be in the range from 10 to 24 degrees.

At the recommended temperature, the floor tile mixture hardens rather quickly, so it is not recommended to make large batches. It is advisable to prepare as much glue as you can use within 30-40 minutes.

As you know, the tiles are often soaked before laying, and the bases themselves are moistened. This is not recommended when laying on glue.

Homemade cement mortar

In the case when a self-preparation solution is chosen, and not glue for laying tiles on the floor, you need to clearly know how to prepare it, which we will talk about further.

Preparation takes place as follows:

Tiles before such laying, while the period of stay in water is 8-10 hours. Just to start, soak one tile, because if you come across poor quality material, then ugly ones will appear under the enamel yellow spotsthat will ruin the whole look of the room.

If after soaking and laying on cement the sample has not lost 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 the floor tiles with self-prepared tile adhesive is done on a concrete base, the work is somewhat simplified. In this case, a sufficient process will be to pour water onto the surface, and sprinkle cement through a sieve. Then the tiles are laid on the resulting "dough".

Most common mistakes

Quite often, when a quick laying of tiles is planned, a number of mistakes are made when preparing a solution:

1. Often sand is of poor quality, not sifted and not dried, and this is used in a hurry.
2. The use of old cement, which often loses its properties, is also an unacceptable mistake.
3. Water should be used only clean, in no case should you use sea water or dirty, settled water.
4. The mixture must be thoroughly mixed so that no lumps remain, which entails a loss of quality.
5. 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 number of mistakes when using cement mortar, now consider the use of ready-made compositions:

1. The use of cold or hot water is strictly prohibited.
2. You cannot fill in the mixture first, and then pour water, in which case lumps will form.
3. Do not soak the tiles or moisten the substrate.
4. The containers for cooking must be clean, after each batch they must be cleaned and washed.
5. Stir the composition at a low speed of rotation of the mixer. At high speed the mixture will foam, at low speed there will be lumps.

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

The quality of tile laying is determined by several factors: the tile itself, the type and preparation of the base, the experience of the master tiling and the solution used. If the first two can be assessed visually, the work is done independently, then the situation with tiled mortar is more complicated.

To choose the right solution for laying tiles, you need to have some knowledge in this area.

There are two options for making a solution for tiling works:

1. The traditional method of preparing tile mortar

The method involves the manufacture of cement-glue mortar manually (by hand). Professional construction crews today practically do not use this method, due to the length of the mixing process and the instability of the composition. However, in private construction, it has not yet lost its relevance.

Benefits manual way mixing tile mortar:

• you can do it yourself;
• available and cheap solution components;
• the solution is environmentally friendly;
• allows you to align the base for laying;
• proven clutch reliability;
• universality of application. The solution is suitable for any tile and any surface;
• low cost.

The disadvantage is that the proportions are determined "by eye", therefore, even within different batches, the consistency of the solution may differ. In addition, a lot of time is spent on the preparation of the solution, and the constituent elements of the mixture need a place for storage.

Making cement mortar for tiles with your own hands

Despite the long-standing fame of the mortar, many users are interested in how to make a cement mortar for tiles. Indeed, the duration of the operation of the lined surface depends on this.

The composition of the cement mortar

Cement

Only fresh cement is used for mixing the mortar. Preferably Portland or white cement. It is not recommended to use cement grade below 300 for tiling. Cement, depending on storage conditions, loses up to 40% of its properties within a year. The cladding experts claim that the floor tiles will stick to such a solution, but those laid on the wall will "creep". This disadvantage is eliminated by adding more cement to the solution, which leads to an increase in the cost of work.

How to determine the quality of cement

You can check the quality of the cement by eye. To do this, you need to squeeze a handful of cement in the palm of your hand. If it spills through your fingers, then it is fresh, if a lump forms, the cement for the solution is not suitable. This method of determination can be useful when there is an open bag of cement or it is selling in bulk.

Sand

It is better to use river sand to mix the tile mortar. Before adding to the solution, it must be sieved or washed and dried. Additional impurities (shells, small stones, lumps of clay) contained in the sand will create some difficulties in facing. Especially if a thin layer of the mixture is applied, which will raise the tile, and trying to install it in place by tapping it can lead to cracking of the ceramic.

Council. It is more convenient to sift dry sand

Water

There are no requirements for water temperature.

