Tile Adhesive v/s Cement Mortar : Which one to use and Why?

 

Tile Adhesive v/s Cement Mortar : Which one to use and Why?

Stone and Tile Fixing 

Flooring is a major part of any residential or commercial construction. And Stones like marbles, Granites, and Tiles are the most preferred substrate due to their durability.

After selection of Substrate comes the selection of Adhesive material to fix the tile or stone on the floor or wall.

Most common solution in market are Cement Sand Mortar and Tile Adhesive or Marble Adhesive (technically known as Thin Set Adhesive - TSA).

Before the introduction of Thin Set Adhesive ( also known as Tile Adhesive/ Marble Adhesive, Tile Glue, Tile Cement ), Cement Sand Mortar was ideal choice.

What is Cement Sand Mortar -

Simply a mixture of Cement, Sand and Water. ( In the form of Image/ icons)

Application - Apply the paste on floor as well as another dollop on the back of the tile and stone .

However Cement Sand Mortar has following inherent major issues -

• Hollow Sound followed by Cracking of Tiles.
• Water Seepage.

Causes -

• Hollow Sound - Cement Sand Mortar doesn’t form level base to cover the entire tile surface.As a result it leaves gap between the tile (or stone) and floor. Which results in inadequate contact, and hence we hear the hollow sound on tapping(before cracking) and water seepage.
• Secondly, Cement Sand mortar also shrinks after drying, and has less bonding strength.

End result of all of this is cracking.

To repair a crack tile in itself a complete project - needless to mention the pain of such Maintenance in detail.

Basic Facts - Minimum compressive strength for 1:3 and 1:6 mortar cube at age of 28 days is 7.5 MPa and 3 MPa  respectively.

Compressive strength of tile adhesive - 15MPA.

Then there are Application issues with Cement Sand Mortar -

• Storage Inconvenience - Image of Tile Adhesive Bag v/s Image of Cement , Lorry for sand - To show storage and mixing issue. (Image should give a negative feeling)
• Time for working is less.
• Cannot Adjust tiles after being laid.
• Involves Soaking of Tiles in water .
• Slow Process
• Increased weight load on the building due to thicker material.
• Cannot be used on Low Adsorbent tiles like Vitrified Tiles or Porcelain tiles.

Tile Adhesives or Stone adhesives on the other hand

Basic components in Tile Adhesives -

• Cement
• Sand
• Polymers for extra strength
• Water Retention Agents
• Additives for Working time enhancement and for vertical surfaces application.

Tile Adhesives is a ready to use mixture of sand , cement and Polymer additives which functions as a mesh creator (just like MS rods in Concrete), resulting in a more flexible and higher strength adhesive.

All one needs is to Mix the water, use a trowel and apply on the tiles or stones.

Trowel usage results in thinner product application and an even application which prevents any form of Gap and results in complete coverage on tiles or stones.

The RachTR TSA tile adhesives have longer bonding time and strength and fewer chances of damages to tile and stone thus saves a lot of cost in future spending and maintenance.

And different grades of tile and stone adhesives are available for different application, surfaces, sizes and open time requirement which we will cover in next article.

Conclusion - 

In the end - Cement Sand Mortar is definitely a Cheaper material (probably 25% to 30% cheaper) but with higher labor cost.

The process is Slow and overall downside includes cracking, water seepage, cannot be applied on low absorbent tiles and etc. In short it is a product of past.

Whereas Tile Adhesive is a bit costly material but adding up the low labour cost, faster process, and advantages like No tile Cracking, No Hollow Sound, No water seeping and etc make it an easier choice over Cement Sand Mortar.

• No Hollow Sound
• No tile Cracking.
• No water seeping
• Easy to use. And can be used on low absorbent tiles or stones.
• Higher Bond Strength.
• Fast and economical labor cost.
• Storage convenience
• Thinner Layer - Less overall Weight on building.

Reason why TSA or Tile Adhesive is lesser known in India yet -

• Product was introduced in Indian market in Early 2000.
• Less product awareness, lac of skilled contractors, with higher cost of the product were the major deterrent. Which resulted in low requirement and hence low availability.
• In last few years, all Major Developers , Architects and Contractors have understood the value proposition, and have shifted 100 % to Tile adhesive.
• Soon usage of cement sand mortar for tile and stone will be a concept of past.

In coming days, we will be covering content on following topic, so  sign up for updates and follos us on Instagram. 

1. Types and Grades of Tile Adhesives/ Thin Set Adhesives/ Marble Adhesives,
2. Tile or Stone Fixing Process.
3. White Marble Fixing process.
4. Sealers and Coatings for Stones.

