How long does tile adhesive take to set?

[James7]

Hi all,

Hope can get some advices.  I’m going to lay 600 x 600 x 9.5mm tiles on kitchen.  How long I should let the tile adhesive set before installing the cabinet. 

The tile adhesive I bought is Davco Ultraflex.

thanks

[Akanksha]

Hello @James7,

A warm welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. We're delighted to have you join us and trust you'll find the site a great resource for useful D.I.Y. advice and inspiring ideas. 

Thanks for your question on using tile adhesive. Our resident D.I.Y. expert @EricL will be happy to assist you when he's back on the site later today. In the meantime, let me tag our experienced members @ProjectPete and @diy_hausdesigns  to see if they have any thoughts.

While waiting, you might want to check out our guide How to plan a kitchen renovation for some handy tips and factors to consider before renovating your kitchen. The Bunnings team has also shared plenty of resources and advice related to tiling on their site.

Good luck with your project. Please do keep us updated on its progress. We'd love to see the final result.

Akanksha

[EricL]

Hello @James7 

Allow me to welcome you as well to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's a pleasure to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about tile adhesive.

Tile adhesive generally takes 72 hours to set, however, atmospheric factors play a big part in the curing time of the adhesive. If there has been too much rain or the sky is overcast with a great deal of humidity, this type of weather often extends the drying time of the adhesive. With such a large tile you'll want to add at least an extra two days to the 72 hours to make sure that the adhesive in the middle of the tile has fully cured.

The consequence of grouting too early or putting stress on the tiles is that it could pop off the floor. One other factor that slows down the drying time of the tile adhesive is that they are in an enclosed space. If there is no airflow or the sun does not enter this room, it will trap the moisture inside and delay the drying process. It's therefore important to open doors and windows to promote air circulation.

I recommend giving the tile adhesive more than the recommended drying time just to be sure. Please make sure to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a dust mask when mixing and laying the tile adhesive.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[diy_hausdesigns]

Hi there.

I think @EricL has offered some safe advice. Thought obvious,  I'd also make reference to the product specifications. They should provide clarity for the specific product and at least give some assurance of doing it properly 

All the best 

Rufaro