Tile adhesives

Preparation

Ensure that all surfaces are clean, dry sound, free from grease, dust or any other contaminating barrier, and capable of supporting the weight of tiling.
Make good any unsound areas before tiling. Remove flaking or peeling layers.

Application

Do not use at temperatures below 5°C. Spread the adhesive onto the wall, rather than onto the tiles, using a suitable notched trowel. Do not spread an area larger than can be tiled in approximately 30 minutes. Larger or studded-backed tiles may also need to be buttered with adhesive.

Fix the tiles within 30 minutes of applying adhesive (less at elevated temperatures). If lightly pressed, the adhesive should still stick to the fingers. If not, then it should be removed and more applied. Firmly press the tiles into the adhesive bed, with a twisting or sliding action, leaving at least 2mm gaps for grout joints.

For dry areas, the contact area between the adhesive and tile must be at least 70%, uniformly over the whole tile. In intermittently wet areas, it is essential that there are no voids under the tiles. The final bed thickness should be no more than 3 mm.

It is good practice to occasionally remove a tile to check that the required contact is being achieved.

Remove any excess adhesive from the tiles and joints before it sets and remove any tile spacers after approx. 1 hour.

Ready-mixed adhesives gain strength on drying, so leave for a minimum of 24 hours, before grouting. On non-porous surfaces, leave for at least 3 days. These times should be extended in poor drying conditions such as when using larger tiles or tiling at low temperatures.

For wet areas, particularly commercial or where there is a power shower, an appropriate grout should be used to minimize water penetration. Leave for 2 weeks after grouting before using the shower.

Plaster
Tile onto a plaster finish coat. Leave new plaster for at least 4 weeks so that it will be strong enough to support the tiling weight. Plaster can support 20kg of tiling per m².

Plasterboard
Securely fix and brace all boards to ensure stability. They should be screwed, not nailed, at 300mm centres horizontally and vertically. Plasterboard can support 32kg of tiling per m².

Cement/sand render
Leave new surfaces to dry for at least 2 weeks before tiling.

Brickwork/blockwork
Leave new surfaces to dry for 6 weeks before tiling. Ensure that the surface is sufficiently flat. Lightweight blocks must be primed and are not suitable for very large tiles.

Plywood/fibre-particleboard/fibre reinforced cement sheets
Securely fix and brace all sheets and boards to ensure stability. They should be screwed (not nailed) at 300mm centres horizontally and vertically. Preferably, use exterior grade plywood and prime the front and reverse faces and edges with Weber PR360 to prevent distortion. Avoid very large tiles.

Existing ceramic tiling/paint
The surface should be clean, dry, sound and capable of supporting the expected loads. Any unsound areas should be removed and made good. Existing tiles must be firmly adhered. Existing paint should be resistant to water (e.g. not emulsion), lightly abraded on the surface and then any dust removed before tiling. Drying times will be significantly extended, therefore fixing large tiles is not advised.

Technical Details

Coverage	1.5kg/m² (dry areas) and 2.5kg/m² (areas subject to wetting)
Bed thickness	1mm – 3mm
Open time	30 minutes after spreading
Adjustment time	Approx. 20 minutes
Set time	Approx. 24 hours
Application temp.	+10°C - +35°C
Tools cleaning	Water
Packaging	13kg plastic buckets
Storage	12 months under normal conditions in its original, sealed packaging.

Preparation

Ensure that all surfaces are clean, dry, soundand free from dust, grease or any contaminating barrier. Make good any unsound areas and remove flaky or peeling layers before tiling. Prime porous or dusty surfaces. WeberPR360 is normally recommended for most walls in dry areas. Eco Prim Grip is recommended for wood, wet areas and floors. Allow the primer to dry. Check before use that the colour of the adhesive does not cause staining or discolouration of light coloured or translucent tiles.

Mixing

Gradually add approximately 3.5 parts of powder to 1 part of clean water (measured by volume), and mix to a smooth, workable, stiff paste. Normal usage requires 4 litres of water per 20kg adhesive. Use within 60 minutes of mixing. Do not attempt to extend the pot life by adding more water to the mix.