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To read in hindi - click on following link - Hindi Blog. 

European Standard for Tile Adhesives

The European standards community created a classification system to help simplify the selection of tile installation materials which include adhesives, grouts, membranes and screed. The goal of the EuroNorm (EN) standards is to establish a product classification code for the European community to quickly and easily tell an architect, specifier, tile contractor or distributor and exactly how a product is designed to perform.

The standard demands for a proper performance test before it is provided with a Performance Certificate. This certificate consists of letters and numbers that are easy to understand. EN classification system is more encompassing than the ISO classification system.

The types of tile adhesives according to the EN 12004 are:

A. Types of Adhesives

·       Cementitious Adhesives             C

·       Dispersion Adhesives                 D

·       Reaction Resin Adhesives           R

B. Classes of Adhesives

·       Normal Adhesives                             1

·       Improved Adhesives                          2

·       Fast – setting Adhesives                    F

·       Adhesive with Reduced Slip        T

·       Adhesive with Extended Open Time   E

·       Deformable Adhesives                      S1

·       Highly Deformable Adhesives            S2

The different symbols and categories have their own meaning which are defined below:

Cementitious Adhesive– The C adhesive is a mixture of hydraulic binding agents such as portlland cement, aggregate and organic additives like moisture retention additive, latex polymers etc.) to be mixed with latex admix or water before mixing.

Dispersion Adhesive – The D type adhesive is a type of ready to use mixture composed of organic binding agents in the form of an aqueous polymer dispersion, organic additives and mineral fillers which are the mastic type products.

Reaction Resin Adhesive– This R type adhesive is a single or multi-component mixture of synthetic resin, mineral fillers and organic additives in which curing occurs by chemical reaction like epoxy or urethane based products.

Class 1 – Also called as 1 type, these adhesives have passed the minimum pass level tests that are mandatory for that adhesive type.

Class 2 – Also called as 2 type, these adhesives have passed the same test as Class 1 and other higher pass levels too.

Extended Open Time – It is the maximum time interval after the application at which tiles can be put in the applied adhesive and meet the tensile adhesion strength requirement which is always more than 30 minutes after the application of the adhesive. This designation is not applied to Reaction Resin Adhesive ( R ).

Slip – Resistance ( T ) – The downward movement of tile applied to a combed adhesive layer on a vertical surface must be ≤ 0.5mm for a C or D type adhesive and ≤ 5mm for a R type adhesive.

Fast – Setting ( F ) – They are adhesives that must achieve the minimum strength requirements of fast setting adhesives with accelerated cure time.

Deformability ( S ) – It is the capacity of hardened adhesive to be deformed by stresses applied between the tile and the substrate without any damage to the installed surface.

To pass S1 requirements an adhesive must be able to deform ≥ 2.5mm but < 5mm. To pass S2 requirements an adhesive must be able to deform ≥ 5mm.

In India there are different standards and are categorized as Type 1 to type 5 since year 2020.. Will cover this in future article. 

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ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE CERAMIC TILE ADHESIVE

ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE CERAMIC TILE ADHESIVES

RachTR TSA ST is a polymer rich, cementitious tile adhesive for thin or thick bed fixing of ceramics tiles in interior or exterior situations and ensures excellent bonding on concrete and plasters, exceeds EN 12004:2007 C1

BENEFITS

• High adhesive bond strength.

• Excellent waterproofing characteristics.

• Non-slip and has excellent grab properties.

• Excellent tensile strength.

• Prepacked factory controlled.

• Ensures consistent quality.

• Easy to use.

• Waterproof immersion does not affect adhesion.

RECOMMENDED USES:

RachTR TSA ST can be used for fixing tile on tile applications, ceramics, glass mosaics, swimming pools, bathrooms, kitchens, laboratories, canteens, etc. It provides strong adhesion to cement/sand screeds, concrete and brickwork. It is also suitable for substrates such as glazed tiles, terrazzo and suitably prepared timber.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Surface Preparation:

All surfaces should be sound and thoroughly cleaned before RachTR TSA ST  is applied. All traces of greases or oil must be removed with degreaser. All loose particles of mortar must be physically removed.

Surfaces:

RachTR TSA ST can be applied directly on concrete, cement screeds, cement, lime mortars and existing tiles. Timber surfaces should be checked to ensure rigidity and soundness to accept the additional loading without deflection. Provision must be made to ensure adequate ventilation beneath tiled timber flooring.