In what proportions to mix cement with sand

The specified components are mixed in a certain ratio (proportions). Moreover, when the grade of cement changes, the ratio changes upward in the composition of the cement:

Note. The heavier the tile, the more cement you need to add to the mortar.

Add PVA to cement mortar

You can add additional elastic properties to the cement-sand mortar by adding PVA glue - 200 gr. 10 liters. ready-made cement mortar. PVA will give the mixture great adhesion to the surface. Moreover, the cost of this modifier is only 80 rubles. for 0.9 kg.

An alternative to PVA at home can be improvised materials ( detergent, powder, liquid soap). Some consumers recommend adding washing powder or soap to the grout. Why is this done? To improve the properties of the solution. Such a plasticizer is able to make the tile cement mortar more plastic, which is important when laying floor tiles.

Adding lime to the slurry will increase the ability to resist moisture (dampness) absorption and will give the slurry flexibility. Slaked lime or its substitute MTS (LP) (80 rubles / 1 liter) is used.

Resistance to low temperatures will give a plasticizer - antifreeze hardening accelerator Primer EC-30 (about 100 rubles)

How to prepare grout for laying tiles

The order of mixing the cement-sand mixture: the cement is thoroughly mixed with the prepared sand. Then water is gradually added to the mixture. The solution is stirred until it reaches the desired consistency. You can check the readiness of the solution by hooking part of the mixture with a trowel. If the mixture holds, you can start work, if it spreads, there is too much water, respectively, you need to add cement-sand.

Council. Professionals argue that what smaller tiles, the thinner (less viscous) the solution should be.

Note. When using this method, the tiles must be moistened before laying. Otherwise, it will draw water out of the solution.

2. An innovative way of preparing tile mortar

Assumes that a ready-made tile solution will be used. Despite the fact that ready-made mortars appeared on the construction market relatively recently, they quickly gained popularity among users.

All tiling solutions can be divided into three categories:

Dry mixes for laying tiles

This category is the most widely represented on the market. Dry mixes for tiling can be used both for wet laying (tiles, ceramic tiles, natural decoration Materials) and dry (paving slabs). Designed for cladding different surfaces, and they have one thing in common - they are delivered in bags in a dry state.

The dry mix consists of many components with a predominance of gypsum and cement (90-95%). Various additives (5-10%) give the mixtures a variety of properties that will appear when water is added to a dry mixture.

As additives, the following can be added to the composition of the tile solution:

• polymer additives are responsible for the adhesive properties of the composition;
• hardening retarders or accelerators;
• hydrophobic components (additives) impart moisture resistance to the glue;
• coloring pigments;
• plasticizers, which are responsible for the elasticity of the composition.

If we compare the traditional cement-sand and dry mix, then the latter will have advantages due to the presence of additives. The mixture is more plastic, has great ability to compression.

The tile mix is \u200b\u200busually packed in 25 and 5 kg bags.

Note. Many users add a dry mix to a cement-sand mortar made by themselves, i.e. manually. This allows you to improve the quality characteristics of the mixture without a significant increase in the cost of the solution.

Which dry mixes for tiles are better to choose?

There are many competing brands on the dry adhesive market. But the sales leaders are Optirok (Vetonit), Atlas, Sopro, Eunice. These brands have earned customer loyalty due to the consistently high quality of the mixtures. And also because these brands have several subspecies of mixtures. Thus, the master can lay any tile on any surface, and confidently provide a guarantee for his work.

According to consumer reviews, Ceresit CM 11 (cost from 215 to 300 rubles, depending on the region) can be considered the number one brand on the domestic market. This brand belongs to the Henkel concern and it became more accessible to the domestic consumer after the opening of production in Ukraine. Thomsit, Metylan and Moment adhesives also belong to this manufacturer and are designed for different categories of consumers. For example, the cost of the Moment tile adhesive is 150 rubles / pack. Moreover, its properties are quite satisfactory for many consumers.

Preparation of mortar for tiles from a ready-made mixture

The technology is simple, it is enough to pour the required amount of the mixture into a container of water of a suitable size. At the same time, manufacturers warn that you need to knead the amount of material that is needed to work for 0.5-1.5 hours (depending on the type of mixture). The fact is that after the solution has matured, adding water to it is categorically not recommended. This significantly reduces its properties.

Council. The mixture that has lost its mobility (seized, but not hardened) must be mixed again.