Application

Do not use at temperatures below 5°C. Apply the adhesive onto the substrate covering up to 1m² at a time (or no more than can be tiled within 20 minutes). Use a suitable notched trowel to achieve a bed thickness of 3 to 6mm. Large or studded backed tiles may need to have adhesive buttered onto the tile back as well.

Bed the tiles firmly into the adhesive with a slight sliding and/or twisting action, to ensure a good contact.

It is good practice to lift an occasional tile after fixing, to verify that the required contact is being achieved.

In wet areas, external areas and all floors, the final adhesive bed should be free from voids. Leave appropriate clearance joints for grouting and make any adjustment within 10 minutes.

Carefully clean off any excess adhesive from the tiles and joints with a damp sponge or cloth before it sets.

Leave for at least 24 hours before grouting. Longer is required at lower temperatures or when tiling onto impervious or sealed surfaces. For swimming pools, leave at least 3 days before grouting and then a further 3 weeks before filling.

Brick and blockwork
Allow at least 6 weeks before tiling. Lightweight blocks need priming. Ensure that the wall face is sufficiently flat.

Cement/sand, render or screed
Allow at least 3 weeks for screed and 2 weeks for render before tiling. Priming maybe required if the surface is very dusty or porous.

Concrete
Allow at least 7 weeks before tiling onto new concrete. Surface should be clean and free from laitance – scabbling is recommended. Set time will be extended ondense or power floated screeds.

Existing ceramic/vinyl tiles
Ensure that the substrate is strong enough to take the weight of extra tiling, that the existing tiles are firmly adhered and that the surface is free from any wax or polish. Set time will be extended.

Plaster walls and anhydrite screeds
Leave plaster for at least 4 weeks before tiling. Ensure anhydrite screeds are fully dry (moisture content <0.5%). It is important that the surface is abraided and sealed by repeatedly coating with primer until the surface stops absorbing. For walls in dry areas use Weber PR360 otherwise use Eco Prim Grip.

Underfloor heating/undertile warming
The heating must be off and should be turned on gradually at least 5 days after tiling.

Wallboards: fibre/cement, plywood, plasterboard, MDF
The board must be securely braced and fixed with screws at least every 300mm. Prime the reverse face and edges of plywood with Eco Prim Grip before fixing.

Wooden floors
Ensure the floor is rigid and strong enough to support the expected load with only minimal deflection. Tongued and grooved timber and chipboard must be overboarded with exterior grade plywood at least 15mm thick. Plywood floors should be at least 18mm thick and all joints must be supported. New boards should be primed on the reverse face and edges. All boards must be screwed down every 300mm.

Allowance for movement

Flexible joints should be incorporated to allow for slight movements due to changes in temperature, humidity etc.:
a) Where the tiling meets other materials (e.g. floor perimeters)
b) Along all internal corners – vertically and horizontally
c) Over existing movement joints or changes in background material
d) Dividing large tiled areas into bays (every 3–4.5m on walls, 8–10m on floors)

Technical Details

Colour	Grey / White
Water addition	4 litres per 20kg
Coverage	9kg/m² (solid bed, 6mm thick) 4.5kg/m² (solid bed, 3mm thick) 3.0kg/m² (using a notched trowel with 6x6mm notches at 12mm centres)
Bed thickness	3 – 6mm (may be exceeded in small areas only)
Open time	20 minutes
Working time (pot life)	1 hour after mixing
Set time	24 hours – light foot traffic, full load after 48 hours
Application temp.	+10°C - +35°C
Tools cleaning	Water
Packaging	20kg paper bag
Storage	12 months under normal conditions in its original, sealed packaging.