Mixing:

RachTR TSA ST should be mixed with water in the ratio of 3:1 by volume. Place gauging water in a clean mixing vessel. Add powder and mix with a suitable stirrer or mixer mounted on slow speed electric drill until a plastic, lumps free consistency is achieved. Hand mixing may be allowed if drill/paddle is not available. Allow to stand for 5 mins before use.

Application:

Apply thin bond coat to the substrate with the straight edge of the trowel. Then comb mortar on to the fresh bond coat with the notched edge of the trowel working in the direction. Apply only that much mortar which can cover the tiles within the open time. Open time can be checked by touching the adhesive bed with fingertip.

Position tiles in the adhesive bed and align with a slightly pushing motion, ensuring the tile back achieves full contact with the adhesive.

Finishing:

Remove excess adhesive with a damp cloth before material has set. Joint grouting may be commenced 24 hours after tiles have been laid.

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Flooring Adhesive

Flooring Adhesives 

In this age of innovation, we have started to beautifully experiment with our ideas about a perfect home. From implementing IoT in our household to the latest interiors. But have you ever thought that what would people think if your floor looks dull and boring? All the fancy items would not reflect if your floor doesn’t. RachTR provide  with multiple solutions to use its flooring adhesives to make floors lustrous and help bring a statement to our life.

The types of flooring adhesives RachTR offer are:

1.    RachTR Epoxy 201 G- Thixotropic translucent Epoxy gel for fixing various substrates to various substrates. A fast-curing, thixotropic, non-migrating adhesive designed for filling gaps and bonding rough or smooth surfaces. The disappearing blue colouring tells you when the product is thoroughly mixed and ready to apply. It’s a general-purpose adhesive/encapsulant which easily dispenses and mixes in seconds, dries in 15 minutes and reaches functional strength in 1 hour. 

KEY FEATURES:

·         Bonds rigid durable substrates such as metals, glass, ceramics, concrete and wood in all combinations

·         High tensile strength (2,500 psi)

·         Good solvent resistance to gas, oil and other solvents

·         Non-Sag (No-Drip) which makes it ideal for use on walls and vertical surfaces

·         Excellent gap filling qualities without tremendous shrinkage Fast curing for bond tags on machinery and equipment

2.    RachTR RER 108 & REH 108 - Multipurpose adhesive system, with excellent bond strength. A light cure dental adhesive system that is designed to handle difficult bonding situations, is fast and easy to apply and offers excellent bond strengths to a variety of surfaces.

KEY FEATURES:

          A versatile adhesive system designed to handle difficult bonding situations such as bonding to sclerotic dentin and bonding in moist environments.

·      Reduces microleakage that can contribute to postoperative sensitivity for increased patient comfort and doctor confidence.

·       Offers excellent bond strengths to a variety of surfaces for reliable bonding performance.

3.    RachTR TSA PR – Polymer modified thin-set tile adhesive and stone adhesive, exceeds EN:12004:2007 C2TE. The tile layer is unaffected by minor cracking and movement in the substrate. This can be very important in the applications over concrete where cracking in the concrete could result in cracking the tile. It is also very important in tile installations over structural slabs or other structures where vibrations and deflections can be expected.

KEY FEATURES:

·         Level out unevenness in the substrate.

·         Create an ideal surface to which the tile can be bonded.

·         Incorporate slope in the tile layer if needed.

·         Reinforcement of the substrate.

4.    RachTR TSA ST - Polymer modified thin-set tile adhesive and stone adhesive, exceeds EN 12004:2007 C1. They are single component thin set adhesives but with high polymer modification. Most suitable for exterior and interior installation of tiles and stones on floors and walls. Most varieties of tiles and stones can be installed using Polymer modified thin set adhesives.

KEY FEATURES:

·         High bond strength and water resistance.

·         Increased flexibility and resistance to weather conditions.

·         Improved shock and impact resistance

·         Easy to install – fast and economical

·         Hassle-free and long lasting

All of these are made under expert supervision. With a team of people belonging to rich fields of education, RachTR delivers a solution that builds a dream home.

Contact Us for more details - 

Email us : marketing@rachtr.com.

Website - www.rachtr.com,

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CEMENT vs ADHESIVES – A COMPARISON

CEMENT vs ADHESIVES – A COMPARISON

Cement is a fine, grey powder that is used as a construction binding material. When mixed with water, cement reacts chemically and becomes hard and strong. Cement is categorized as either hydraulic or non-hydraulic, depending on how it mixes with water.

Non-hydraulic cement does not harden underwater or in damp conditions. Certain chemicals are added to make hydraulic cement, which sets underwater or in wet conditions.

