Can you you use wall adhesive on floor tiles?

I am not a tiler but currently have a guy in who is using Travis Perkins Waterproof wall tile adhesive for both wall tiles and floor tiles. Can anyone let me know if will pose a problem?

Thanks

There are powder adhesives that are suitable for both wall and floor.

But there is no wall tile adhesive that suitable for floors.

So yes, you will have problems with the this, if it is wall tile adhesive.

Hi

Thanks for your reply. Can you let me know what kind of problems would you expect? He has put plywood down on top of the floorboards and then stuck the floortiles directly on top. He's half way through the job - should I stop him?!

Originally Posted by Tiler Durden

Hi

Thanks for your reply. Can you let me know what kind of problems would you expect? He has put plywood down on top of the floorboards and then stuck the floortiles directly on top. He's half way through the job - should I stop him?!

Check first that is definately only wall tile adhesive.
If it is, they will not stay down very long.
so yes, stop him.

Sorry I can't give you anymore help at the moment, I have to head out now with the kids.

But there are plenty of members on here who will keep you right.

If you look at the adhesive he is using and it says Wall adhesive and is ready mixed in a tub. Stop the job if he is using it for the floors as he is a cowboy mate. However if it is powdered adhesive he is using it needs to be flexible and if he is not using flexible he needs to add an aditive to make it flexible such as Bal Admix AD1 which should really only be used with Bal products.

In other words mate if he is using a product that states Wall adhesive on the outside of the Tub get him either a. to rectify and lift tiles and lay properly or b. kick him of the job and dont pay him anything

Highlander

Thanks Highlander.

I have told him to concentrate on the walls rather than complete the floor for the time being. The guy is working on behalf of a B&Q contractor who I will speak to about the problem on Monday. Do you agree with James (above) about the tiles not remaining in one place for long once we've started to walk on them?

OH ffs not another cowboy job.

Don't let him tile the floor at all.................not sure I would even let him tile the walls if thats the way he thinks

Originally Posted by Tiler Durden

Thanks Highlander.

I have told him to concentrate on the walls rather than complete the floor for the time being. The guy is working on behalf of a B&Q contractor who I will speak to about the problem on Monday. Do you agree with James (above) about the tiles not remaining in one place for long once we've started to walk on them?

Tiles wont last long for sure as adhesive is not designed for the job this cowboy is trying to do. Make sure if he has laid any he lifts them and you should be able to salvage any tiles. Out of interest did the guy say he was going to use this wall adhesive for floors or was he going to get other adhesive before he started floors?

Highlander

Can you tell us the make and name of the adhesive he is using and that will save a lot of time.
As stated floor adhesive needs to be flexible for tiling to plywood. What thickness ply has been laid?

Originally Posted by Sir Ramic

Can you tell us the make and name of the adhesive he is using and that will save a lot of time.
As stated floor adhesive needs to be flexible for tiling to plywood. What thickness ply has been laid?

Hi

Of course - it's Travis Perkins Waterproof wall tile adhesive. The code no is EN 12004 2001 D2E.

The ply is about 5mm - not sure if it's marine or not. I'm not sure if it make any difference but the bathroom is very small - the fsurface areas he's tiling is about 5 meters sqaure.

Thanks for your time/advice.

i wouldnt advise using 5mm ply its too thin,just my opinion but id go no lower than 9mm and thats on a floor in decent nick.

What a joker wall adhesive on a floor big no no and 5mm ply another big no no ditch him and get a pro.

British standards 18mm but you can go 6mm if you use a backer board

unfortunately most people dont want 18mm ply laid as the floor depth rises considerably,personally i wouldnt want a huge rise in my bathroom either id advise 12mm in most cases 9mm if the floors in good nick minimum,hope this helps

Either way that adhesive is not suitable for floor tiling.

as sir ramic

to the op, if your " tiler" thinks its ok to stick floor tiles with wall adhesive i wouldnt use this guy to fit any tiles as he obviously hasnt got a clue!! but double check first exactly what adhesive he is using as some floor adhesives come ready mixed in tubs but will state clearly on it ...

Originally Posted by andy-p

to the op, if your " tiler" thinks its ok to stick floor tiles with wall adhesive i wouldnt use this guy to fit any tiles as he obviously hasnt got a clue!! but double check first exactly what adhesive he is using as some floor adhesives come ready mixed in tubs but will state clearly on it ...

The OP quoted this Andy
"Of course - it's Travis Perkins Waterproof wall tile adhesive. The code no is EN 12004 2001 D2E."

yeh i know sirz but i just wanted him to be doubly sure before we condemn this guy! i hate criticising tilers online unless im really sure..

If it was a floor adhesive it would not be a D cod it would be a C code D is a dispersion and C is cement based.
D anything is the wrong adhesive.

Stop the man and never use him again.
No-one with any tiling sense uses D codes for floors...
I tend to not even use them on walls.
D

Hi I would not use any ply on floors. I use a 12mm aqua panel boarding designed for this perpose. Ply wood is OK but it has to around 18mm thick to comply with adhesive manufactures instructions and it has to be sealed first with a PVA type sealer and screwed every 150mm. It leves a little step at the door into the room which dosent look fantastic. The adhesive also has to be flexable as well as waterproof.

Could always use a hardibacker/wedi/aquapanel instead.
D

The adhesive specified as D2E is a tubbed dispersion adhesive and it si NOT suitable for floor tiling. Neither is 6mm ply either. The lot really needs to come up and be started again.

6mm ply would be more problematic than no ply at all in my opinion.

Get him to stop and explain why he is using inadequate materials. Then get him to do it properly.

Originally Posted by DARRELL

Hi I would not use any ply on floors. I use a 12mm aqua panel boarding designed for this perpose. Ply wood is OK but it has to around 18mm thick to comply with adhesive manufactures instructions and it has to be sealed first with a PVA type sealer and screwed every 150mm. It leves a little step at the door into the room which dosent look fantastic. The adhesive also has to be flexable as well as waterproof.

PVA is never a recommended sealer for tiling. Not sure that 12mm aquapanel adds any strength to floors either as it is designed for walls as a water resistant substitute for plasterboard/timber.

Originally Posted by Tiler Durden

Hi

Of course - it's Travis Perkins Waterproof wall tile adhesive. The code no is EN 12004 2001 D2E.

The ply is about 5mm - not sure if it's marine or not. I'm not sure if it make any difference but the bathroom is very small - the fsurface areas he's tiling is about 5 meters sqaure.

Thanks for your time/advice.

D2E......he is deffo using a dispersion adhesive only suitable for wall tiling..please do not let him use this on the floor......

Hi,

This Thread just reminded me of a job i did, Was a full kitchen refurb when it came time to tile the floor the son said the guy who just tiled our bathroom floor left some adhesive you can use if you want

He brought it in and it was that very cheap b&q wall tile adhesive in a white tub

son said he was fast tiling bathroom floor only took him a hour i took a quick look and im surprised too that long