This winter we are under the impact of an unusually cold weather, OPTIMIX sends our warmest regards in hopes that you are all safe and cozy at home. The last thing we need in this acute change in climate would be tiles popping up, imposing danger of injuries and the hassle of getting them repaired. In August we made a post discussing the importance of grouting to prevent this: https://bit.ly/3bQgyHk

The common reasons for tiles popping up are:

1. Plummeting temperature, expansion and shrinkage-caused movements in the substrate

2. Insufficient joint width between tiles.

For large floor tiles, we also recommend using our rapid-set DB390 & DB391 the Semi-Dry Bedding Mortar series. Utilizing the dry screed method, shrinkage and tile movement is much more stable with the DB screed, thus the risk of tiles popping and detachment is minimized, ensuring your safety even in extreme climates.

OPTIMIX DB390 SEMI-DRY BEDDING MORTAR (RAPID-SETTING) is a high quality rapid hardening screed designed for semi-dry bedding method of installation. OPTIMIX DB390 is simple to mix, easy to apply and has a reasonable working time to allow for rapid installation and quick return to service.

OPTIMIX DB391 ADHESIVE SLURRY (RAPID-SETTING) is a high quality polymer modified cementitious fast-setting adhesive. It is designed for rapid fixing and easy adjustment of floor tiles on traditional semi-dry bedding system. It is ready for grouting and can receive foot traffic in 6 hours after installation.

As a reference, after laying and leveling tiles, the ideal thickness of the adhesive should be about 3-5mm, the final thickness after application may be slightly reduced due to pressure. This thickness is sufficient to maintain the level of the entire floor tile system while avoiding hollowing. In order to prevent floor tiles from squeezing each other due to expansion, proper joint widths should be reserved during application.

If you have any questions regarding the installation of floor tiles, please feel free to contact us: https://www.optimix.com.hk/contact.