Cement is made by combining silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium and other chemicals in a controlled mixture. Other materials added to the mixture include chalk, clay, slate and limestone. 

When combined, the ingredients form a hard substance that is ground into cement. It is mixed with water to form mortar or mixed with sand, gravel, and water to make concrete.

White Cement, Difference between Grey and White Cement:

White cement is largely used to increase the aesthetic value of a construction. It is a kind of Ordinary Portland Cement inclusive of clinker, fuel oil and iron oxide. The content of iron oxide is maintained below 0.4% to secure whiteness. White Cement and Grey Cement are usually compared on five terms which are as follows:

1. Raw Material: Grey colour of the cement is mainly due to high content of oxides of iron, manganese and chromium which are present in limited amount in white cement.

2. Strength and Setting Time: Its setting behavior and strength development are essentially the same as those expected in grey cement.

3. Fineness: White cement is usually finer than grey cement and thus, gives better finishing.

4. Cost: Due to more complex manufacturing process of white cement, it is expensive than grey cement. In India, white cement is usually costlier than grey cement.

5. Uses: White cement due to its whiteness is mainly used for architectural beauty, interior and exterior decorations, flooring, ornamental concrete products such as idols while grey cement are mostly used for construction purposes.

Cement Properties

Curing Time

Curing plays an important role on strength development and durability of concrete and takes place immediately after concrete placing and finishing.

It involves maintenance of desired moisture and temperature conditions, both at depth and near the surface, for extended periods of time. Properly cured concrete has an adequate amount of moisture for continued hydration and development of strength, volume stability, resistance to freezing and thawing, and abrasion and scaling resistance. 

Effect of curing duration on compressive strength development is presented in Figure 

Compressive strength

Compressive strength test is carried out to ascertain quality of cement when used for important structures. Strength test is not made on plain cement due to excess shrinkage and cracking of plain cement paste and is carried out either on cube or cylinder.

Compressive strength of concrete depends on many factors such as water-cement ratio, cement strength, quality of concrete material, and quality control during production of concrete etc.

Various standard codes recommend concrete cylinder or concrete cube as the standard specimen for the test. 

Compressive Strength = P/A

Where,

 P=Maximum load applied to the cube. (N)

 A=Cross sectional area (Calculated from the     mean dimensions) (mm²)

Tensile strength

Cement is very weak in tensile strength. Its strength is determined directly using the briquettes.

Tensile Strength = P/A

Where,

P=Maximum load applied to the cube. (N)

A=Cross sectional area (Calculated from the mean dimensions) (mm²)

Flexural Strength

Flexural strength is one measure of the tensile strength of concrete. It is a measure of an unreinforced concrete beam or slab to resist failure in bending.

It is measured by loading 6 x 6 inch (150 x 150-mm) concrete beams with a span length at least three times the depth.

The flexural strength is expressed as Modulus of Rupture (MR) in psi (MPa) and is determined by standard test methods ASTM C 78 (third-point loading) or ASTM C 293 (center-point loading).

f_r = bf_cⁿ 

Where f_c is the compressive strength of the concrete b (varies from 0.33 to 0.94)

n (1/2 or 2/3) are coefficients which depend on factors such as strength levels, aggregate properties and mineralogy, admixtures types, moisture content of specimen, compaction and curing conditions, specimen geometry and confinement, age of concrete, etc.

The value reported for the flexural tensile strength by various investigators and standards in square root form (n = 1/2) ranges from 0.3 to 1.0 f_c^0.5 MPa 

Shear Bond Strength

Shear bond strength of a adhesive is the shear force required to debond a known area of two porcelain tiles and of two wall tiles, respectively, joined at their fair faces with an adhesive. 

The pieces used in testing consists of two fragments of tile, measuring about 6,8 x 4,8 cm, stuck together at their fair faces with the adhesive tape, the contact area being about 5,0 x 4,8 cm. The force was applied using a steel wedge with a 1-mm-thick flat edge that rested on one of the tile fragments, as close as possible to the side where the adhesive was applied. The tests were performed in a universal testing machine at a speed of 0, 5 mm/min. 

Shear bond strength was expressed as follows: 

σ= A. Fmax (1) 

A= e⋅b (2) 

Where,

F max = Maximum force (N) 

A = Contact area (mm2)

b = Piece width (mm) 

e = Height of the fitted fragment (mm) 

σ= Shear bond strength (N/mm2) 

Construction Adhesives

Construction adhesives are used to bond common materials used in the construction, renovation and finishing of homes by replacing traditional adhesives or fixings like cement, wood glues, nails and screws.

