Bostik Bostik Vitriflex Grey rsf - Tile Advice

[andy8758]

Laid a floor using this adhesive on Thursday. You see, I have never been impressed with bostik tiling materials, then on Wednesday, last mad rush to stock before starting new job the next day.

Popped into CTD at ten to five, and the manager talked me into this. Apparently its dead cheap (cannot price it here, but its cheaper than all the "trade" rsf's). Apparently "all the local tilers are using it.... they spec for a higher priced adhesive, then buy this."

So I give it a try. Goes off quick, pot life of 20-30 minutes, so mix less then a bag at a time, unless your are "Supertiler" (you know the guys, 20 sq m per hour, airport terminal tiled before breakfast...). Set hard enough to grout after 3 hours. All ok. Which begs the question.

If you can buy an adhesive dead cheap (and I mean cheap), it does the job, and only requires a little compromise in your working practices, then why buy an adhesive at twice the price, (because it handles lovely?).

Discuss anyone?

 

[WetSaw]

I can only go by what I've used here ( Spain ). I can get a Spanish brand SPF porc adhesive for around €6. It does the job but is quite coarse and "sandy". Kerakoll H40 No Limits €12. Smooth, creamy, stickier than a sticky thing on a sticky day.
Leave some of both to go off in the bucket. Spanish one crumbles and cleans out easily. H40 is like iron and stuck to the sides of the bucket like a very sticky thing.
No very scientific but it convinces me!

 

[On one]

Personally I will never use Bostik products again after a problem with their floor grout many years ago.
The floor grout went crumbly,and when they tested the grout it was proved to be perfectly OK. ........my a**e!

 

[hmtiling]

for me, confidence in a product comes first, then price.

 

[peteablard]

^^^^^ Yep, me too!

 

[One Day]

sand, cement and polymer = tile adhesive

water, barley, hops = beer

Simple ingredients, but it's the quality and quantities which make ALL the difference.
Carling Black Label or Duvel???

 

[andy8758]

sand, cement and polymer = tile adhesive

water, barley, hops = beer

Simple ingredients, but it's the quality and quantities which make ALL the difference.
Carling Black Label or Duvel???

Yeah right. I ain't about to swallow some tile adhesive to see which tastes better....!

 

[Spare Tool]

Been recently toing and froing between TM setaflex and Ultra standard set, depending which shop I'm in..
The ultra 30% cheaper on price and not much difference in performance from what I can tell, both do exactly what it says on the bag!

 

[Rich Midge]

I have to order Ultra extended set but the rapid ProFlex and Setaflex are price matched locally. I tend to sway toward TM just because I prefer the grouts.

 

[Kyle Knowles]

I'm currently using tilemaster it's basically buy 2 get 1 free compare to weber from ctd

 

[Spud]

I starting to see it a lot on Facebook and Twitter , tilers who keep changing brands , suppliers all to save themselves pennies per bag or because they are getting something out of promoting certain manufacturers or suppliers ,
I try and stay loyal to one brand and existing suppliers who I have built up long standing good relationships with ,my descision is based on 3 things and all are equally important to me , 1st is ease of use/ reliability , second is Price 3rd is customer service , I am not going to name names but the brand I prefer ticks all 3 boxes , new people come into the market and I am willing to try these products out as they may be the next big thing but if they don't exceed the 3 criteria above I won't change

 

[Rich Midge]

We used to use Biscem (Bostik) when I first started out as they were half the price of the only other gear available locally at the time (Ardex). I remember a failed floor with Vitriflex. When it was first launched it said on the bag it could be laid directly onto Gyproc without the need for overlay. It was subsequently removed from all the literature. The old Showerproof ready-mix with the green lid was awesome. Gypsum based if I recall and would pull the pb clean off the blockwork if you had to replace a tile.

 

[One Day]

I starting to see it a lot on Facebook and Twitter , tilers who keep changing brands , suppliers all to save themselves pennies per bag or because they are getting something out of promoting certain manufacturers or suppliers ,
I try and stay loyal to one brand and existing suppliers who I have built up long standing good relationships with ,my descision is based on 3 things and all are equally important to me , 1st is ease of use/ reliability , second is Price 3rd is customer service , I am not going to name names but the brand I prefer ticks all 3 boxes , new people come into the market and I am willing to try these products out as they may be the next big thing but if they don't exceed the 3 criteria above I won't change

You are of course talking about a mancunian chap of short stature? Drives an electric van?

 

[hmtiling]

Ultra user?

 

[Spud]

You guessed it lads it is getting embarassing and I am glad I am n ot the only one who noticed