Tile Too Heavy For Wall

Preventing large format tile from sagging or slipping during installation can be accomplished in several ways.

Tile too heavy for wall.

Large heavy wall tiles are a challenge to hang because the weight of tiles makes them prone to slip off the wall. There are a few preventative steps to take to reduce the number of cracked tiles. In theory the easiest solution is to build from the bottom supporting the lowest tile course right on the floor and letting the upper courses rest on those. For floor installations kiesel servolight s2 supertec or servoflex trio supertec will work.

How to install large format tiles on bathroom walls using perfect level master. Tcna recommends medium bed mortars for large format floor installs. Heavy large format tiles used on wall applications are best installed using non sag adhesives. The failure of a heavy tile to adhere to a wall can be a potentially dangerous issue.

But in reality floors often aren t level which means that approach would make your whole tile grid off level. Use tile spacers on the horizontal grout lines to stop the tile from sliding or droping. Select a suitable mortar for the job. Solutions from mortars and mastics.

You would be just over the limit plaster board not skimmed will take 32kg per m2 so with your tiles and 4kg for adhesive grout making that 33 kg to be honest it not much over so as long as the boards are well fixed i can not see a problem but you could remove the board and replace with tile backer board taking you to 40 kg. Moisture between the stone tile and the substrate can also be an issue particularly if the installation is in a wet area such as a shower or steam room. In my experience with a 4 x4 tile you can use a premixed mastic glue as long as you read the directions and make sure that it is water and mould proof. The maximum weight of tiling which can be supported by a dry well adhered plaster background is 20kg m.

Observe the tile installation process. Tcna also recommends full coverage on the back of the tile. Don t take any risks and always use the floating and buttering method when installing large format tiles. Too many ruined tiles can become expensive and wasteful.

Large tile is heavy therefore an installer should be using a sag resistant mortar such as kiesel servolight s2 supertec when applying large format tile to walls. This is equivalent to ceramic tiles with a maximum thickness of 8mm plus tile adhesive or natural stone tiles with a maximum thickness of 7mm plus tile adhesive.