Preparing the substrate

The substrates must be flat, mechanically resistant, free of loose parts, grease, oils, paints, wax, etc. Damp substrates can slow down the setting of Keraflex. Cement substrates should not be subject to shrinkage after the installation of the ceramic tiles, therefore, during spring and summer, renders must cure at least one week for each cm of thickness and cement screeds must have an overall cure time of at least 28 days, unless they are made with special binders for MAPEI screed such as Topcem. Dampen with water to cool surfaces which have become heated from exposure to sunlight. Gypsum substrates and anhydrite screeds must be perfectly dry (max. residual moisture 0.5%), sufficiently hard and free from dust. It is absolutely essential that they must be treated with Primer G

Mixing

In a clean mixing container pour in 5.4-6.2 litres of clean water. Add the 20kg bag of Keraflex powder. Using an electric mix (approx 300RPM) mix until a smooth, lump-free paste is obtained. Leave the mix to rest for approximately 5 minutes and then re-stir. Mixed this way, Keraflex has a pot life of approximately 8 hours.

Spreading the mix

Keraflex is applied to the substrate using a notched trowel. Choose a trowel that allows for complete coverage of the tile back. To achieve a good adhesion, spread an initial thin layer of Keraflex on the substrate using the flat side of the trowel. Immediately after, apply the desired thickness of Keraflex using a suitable notched trowel, depending on the type and size of the tile. For external ceramic tile floors and walls, sizes greater than 900cm², floors subject to heavy loads, when applying in swimming pools and basins filled with water, spread also the adhesive on the back of the tiles in order to ensure a complete coverage.

Installing the tiles

There is no need to wet the tiles before installing them. Only with very dusty backs it is recommended to dip the tiles in clean water. Tiles should be installed under a firm pressure to ensure good coverage of the adhesive. In normal temperatures and humidity conditions, the open time of Keraflex is approximately 30 minutes. Unfavourable weather conditions (strong sun, wind, high temperatures, etc.) or a highly absorbent substrate can reduce the open time, even to just a few minutes. It is therefore necessary that careful checks be made to ensure that a skin does not form on the surface of the spread adhesive, which should stay fresh. If not, re-freshen the adhesive by re-spreading with a notched trowel. It is not recommended to wet the adhesive with water once a skin has formed because, instead of dissolving the skin, the water will form an anti-adhesive film. If necessary, tiles should be adjusted within 60 minutes of installation. Tiling installed with Keraflex must not be washed or exposed to rain for at least 24 hours and must be protected from frost and strong sun for at least 5-7 days.

Spot-bonding insulating materials

For spot-bonding sound-deadening or insulating panels, apply Keraflex with a trowel or a float.

Grouting and sealing

Wall joints can be grouted after 4-8 hours and floor joints can be grouted after 24 hours with the specific MAPEI cementitious or epoxy grouts, available in different colours. Expansion joints must be sealed with the specific MAPEI sealants.

Ready for use

Surfaces are ready for use after approx. 14 days. Swimming pools and basins can be filled after 21 days.

Technical Details

Colour	Grey or White
Coverage	Approx 20kg bag covers 6 to 7.5m² with a square notched trowel 6x6x6mm and 4 to 5m² with a 6x10x6 mm square notched trowel.
Mixing ratio	5.4-6.2 litres per 20kg bag
Open time	> 30 minutes
Adjustability time	45 minutes
Ready for grouting on walls	after 4-8 hours
Ready for grouting on floors	after 24 hours
Set to light foot traffic	24 hours
Application temp.	+5°C - +40°C
Tools cleaning	Water
Packaging	20kg bags
Storage	12 months in a dry place in the original packaging.

Preparing the substrate

Ensure that all surfaces are clean, dry, soundand free from dust, grease or any contaminating barrier. Make good any unsound areas and remove flaky or peeling layers before tiling. Porous or dusty surfaces should be primed using a suitable primer and allowed to dry. Check before use that the colour of the adhesive does not cause staining or discolouration of light coloured or translucent tiles.

Mixing

Gradually add approximately 4 parts of powder to 1 part of clean water (measured by volume), and mix to a smooth, workable, stiff paste (non-slip wall tiling requires 3.4 litres of water per 20kg of adhesive and for floor tiling, 4 to 5 litres). Use within 30 minutes of mixing. Do not attempt to extend the pot life by adding more water to the mix.

