Why are the tiles falling off even though the tile adhesive doesn't contain cement?
2025-04-16
Adding cement to tile adhesive will affect its bonding strength. Many people ask why tiles still fall off even without adding cement. What's the problem?
Adding cement to tile adhesive will affect its bonding strength. Many people also say that even without adding cement, tiles still fall off. What's the problem?
One reason: The area of tile adhesive applied each time is too large. By the time the tiles are put on the wall, the adhesive on top is already semi-dry.
In tile adhesive construction, the area of adhesive applied at one time cannot be too large. In dry, windy weather, if the application area is too large and the construction hasn't caught up, the surface will dry out, and applying tiles will cause them to fall off. When applying tiles, the adhesive application area should be controlled within 1 square meter. In dry outdoor climates, the wall surface should be moistened beforehand.
Reason two: The tile adhesive has been in use for too long and is mixed with new adhesive.
Some contractors find tile adhesive too expensive and wasteful, so if they don't use it all in one day, they save the mixed adhesive for the next day, adding new adhesive powder and water, and remixing it. This is not acceptable. When tile adhesive is mixed with water, it begins its chemical reaction. Adding water again only changes its form, not its chemical reaction. Tile adhesive has a limited working time. After this time, it hardens and its bonding performance decreases. The recommended working time for tile adhesive is within half an hour; after an hour, it is considered waste and no longer has bonding properties.
Reason three: Tiling with tile adhesive without leveling the wall surface.
If the wall surface is uneven, the tile adhesive is relied upon to fill gaps or recesses when tiling. The contact between the tiles and the wall is not comprehensive enough, which easily causes the tiles to become hollow and fall off.
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Why are the tiles falling off even though the tile adhesive doesn't contain cement?
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