They are created by mixing the base material with fillers, pigments, stabilizers, plasticizers and other additives.

Low performance products are based on natural substances like starch protein or synthetic polymers like polyvinyl alcohol, acrylics, etc.

High performance products are based on polymers like epoxy, silicone, etc. and have enhanced properties like bond strength, elongation capacity, durability and environmental resistance.

Types of Adhesives

Along with cement, other adhesives to be considered are:

Unsaturated Polyester resin based Adhesive (UPR)

The polyester resin-based adhesives can be divided into two distinctive groups: saturated thermoplastic and unsaturated thermosetting resins.

Unsaturated polyester based adhesives usually involve the reaction between a dibasic acid or an anhydride and a diol. Without special catalysts, they cure only at elevated temperatures. 

They are mainly two-part systems that harden by the addition of a catalyst, usually peroxide such as methyl ethyl ketone peroxide or benzoyl peroxide (BPO).

They are widely used for glass fibre flooring, and automobile body repair. They find many applications in the construction industry as Mastic for Stones.

Epoxy Based Resin

Epoxies are one of the most versatile families of structural adhesives. They bond well with many substrates and can be easily modified to achieve a wide range of properties. They provide high shear strength on a wide variety of plastics, metals and glass.

When fully cured, these thermosetting adhesives offer high thermal and chemical resistance, as well as high cohesive strength and minimal shrinkage. 

The majority of epoxy adhesives contain diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) as the main base epoxy resin. Other epoxy resins are also used but to a much lesser extend due to their (much) higher price. 

Modified Cement based Adhesive or Tile Adhesives or Thin Set Adhesives

Cement-based, polymer modified adhesives are suitable for fixing a variety of ceramic tiles, mosaics, quarries, natural stone, marble and terrazzo in interior and exterior situations also known as tile adhesives. 

Suitable for walls and floors. May also be used for the installation of rigid foam insulating materials, for external walls.

Thin set Mortar adhesives, also known as tile adhesives or tile glue or marble glue, are used for tile & marble flooring. They can be used to install tiles in wet areas or areas subjected to frequent heat. 

They have a stronger, more flexible bond and ability to support a lot of weight and hence used for flooring. 

They are not come pre-mixed and need to be mixed with water or sometimes an acrylic additive if it’s not blended in already. For outdoor and wet mosaics, thin set is recommended instead of adhesives. 

Polyurethane based Adhesive (PU)

Polyurethane adhesives are one of the most important types of structural adhesives.

Their properties can be tailored over a wide range for a large number of applications. They can be rigid and hard or flexible and soft. They provide extremely strong bonding.

Even before the adhesive dries and seals completely, the initial bond is strong enough that clamps and other types of securing instruments are unnecessary. 

This makes manufacturing and construction processes both simpler and cheaper. 

Adhesive Usage Areas

Polyester adhesives bond well to glass, many plastics, and rubbers and to metal and wood. The adhesive bonds are resistant to water, gasoline, weak acids and many solvents. Unsaturated polyester adhesives are widely used for glass fiber laminates, optical products, furniture, concrete flooring and many applications in the construction industry.

PU adhesives bond exceptionally well to wooden substrates and find many uses in the wood industry. They have excellent low temperature properties but do not have high temperature resistance and decompose at much lower temperatures than epoxy adhesives. They do not bond well to metals unless a primer is applied to the substrate prior bonding.

Heavy duty construction adhesive

Heavy duty construction adhesive is ideal for a variety of surfaces, and can be used outside and indoors. 

Indoor construction adhesive

For interior projects using foam board, drywall, molding, paneling, plywood, masonry/concrete, corkboard or furring strips use an indoor construction adhesive.

For Tiles and Marbles - Tile Adhesives ares used for floor and walls. 

Extreme temperature subfloor & deck adhesive

An extreme temperature subfloor & deck adhesive actually increases the structural integrity of the wall, deck or subfloor, including plywood, OSB, particleboard, lumber and treated lumber.

Solid surface materials adhesive

To bond marble, granite, cultured and engineered stone to wood, drywall, painted surfaces, chipboard and concrete backer board use an adhesive designed specifically for the material. 

Tub surround & shower wall adhesives

Use a tub surround & shower wall adhesive to bond plastic, fiberglass and foam back tub and shower surrounds to drywall, cement backer board, ceramic tile, plywood or green board. 

Fiberglass reinforced plastic panel adhesives

The best way to adhere fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) panels to cured concrete, cement backer board, drywall, wood or green board is with an adhesive specifically designed for the panels.

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