CREATING TOMORROW’S SOLUTIONS
Insight Paper
THREE MAJOR
TILE TRENDS AND
THEIR IMPACT ON
TILE ADHESIVES
Tiles are on trend globally.
And as their sales increase,
so does the choice: modern
tiles are made of porcelain,
glass, composites or synthetic
materials. They look like wood,
natural stone or concrete,
and come in all shapes and
sizes – from tiny mosaic tiles
to oversized XXL formats.
What does this mean for tile
installers? Stay flexible!
Today, approx. 50% of all floor
coverings worldwide are made THE CHALLENGE
of tiles. And the trend is on
the rise: in Asia alone, all tiled FOR TILE
floor, wall and facade surfaces
are expected to increase by ADHESIVES
7% by 2025; the correspond- As tile diversity increases, so do demands that porcelain tiles can even be laid on
on the tile adhesives that are used. In wood. The ability to explore new areas
ing figures in Europe and the
many cases, conventional tile adhesives of application is not the only advantage
Americas will each grow by are no match for modern tiles. They were here, however – polymer modification
developed for porous materials such as also offers a way of meeting new de-
4%. One reason is increasing
clay or terracotta and do not adhere to mands for how tiles are used. Polymer-
urbanization. At the same time, the smooth, dense surfaces of p orcelain modified tile adhesives can, for example,
tiles. This is where modern chemistry help customers implement new design
porcelain tiles are becoming
comes in: polymer modification can im- ideas while saving money, energy and
steadily more popular in many prove the properties of tile adhesives so resources.
countries, because they are
universally suitable, hard-wear- From Cement to Polymer: the History of Tile Adhesive
ing and easy to clean. They Traditionally, pure sand-cement mixtures were used for laying tiles on walls and
floors. In this process, the cement works its way into the pores of the substrate
are also a cost-effective and
and the tile, forming a mechanical bond. If the substrate or ceramic tiles are too
attractive alternative to popular smooth, this mechanical bond fails. Adding polymer binders such as VINNAPAS®
VAE dispersions and dispersible polymer powders can improve the adhesion of
natural stone. And they open
the tile adhesive, as the polymer creates a strong yet flexible bond between
up boundless possibilities in substrate and tile. Since the choice of polymer type and quantity depends on
arious factors, modern tile adhesives are offered as ready-to-use dry mixes.
terms of design, shapes and
These only need to be mixed with water at the construction site.
materials.
Ceramics will account
for roughly 52% of floor
coverings in 2025
Traditional tile adhesives consist of cement and Since the 1950s, tile adhesives have been
sand. On contact with water, the cement sets modified with polymers. Besides sand and cement,
and hardens. It forms crystals that interlock with dispersible polymer powder is added. When the
the sand, giving the mortar cohesive strength. mortar is mixed with water, the polymer powder
At the same time, the cement crystals provide redisperses. As the mortar sets, the polymer forms
adhesion. They embed themselves in the open- a film and creates polymer bridges. These flexible
pored surface of the tile and the substrate. bridges improve the adhesive’s cohesive strength
and its adhesion to the tile and the substrate.
2025: 19 billion square meters
New Tile Adhesives Reduce CO2 Emissions
Polymer modification has also revolutionized tiling technology. When WACKER devel-
oped the first dispersible polymer powders in the 1950s, tiling became much more
efficient. The ready-to-use dry-mix mortars that were now possible only had to be
mixed with water on-site and applied to the tiles in very thin layers. This change from
the thick-bed to the thin-bed method meant that 3 times less material was required
Ceramic 52% Laminate 6%
Carpet 17% Wood 4% on average (from approx. 14 kg/m2 to approx. 4.5 kg/m2). This also means significant
Vinyl 9% Other non-resilient 2% CO2 savings, as less material is consumed and transported. But it’s not just CO2
Stone 8% Other resilient 2% emissions that can be reduced with VINNAPAS® modified tile adhesives – they make
work more efficient too, because the time required for laying tiles is reduced by 75%.
VINNAPAS® is a registered trademark of Wacker Chemie AG. 2
VINNAPAS® eco:
Polymer Binders with a Reduced Carbon Footprint
With VINNAPAS® eco, WACKER offers polymer binders produced from renewable
raw materials according to the biomass balance approach. This means that up to
100% of the fossil raw materials in the supply chain are replaced by renewable raw
materials that are certified as sustainable. In the case of VINNAPAS® eco dispersions
and dispersible powders for tile adhesives, the renewable raw material is bio-based
acetic acid. VINNAPAS® eco grades are certified to the REDcert2 standard and
audited by TÜV NORD, an independent test organization. This is a first step and a
drop-in-solution that can save CO2 emissions right now.