Application

Do not use at temperatures below 5°C. Apply the adhesive onto the substrate covering up to 1 m² at a time (or no more than can be tiled within 10 minutes). When using as a pourable adhesive, pour onto the floor and spread with a solid bed trowel. Use a suitable notched trowel to achieve a bed thickness of 3 to 6mm. Tiles with studded backs may need to have adhesive buttered onto the tile back as well. Bed the tiles firmly into the adhesive with as light sliding and/or twisting action, to ensure a good contact. It is good practice to lift an occasional tile after fixing, to verify that the required contact is being achieved. In wet areas, external areas and all floors, the final adhesive bed should be free from voids. Leave appropriate clearance joints for grouting and make any adjustments within 10 min. Carefully clean off any excess adhesive with a damp cloth or sponge from the tiles and joints before it sets. Leave for at least 2 hours before grouting. Longer is required at lower temperatures o rwhen tiling onto impervious or sealed surfaces. For swimming pools, leave at least 3 days before grouting and then a further 3 weeks before filling.

Brick and blockwork

Allow at least 6 weeks before tiling. Lightweight blocks need priming. Ensure that the wall face is sufficiently flat.

Cement/sand render or screed

Allow at least 3 weeks for screed and 2 weeks for render before tiling. Priming with Weber PR360 may be required if the surface isvery dusty or porous.

Concrete

Allow at least 7 weeks before tiling onto new concrete. Surface should be clean and free from laitance – scabbling is recommended.

Existing ceramic/vinyl tiles

Ensure that the substrate is strong enough to take the weight of extra tiling, that the existing tiles are firmly adhered and that the surface is free from any wax, polish or detergent.

Plaster walls and anhydrite screeds

Leave plaster for at least 4 weeks before tiling. Ensure anhydrite screeds are fully dry (moisture content <0.5%). It is important that the surface is abraided and sealed by repeatedly coating with Weber PR360 until the surface stops absorbing.

Underfloor heating/undertile warming

The heating must be off and should be turned on gradually at least 5 days after tiling.

Wallboards fibre/cement, plywood, plasterboard, MDF

Ensure boards are rigidly supported, clean, dry and free from dust. Plasterboard should be thoroughly primed with Weber PR360 until the surface stops absorbing. Prime the reverse face and edges of plywood with Weber PR360 before fixing.

Wooden floors

Ensure the floor is rigid and capable of supporting the expected load with minimal deflection. Brace any areas that need extra support with noggins between the joists. New WBP plywood floors should be a minimum of 18mm thick and all joints must be adequately supported. Tongued and grooved timber and chipboard must be over-boarded. Existing boards should be screwed down to joists with 2 screws at each end and another 2 wherever they cross joists/noggins. For small floors with no noticeable deflection 9mm plywood or suitable tile backer board can be used to provide a smooth surface to tile. If there is some limited deflection, a minimum of 15mm WBP plywood or equivalent tile backer board should be used to increase the rigidity of the floor. If there is still noticeable movement in the floor, another layer of plywood or tile backer board may be needed. New plywood boards should be primed on the reverse face and edges with Weber PR360 and screwed down every 200–300 mm. Slight gaps should be left between boards and at the perimeter for expansion. These should be filled with silicone sealant.

Allowance for movement

Flexible joints should be incorporated to allow for slight movements due to changes in temperature, humidity etc.:
a) Where the tiling meets other materials (e.g. floor perimeters)
b) Along all internal corners – vertically and horizontally
c) Over existing movement joints or changes in background material
d) Dividing large tiled areas into bays (every 3–4.5m on walls, 8–10m on floors)

Technical Details

Colour	Grey or White
Coverage	Approximately 1.5kg of powder per m² for every 1mm of bed thickness.
Mixing ratio	5 litres per 20kg for use as a pourable adhesive 4 litres per 20kg for normal floor tiling 3.4 litres per 20kg for non-slip wall tiling
Open time	10 minutes
Working time (pot life)	30 minutes
Set time	2 hours – light foot traffic full load after 24 hours
Bed thickness:	3 – 6mm (may be exceeded in small areas only)
Application temp.	+5°C - +30°C
Tools cleaning	Water
Packaging	20kg bags
Storage	12 months in a dry place in the original packaging.

