When choosing tiles or panels of this popular facing material, customers mainly focus their attention on its parameters - dimensions, thickness( and, consequently, weight), color design, texture. As for the editing process, most people believe that this issue does not involve any surprises. After all, it is known that an artificial stone needs only to be glued, and everyone can do it.
Unfortunately, practice shows that the wrong choice is the adhesive composition, and not the material itself, fraught with great trouble. And according to the well-known law, they begin to appear at the most inopportune moment, even after a certain time in the form of falling off tiles, cracks on the entire surface and so on.
Many Internet users are looking for suitable compounds for different stones. Artificial stone is a significant assortment of various products. Therefore, we will dwell only on the general principles of choosing the optimal glue and consider those moments that need to be paid attention.
Stone fixing site
Facing works are carried out both indoors and outdoors. All factors of external influence on the surface, including mechanical ones, are taken into account.
The need for preliminary preparation of the basis
When gluing various materials, this work usually has 2 goals.
Firstly, , surface leveling. Even if ideal smoothness is not required, different grooves and cracks significantly increase the consumption of the mixture. The thinner it is, the more glue will be needed( as it will leak into any slot).
Secondly, , and most importantly, it is done to improve the reliability of the "fastening" of the cladding with the base. In particular, the wall, ceiling or floor is primed. Some adhesives in this preparation do not need.
Terms of use
Manufacturers indicate on the packaging, at what temperatures( humidity) can work with this composition. Sometimes it is necessary to make a surface facing from the outside in the winter, and this must be taken into account.
Setting speed
If you do not have the skills to work on surface finish, it is better to purchase the compounds that freeze after a certain time. With fast-grabbing work is much more difficult.
Type of product
Some formulations are already sold ready for immediate use, while others( in the form of dry mixes) need to be diluted further. It should be taken into account the fact that it is necessary to withstand exactly the entire cooking technology( temperature regime, amount of liquid, mixing process).In this regard, ready-made funds are much more convenient, since the quality of such glue is guaranteed by the Producer.
Consumption
As a rule, it is recommended, although it is practically not enough when aged. And still you need to see what layer you need to apply glue.
Material and Surface Finish
The term "artificial stone" includes products made from cements and polymers. It can also be glued on various materials - concrete, metal, wood and so on. Is this adhesive compatible with them?
Conditions for further use of
The quality of the coating depends on where the gluing of artificial stone products takes place. The durability of the fixation of the tiles in place is affected by various factors - moisture( or even direct contact with liquids), temperature changes, its critical values, and a number of others. It matters whether the given surface will experience any loads( for example, floor, countertop).
Kinds of glue for artificial stone
As already mentioned, these products are produced on different basis. This should be taken into account when choosing an adhesive.
"Cement" stone
It is advisable to use if the products have the same basis. It is distinguished by its resistance to aggressive environments, the effects of the atmosphere, as well as the ease of solution preparation and the acceptable "setting time".The last property allows to prepare the mixture in sufficient volumes, without fear that the glue will quickly harden. In addition, this makes it possible to make additional alignment of individual elements in the production process, which can not be done with compositions of the "Moment" type.
The quality of the bonding is increased by the introduction of appropriate additives( depending on the specifics of the further operation of the surface).
As an example, the following recommended adhesives are available: Bolars, Eunice, Granirapid, Master, Ceresite, and a number of others.
"Acrylic" stone
For such products, polymer-based adhesives should be chosen. For example, "Montelli", "Geta Kor", "Opal".The peculiarity of such compositions is that they "grasp" relatively quickly, but it is more convenient to work with them. They are sold, as a rule, in tubes, and for their application a special device( "pistol") is used. The advantage is that such glue has more "mobility" and is able to fill any gap.
Essential disadvantage - they are more expensive than compounds on a cement basis. In addition, if the work is carried out under high temperature conditions, the curing time decreases sharply, which is not always acceptable.
The assortment of adhesives is so extensive that it is pointless to list them all with the indication of cost. Suffice it to say that the price starts from 160 rubles. For example, for this money you can purchase 1 package of "Azolita"( 25 kg).It is enough for 25 m².
The "Tenax" glue is considered to be universal and can be used to treat even a wet base. Sold in two cans( 1 liter each), which contain the components for mixing. The cost is 3,200 rubles per kilo.
Useful advices
- There are quite a lot of glue compounds that are positioned by the manufacturers as universal. It is necessary to understand correctly that "medicine for all diseases" does not exist in principle. Choosing a particular composition, you need to correctly determine what its properties are most important for a particular use( resistance to aggressive substances, to high temperatures, and so on).
- It is necessary to pay attention not only to the name of the glue, but also to its properties. There are many compounds that are produced under the same brand, but differ significantly in their characteristics.