For mixing, use water at room temperature. Using cold or hot water will negate the modifier properties. When mixing the mixture, remember that the mixture is poured into the water, and not vice versa. After stirring for 5 minutes, the mixture must be left to ripen. During this time, the modifiers will "open". After that, the solution is stirred again and set to work.

1. To make a solution from a dry mixture, it is better to use a drill attachment for mixing the solution - a mixer. The mixer rotation speed is about 500 rpm. If foam appears on the surface of the mixture while stirring, this indicates that the rotation speed of the nozzle is too high. If lumps do not break - oh low.


2. Only a clean container is used to prepare the solution. Otherwise, hardened particles from the previous batch may get into the solution. They will not allow you to apply an even thin layer.


3. For cladding surfaces with heavy tiles, it is better to seal the mixture with latex, it increases the strength and elasticity of the adhesive. For example, LITOPLUS K55 glue is diluted with Latexkol-m additive.


4. Adding PVA to the mixture will further increase the strength of the adhesive. For 10 liters of solution, 0.2-0.5 liters are added. glue.

Paste mixture (mastic) for laying tiles

For example, for laying tiles on simple substrates, the Garant + mastic is good, its cost depends on the packaging, on average it is 100 rubles. per kg.

Good user reviews about NEOMID Supercontact mastic. It is intended for facing stoves and fireplaces (price 480 rubles / kg). SOUDAL 24A is positioned as a superglue for tiles, which fully justifies its position (price 790 rubles / 6 kg). TERRAKO TERRAPAST is a paste-like glue designed for use on difficult surfaces (plasterboard, plywood, MDF, etc.) - 1200 rubles / 15 kg.

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The advantage of ready-made formulations is that they are ready-to-use. There is no need to wind them up with water, which ensures the same consistency of the solution, and also makes them more convenient, less laborious, and ensures a complete dust-free operation.

How to put tiles on mastic

There is a peculiarity in using mastic - they are applied exclusively to even, cleaned, pre-moistened surfaces with a thin 2-3 mm layer. Please note that the thickness of the layer is regulated by the manufacturer. Users are advised not to exceed it, making sure from their own experience that this does not improve the quality of the cladding. But it leads to a greater consumption of the mixture and increases the sliding of the tiles (when laying on the wall). In addition, the mastic should be applied to small areas intended for cladding, due to the fact that it hardens quickly. Thus, you need to work with mastic quickly.

Special adhesive solutions - liquid nails

Good reviews about the glue Moment Installation Universal MP-40 (price 180-200 rubles / pack), Liquid Nails LN 604 (120 rubles / pack).

Benefits of using ready-made tile solutions

• ease of mixing;

• absence or minimization of dust when mixing;

• homogeneity of the mass and the absence of lumps that are formed when mixing cement by hand;

• minimum set of tools and limited mixing space;

• wider range of colors. Dry mixes based on white cement make it possible to revet the surface with mosaic or light natural stone without affecting the appearance;

• the ability to create minimal joints between tiles;

• the ability to choose from different price categories: from elite to economy;

• there is no need to store each element of the mixture separately;

• a single recipe within the selected brand ensures the stability of the composition;

• the presence of special modifiers, plasticizers and other additives that give the mixture additional strength;

• the exact proportions of the constituent mixtures;

• a variety of subspecies of mixtures intended for different surfaces, types facing tiles, operating conditions, which significantly expands the capabilities of the masters-cladders;

• the possibility of using in places with an aggressive environment: pools, plinths, opening of a veranda or terrace, balconies. And also in places with active load, such as stairs of shops and office buildings;

• less time for kneading;

• cost savings due to the fact that the layer can be applied in a thin layer.

The disadvantage is the higher price of the finished solution and the need to level the surfaces. The permissible curvature of the base during cladding must not exceed 10 mm. If more - you need to level or use a special tile mixture.

Ready-made and dry tile adhesives - application according to the application

A mortar for laying tiles, made of cement and sand, according to the scope of application, belongs to the universal mortars. Among dry compositions, universal tile adhesive also occupies half of the total sales structure. It has worked well for simple indoor surfaces. For outdoor work, laying tiles on the floor, facing wall surfaces, you need to use specialized adhesive solutions.

• For floor work, elastic tile adhesive is used. It will allow you to compensate for deformations caused by the load. These include Ceresit CM 16 (cost 420 rubles) or Litokol Litoflex K80 (560 rubles). At the same time, to lay tiles on a heated floor, you need to use a special mixture for tiles on the floor. In the Henkel concern's product line, it is an elastic universal tile adhesive Ceresit CM 117 (RUB 700/25 kg).

