Consumption of tile adhesive per 1 m2 of porcelain stoneware: calculation of the required amount

If you decide to lay porcelain stoneware on the floor or walls of the room, then you cannot do without glue. It is necessary to understand the calculation of the required amount of all materials, including tile adhesive. To understand how much such an adhesive is required to process one square of surface, you need to take into account a number of different factors.

There are three types of adhesives for laying porcelain stoneware:

• Cement based. This glue must be diluted with water. This option is very popular and is in the greatest demand, since it is very economical, as well as simple and convenient to use. For laying porcelain stoneware of this composition, a minimum of 1 kg is required, a maximum of 1.9 kg per m2 with a thickness of an adhesive layer of 1 mm.
• Dispersive Is a completely ready-to-use liquid material. It is made on the basis of resin.

• Epoxy. In addition to the resin-based adhesive itself, a special catalyst must be used. The components are mixed immediately before use, and as a result of a chemical reaction, a strong and high-quality adhesive is obtained.

It should be borne in mind that large tiles are heavy, therefore the adhesive layer must be thicker.

For example, for porcelain stoneware 10x10 cm in size, a minimum two millimeter layer of this cement-based substance is required. If tiles with dimensions of 20x30 cm are chosen, then the minimum thickness of the adhesive layer should already be 3 mm. For large slabs with dimensions over 30x30 cm, the norm is at least 4-5 mm.

However, it is quite problematic to measure the thickness of the adhesive layer by eye. Therefore, it is best to start from the size of the spatula teeth. For example, for 30x30 cm porcelain stoneware, choose an 8 mm notched trowel.

Different types of tiles can be made from different materials. Depending on this product, different amounts of glue will be absorbed.

Another important point is the flatness of the back side of the tile. Sometimes it happens that the surface of the back side of the tile is not perfectly flat. In such situations, an additional layer of glue will be required, which, of course, will increase its consumption.

Situations are also common when tiles of different thicknesses have to be combined to obtain a beautiful design. In such cases, it is necessary to compensate for the difference in the thickness of the products with an adhesive layer, so the material consumption will also increase.

Another important factor that affects the consumption of adhesive when laying tiles is the type of surface on which the tiles are laid.

Different surfaces can have different degrees of porosity. And the higher it is, the stronger the absorption of the glue will occur, and the higher its costs will be. For example, a cement surface will absorb more adhesive than a concrete surface.Drywall is also considered a fairly porous material.

Different manufacturers in the manufacture of their products may use various additives that improve their quality and characteristics. This also affects the density of the substance and its consumption. Therefore, for each specific brand of tile adhesive, it is necessary to make an individual calculation of its consumption. This should be done based on the information provided by the manufacturer.

The most optimal temperature conditions for laying tiles are considered to be the range from +5 to +40 degrees Celsius. Best of all, if the temperature is from +18 to +24 degrees. This is due to the fact that at high temperatures a large amount of liquid evaporates from the surface of the adhesive layer, and its consumption will increase. If the temperature is below zero, then the glue may simply deteriorate.

Many other factors will also be of great importance: the selected tools - spatulas, the size and shape of the teeth, the laying technique (the angle of inclination of the spatula plays an important role), as well as the qualifications of the master who will lay.

On sale, tile adhesive can be found packaged in kilograms. Therefore, first of all, it will be necessary to decide how much material is needed per 1 m2. After that, you can calculate the total consumption of adhesive material for a given area of ​​the room.

Below are the most optimal options for calculating the required amount of tile adhesive:

• If you have already decided exactly which brand of glue you will buy, you can go to the manufacturer's website and use a special calculator to calculate. You will need to enter information about the parameters of the tile, the size of the room, choose the type of glue that suits you. As a result, you will receive the amount of material that is required for laying the tiles in your particular case.

• Approximate calculations can be made using a simple formula: multiply the weight of the glue by the thickness of the glue layer, which will be necessary for tiles of certain sizes. The resulting value is the glue consumption per square meter. It remains only to multiply this number by the total laying area - this will be some average material consumption.
• Another very simple, but, unfortunately, the most erroneous and unreliable method: divide the thickness of the tile in millimeters by two and multiply by the average consumption of glue that you purchase.

In the video below, you will learn about the consumption of glue when laying tiles in the bathroom.