TILE TREND #1:
BACK TO NATURE!
Natural Stone and
Wood Tiles
Natural stone is tremendously popular
as a floor covering. It is visually attract-
ive, appeals to the senses and gives a
touch of luxury. For many, however, it
is prohibitively expensive. Porcelain tiles
are an affordable alternative – especially
if the tiles also look like natural stone.
Modern digital printing processes make
such an option possible: remarkably
realistic marble, granite or slate fi nishes
are simply printed onto the tile. The
result is in no way inferior in appearance
to the original, while at the same time,
tiles are easier to clean and more robust
than many types of natural stone. Tiles
with printed wood finishes are also in
vogue: as a substitute for parquet floor-
ing, they spread a sense of comfort
and are more hard-wearing than their
original counterparts.
Printed tiles are usually porcelain tiles.
They have low porosity and a smooth
surface, which makes polymer modifi-
cation of the tile adhesive applied indis-
pensable.
3
TILE TREND #2:
ANYTHING BUT
STANDARD!
New Shapes and Structures
Gone are the days when tiles were rectangular by default. Today,
hexagons, polygons and cubes are becoming increasingly popular.
Round and curved shapes are also gaining popularity, as are sculptural
3D tiles with relief-like structures or studs. There’s no question that the
trend is toward greater individuality – with porcelain tiles playing a
leading role. One thing is certain: with so much diversity, there can,
of course, be no standard solution for tile adhesives either. Polymer
modification meets the requirements of a wide variety of shapes,
structures and types of use.
4
TILE TREND #3:
BIG IS BOLD!
Big Tiles, Big Challenges: Large tiles are becoming increasingly fashionable. They create
visual expanse even in tiny rooms and, due to minimal grouting, make the tiled room
appear more tranquil. While so-called XXL tiles with edge lengths of up to 120 x 260 cm
are primarily reserved for the premium segment, medium-sized tiles are now prevalent as
an inexpensive alternative. In China for example, the standard tile size in dining or living
rooms is 80 x 80 cm or even bigger. Yet as the dimensions grow, so do the challenges
involved – not only in tile production and transport, but especially in tile installation.
Floors: Grout: Walls:
Solutions for Smooth Sailing It all Comes Down to This Now for the Hard Part
Large-format tiles can only be laid if the Large tiles are often laid with extremely Large size tiles are heavier than small-
substrate is completely level. Minor holes, narrow, almost invisible grout joints. This format tiles. This makes mounting them
bumps or areas that are even slightly makes the tiled surface appear more to walls or floors a challenge for both
uneven can cause the tiles to break under spacious, but it also places considerable the installer and the tile adhesive. When
strain. Construction chemicals have demands on the grout: the applied grout pressed against the wall on the intended
found answers to this problem too: poly- must be highly flexible to compensate for spot, the tiles should adhere firmly
mer-modified, self-leveling compounds mechanical stresses. At the same time, enough to prevent them from slipping
are quick and easy to apply and produce it should also be extremely hydrophobic, off – even minimal slip would mar the
perfectly smooth surfaces. More proper- especially in bathrooms and kitchens, to overall appearance when several large
ties can be added depending on the prevent moisture from penetrating the tiles are laid next to each other. At the
formulation. Highly flexible grades can wall or floor. Special VINNAPAS® grades same time, customers should still be
absorb slight movements caused by for large-format tiles take these require- able to reposition tiles if required. This
differences in thermal expansion coeffi- ments into account. combination of high sag resistance and
cients, thus preventing cracks. Another prolonged correction time can only be
reason why this flexibility is essential is achieved by sophisticated tile adhesive
because larger tiles also tend to be thin- formulations. Meeting these require-
ner, meaning they can crack more easily. ments while still securely bonding these
demanding tiles to the substrate makes
polymer modification a must. Special
VINNAPAS® grades have therefore been
developed for formulating tile adhesives
for larger-sized tiles.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO
KNOW OUT MORE ABOUT
OUR TILE ADHESIVE
SOLUTIONS?
With WACKER’s wide range
of products, you can formulate
the perfect tile adhesive.
Visit our product section for
all the details.
www.wacker.com/tiles
Wacker Chemie AG, 81737 Munich, Germany
www.wacker.com/contact, www.wacker.com
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7941e/08.22
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