• When tiling walls, any tile solution will work. When installing large-format slabs, it is advisable to apply the tile mortar to the wall with increased fixation to prevent the tiles from sliding off the vertical surface. This is ILMAX 3100 unifix (price 325 rubles) or Weber vetonit ultrafix (540 rubles).

• For outdoor use, it is advisable to use frost-resistant tile adhesive.

• Heat-resistant tile adhesive is used for lining stoves and fireplaces. Positive reviews about the mixtures and Bergauf Keramik Termo (average cost 435 rubles).

• Tiling a bathroom requires special attention when choosing an adhesive; universal compounds will not work here. For the bathroom, it is better to use moisture resistant tile adhesive. Small area finishing can be done liquid nails, for example, Moment Installation Universal MP-40 (130 rubles / pack). In any case, the tile solution in the bathroom must ensure the tightness of the joint.

Council. You can reduce your glue costs by purchasing all-purpose glue and joint filling compound. Experts advise using Scanmix SL tile joint compound or Soudal fix all sealant for such purposes.

• For laying tiles in a pool or fountain, exclusively waterproof tile glue is used, for example, Osnovit Maxiplix AC16 (880 rubles).

• Laying tiles on the work surface in the kitchen. Users appreciated the use of tiles instead of traditional countertops. It is convenient and beautiful. When choosing a solution for ceramic tiles for facing countertops, you need to pay attention to the environmental friendliness of the material. Therefore, many craftsmen advise to prepare a mortar for tiles from cement and sand, or use a universal glue. Such solutions contain a minimum amount of additives, which allows us to speak about their safety. And also use a tile grout solution intended for contact with water.

According to reviews, good mounting glue Liquid Nails LN 604 Projects & Foamboard (average cost of 131 rubles), its advantage is moisture resistance, absence of toluene and acetone, environmental friendliness and density of the structure, which makes it easy to clean the work surface.

The design life of the product is 20 years.

Positive feedback on the Ceresit CU 22 epoxy two-component adhesive base. It is specially designed for use in laboratories, catering kitchens, breweries. It has been laboratory tested and can come in contact with drinking water. The only thing that prevents the widespread distribution of this solution is the high price of glue, up to 5 thousand rubles. per container with a capacity of 8 kg.

Paving slab mortar

The mixture for paving slabs... Depending on the purpose, two types of solutions are distinguished.

1 type - Mixture for laying paving slabs

It is designed for laying ready-made tiles on the substrate. Such solutions as the paving system "RodStone - Osnova" (price 250 rubles / 25 kg), mix for laying paving slabs M150 (120 rubles / 25 kg) are popular on the market. These mixtures are intended for filling joints between tiles under light loads, i.e. when paving garden paths, porch, etc.

Laying of paving slabs in a country house with a high load intensity is carried out using more specialized compounds, for example, Quick-mix PFN mortar for filling joints (1650 rubles / 25 kg) is suitable. It is worth paying attention to solutions with drainage properties, such as quick-mix TPM-D08 (1800 rubles / 25 kg.).

The composition of the mortar for paving slabs prepared at home will help to reduce the cost of the process with constant quality. For its manufacture, you only need cement (Portland cement grade with a marking of at least 400) and dry sifted sand. The mixing ratio is determined by the grade of cement and is usually 4 parts cement and 1 part sand.

Note. The use of such a solution involves the arrangement of a cement-sand cushion under the laid out paving slabs.

Type 2 - Mortar for the manufacture of paving slabs

The composition of the solution for includes:

• cement. It is preferable to buy fresh Portland cement with a mark of at least 400;

• sand. It is advisable to use a river, which has been purified from impurities. For this, the sand is sieved through a fine sieve;

• filler. In this capacity, gravel, screening or fine crushed stone (fraction not higher than 10 mm) usually acts;

• water;

• special additives.

When making a mortar for paving slabs, the proportions of which depend on the type of cement, you can use various additives to improve the quality and performance of paving slabs.

As additives can be used: plasticizer, dispersant - increase the frost resistance of the tile; a catalyst for the hardening of the solution, which allows you to quickly and efficiently make tiles, dyes - allow you to give additional decorative properties.

A detailed overview of mortars and mixtures for laying tiles will help you determine the right adhesive, and additional advice at the point of sale will help you to establish your choice.