Preparing the substrate

Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex can be applied to all stable substrates that are free of oils, grease, waxes and that are sound and free of loose plaster, laitance and crazing. Damp cement screeds can noticeably prolong the setting time of Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex. Gypsum plasters must be perfectly dry (min. 4 weeks), sufficiently hard and free of dust. It is absolutely essential that they are treated with Primer G before applying Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex. In areas subject to extreme damp (showers etc.) Mapegum WPS should be used to waterproof the substrate.

Mixing

Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex should be mixed with clean water and stirred continuously until it becomes a smooth lump-free paste. It is preferable to use a mechanical mixer. The mix must be used within 15-20 minutes, after which it begins to set. A 20 kg bag of Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex should be mixed with about 4.6-5 litres of water. Allow the mix to stand for a few minutes then mix again briefly before applying.

Spreading the mix

Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex is applied to the substrate with a notched trowel to a max of 5 mm thick. When selecting the trowel, choose one that transfers the adhesive to at least 65% to 70% of the back of the tiles for interior dry walls and 100% coverage for floor areas, exterior and wet wall areas:
for mosaics up to 5x5cm, the MAPEI square-notched trowel No.4 is recommended;
for normal ceramic wall tiles in dry areas, the MAPEI V-notched trowel No.5 is recommended
for floors, use a trowel appropriate to tile size, substrate regularity etc. to achieve a solid bed fix
for very demanding applications such as exteriors subject to freezing, floors subject to loads, large-size tiles, Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex should also be applied to the backs of the tiles (back-buttering). Large format includes tiles over 30x30cm
for very absorbent substrates or during hot weather, the substrate should be dampened to extend the open time of the adhesive.

Installing the tiles

It is not necessary to wet the tiles before fixing; if, however, the backs are very dusty, they should be wiped over with a wet sponge. Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex’s open time in normal temperature and humidity is about 10 minutes; unfavourable weather conditions (strong sun, drying wind, high temperature), or a highly absorbent substrate will shorten this open time, sometimes to just a few minutes. For this reason, there must be constant checks to see whether the adhesive has formed a surface skin or is still fresh to the touch. Should a surface skin have formed, the adhesive should be removed and fresh adhesive applied. Do not wet the adhesive when it has formed a skin because, a non-adhesive film will be formed. Adjustment of the tiles, if necessary, should be carried out within 5-10 minutes after placing the tiles. Tiling fixed with Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex must not be subjected to washout or rain for at least 3 hours and must be protected from frost and strong sun for at least 24 hours after laying.

Grouting Tile joints can be grouted 2-3 hours after application with MAPEI products (Keracolor and Ultracolor Plus). If the joints need to have good chemical resistance or where hygiene is of importance, use Kerapoxy, a two-component acid-resistant epoxy grouting compound. Expansion joints to should be filled with Mapesil AC.

Spot-bonding insulating materials

Spot bonding to sound-deadening or insulating panels should be applied using a float or trowel, the trowel type and size to be determined by the flatness of the surface and the weight of the panels. In these cases, the open time must also be observed, bearing in mind that a few spots of adhesive on heavy panels may require temporary shoring which should then only be removed after the Mapeker Rapid-Set Flex has begun to set.

Consumption:
Ceramic-tiling mosaics and small size tiles (trowel no.4): 2kg/m²
normal size tiles (trowel no.5): 2.5-3kg/m²
large sizes, floors, exteriors (trowel no.6 or 10 or larger): 4-5kg/m⊃
Spot-bonding foamed materials etc.: 0.5-0.8kg/m²
gypsum wallboard, foamed concrete: 1.5kg/m²
full-bonding on rough surfaces: 2.5kg/m².

Technical Details

Colour	Grey or White
Mixing ratio	1 part of powder with 2.3-2.5 parts by weight of water
Pot life of mix	20 minutes
Open time	10 minutes
Adjustability time	about 5-10 minutes
Setting time	45 minutes
Ready for traffic on dry support	3 hours
Cure time on dry support	24 hours
Grouting on dry support	2-3 hours
Application temp.	+5°C - +40°C
Tools cleaning	Water
Packaging	20kg bags
Storage	12 months in a dry place in the original packaging.