Natural stone adhesive or a generic tile adhesive?
The tiles at the University Hospital are 40 cm in width, with decreasing lengths. Great care was taken when selecting the tile adhesive for the project: “As natural stone is very individual, it’s important to test the adhesive and tile together before laying 1,800 m2 of it. After tests with natural stone adhesive and the generic Alfix ProFix adhesive, a decision was made to use Alfix ProFix, because it has a much longer open time and is nice to work with, which saves us time”, master mason Jesper Sørensen, from Horsens Murer Service ApS, tells us.
He is pleased to have a proper basis and background for decision-making, thanks, among other things, to the tests conducted at Alfix’s laboratory in Kolding. As water impact from a generic tile adhesive can scald the top surface of natural stone, testing the tile’s sensitivity to moisture was a crucial determining factor in the choice of adhesive.
Knowledge of natural stone’s porosity a must
Natural stone is a material that creates a stylish and exclusive look and play of colours that are difficult to replicate with, for example, ceramic tiles. Natural stone has many different qualities, including hard as well as softer types, from non-porous (e.g. granite) to highly porous (e.g. sandstone) – all things you need to know about natural stone to be able to choose the type that is right for the level of utilisation on the project in question.
Knowing the porosity is important, as it enables you to choose the right tile adhesive; porosity is an indicator of the moisture sensitivity of the tile, after all. A specific natural stone adhesive, such as Alfix QuickFix premium, should be used for natural stone that is sensitive to moisture. Natural stone that is not sensitive in this way can be mounted with a number of different tile adhesives, such as Alfix ProFix, as used on the project in Skejby.
From Alfix ProFix to Alfix ProFix Plus?
Jesper Sørensen founded Horsens Murer Service ApS in 2009 and has since begun using Alfix products; over time this has meant many tonnes of Alfix ProFix tile adhesive. But is he now going to switch to the new CO2-reduced version, Alfix ProFix Plus? “We haven’t made the switch yet, but are expecting to use the new Alfix ProFix Plus for a project in Hedensted, because it’s a DGNB-gold certified build”, he explains. He feels that sustainability is higher up the agenda today even compared to just a few years ago - a development that he is following closely and is also part of himself.
Alfix products used on the project in Skejby
• Tile adhesive: Alfix ProFix
• Primer: Alfix PlaneMix
• Grout: Alfix QuickFuge – Premium 8