Repair, as you know, is a long, exhausting and material-intensive thing. To speed up this unpleasant process, many rush to complete a number of finishing works, forgetting that everything takes time – sometimes this moment cannot be avoided. The same applies to floor tiles. Since this material is subjected to maximum stress, it is important to observe the drying time after installation. How long does the tile dry on the floor? Our experts know the answer to this question.
Factors Affecting Tile Drying Rate
Most adhesive manufacturers mark the drying time on the packaging. It would seem great news. But, in fact, the indicated period of time is only a convention and it is possible to be guided by such information only when the material is laid under optimal conditions: at an air temperature in the room at the level of 20-24 0С and humidity no more than 60%. It is for this reason that the standard 24 hours is not enough to completely dry the tiles on the floor.
Only a few factors affect the speed of this process, but they cannot be ignored:
-
Indoor temperature / season – when determining the speed of drying of a material, you need to be guided by a simple rule – the warmer it is in the room, the faster the glue will dry. But this does not mean that you need to turn on the heaters in order to speed up the process – it should flow naturally. As for the season, winter usually means a slower drying rate for tiles on the floor, while summer means a faster drying time. Accordingly, in summer, the glue will dry in about a day and a half, in winter – another 12 hours longer.
-
The temperature of the base – before laying the finishing material on the floor, you should not warm up the latter – it is enough to minimize the temperature difference, since a too cold base can provoke not drying out, but freezing of the adhesive composition.
-
Air humidity is perhaps the key factor that simply cannot be ignored. Start from a simple rule: the higher the humidity, the longer the glue will set. Therefore, it makes sense that the kitchen floor will be ready for use much faster than the bathroom floor. In a damp room, the drying time of the tiles on the floor is so slow that it can take up to a week.
Drying time for tiles, taking into account the type of adhesive
The most common 'setting' time interval for tile adhesive is 12 to 36 hours. But in some cases, you can go beyond the specified time period. It's all about the type of glue used:
-
Universal – used mainly for laying lightweight floor tiles and 'sets' within 6-7 hours after application to the substrate. Complete drying takes place after about 12 hours.
-
Frost Resistant – The glue used for exterior decorating is perhaps the most time consuming to fully 'set'. This period is about 24-36 hours.
-
Reinforced – this option is optimal for heavy tile elements (such as porcelain stoneware, for example) and dries for at least 12 hours. Complete drying occurs after a day.
-
Moisture resistant – this composition is used for rooms with high humidity, as well as pool cladding. The time of full 'setting' of such glue is at least 24 hours.
-
The 'white' solution – the composition for laying the mosaic should not be 'disturbed' with the load within a day or a half after application.
Why wait for the glue to dry and how to determine this moment?
Just by touching the tile, you cannot understand whether the adhesive is dry or not. This can be determined in two ways. The first is to tap the tile element, the second is to try to tear the flooring off the floor. We recommend using both methods in turn. First, gently tap the element, and then try to separate it from the base. It is best to carry out this manipulation with a tile located somewhere in the corner of the room (if, nevertheless, the finish is removed, the problem can be solved imperceptibly).
Some people mistakenly believe that it is not necessary to wait until the tiles on the floor are completely dry: after a few hours, you can not only walk on it, but also clean the seams. True professionals know that this cannot be done and there are two reasons for this. First: even if the glue has time to set, the tile can move under load. Second: there is a high risk of damage to the tile elements, since in some places the glue could not be applied enough (it is not so easy to achieve an ideal distribution of the composition over the entire base area).
