Construction Chemicals

Adhesives, grouts, primers and waterproofing. They are the part you never see, and they decide whether a floor will last: most on-site failures do not start with the tile, but with what lies under it.

Adhesives: Reading the Codes

Every bag carries a code such as C2 TE S1, and it is not marketing: it is the classification of UNI EN 12004, and it says exactly what the product does.

C means cementitious; 2 means "improved", with adhesion above 1 N/mm². E is extended open time, which matters in summer and over large areas. T is resistance to vertical slip, essential on wall tiling.

The codes S1 and S2 indicate deformability, and they are the most important of all: a deformable adhesive absorbs substrate movement. Over underfloor heating, on large formats and on thin slabs, S1 is the minimum, and on substrates that move you go to S2.

Grouts

The grout is the part that gets dirty, stains and fails first, and choosing it well changes the life of the floor. The standard is UNI EN 13888, and it distinguishes two families.

Cementitious grouts (code CG) are the standard: CG2 is the improved grade, with reduced water absorption and greater abrasion resistance. They are fine throughout a home, including bathrooms if the product is water-repellent.

Epoxy grouts (code RG) are another matter: they absorb nothing, resist acids and aggressive detergents, and do not stain. They are mandatory in swimming pools, professional kitchens and anywhere washed with strong products. They cost more and demand an experienced hand, but in the right places they have no alternative.

Primers

A primer is not always needed, but when it is, it is decisive — and skipping it is one of the most frequent errors on site.

On highly absorbent substrates — fresh screeds, anhydrite, plasterboard — the primer regulates absorption and stops the substrate from drinking the water out of the adhesive before it sets. Without it the adhesive "burns" and the bond collapses.

On non-absorbent substrates — existing floors, resins, metal — the opposite is needed: a bonding primer that gives the adhesive something to grip. It is the key to tiling over an existing floor without demolition.

Waterproofing

A porcelain tile is impermeable, but the floor as a whole is not: water gets through the grout lines and the corners. That is why a membrane is mandatory, not optional, under a flush shower tray, in a steam room, on a terrace or a balcony.

Two-component cementitious membranes or liquid membranes are applied, always with reinforcing tape at the corners and at wall-to-floor junctions, which are precisely where water gets in.

It costs little compared with the rest of the job and, if it is missing, you find out years later from the neighbour's ceiling. It is never a place to save money.

Maintenance Products

After installation comes the end-of-site clean with a buffered acid descaler, which removes the film of cement left by the grouting. Doing it is what separates a floor that "never comes clean" from one that looks new.

For daily cleaning, neutral pH 7 detergents. Acidic products attack cementitious grouts and terracotta; strongly alkaline degreasers ruin oiled wood finishes.

We carry the Mapei and Kerakoll maintenance range: protective waxes for parquet, dewaxing detergents, descalers for porcelain, klinker and terracotta, and specific treatments for natural terracotta.

How to choose the right tile adhesive

1. Identify the substrate. Establish whether the substrate is absorbent (screed, plaster) or non-absorbent (existing floor, resin): it changes the primer and often the adhesive.
2. Consider the format. From 60×60 cm upwards you need full-bed adhesives with no slip; on large slabs back-buttering is mandatory.
3. Assess movement. With underfloor heating, on young substrates or over wood, choose a deformable S1 or S2 adhesive.
4. Pick the class. Read the code on the bag: C2 for almost every case, with E if extended open time is needed and T for vertical tiling.
5. Match the grout. CG2 for normal rooms, epoxy RG for swimming pools, professional kitchens and surfaces washed with aggressive products.

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