GLUE IT AND HOLD IT

Adhesive alternative to mortar for outdoor floors bonding stone tile to decking.

So what makes adhesives different than cement based mortars. Here is some of the story. Traditional mortars are created created by combining various amounts of portland cement with sand and water. The finished product dries leaving a porus rigid compound that has now joined to adjoining ridgid materials–another cement underlayment and a stone or tile. At some point in time flexible polymers like latexes were introduced to the process. With this method some or all of the water is replaced with this material.

So what happens over time to the joined materials when moisture and changing temperatures are introduced? Rigid stone, tile, brick, concrete and mortars all expand and contract or move at different rates depending on their density. When this occures, small cracks and openings between the bonds can begin to form. Over time, this process weakens the bond which can cause the finished stone deck or tile deck to crack and fail. The outdoor floor may then require periodic maintenance to seal grout lines and preserve the continuity of the outdoor flooring surface.

Whatis the advantage of a flexible adhesive? The opposite of all of the above. The bond is completely moisture impervious, it remains flexible under all conditions and has a sticky bonding quality that ensures a soild connection. See the whole story.