Tiling Advice for Heavy Use and Commercial Areas

Step 1 – Ensure your tiles are suitable

• Only certain tiles are suitable for heavy use areas. When it comes to durability, porcelain, terrazzo, quarry tiles, quartz and granite are particularly durable making them perfect for floor tiling in heavy use areas. 

• Tiles for heavy use in certain areas may a high slip resistance – the more the floor is exposed to spills, the higher the need for a slip-resistance option. Check with the tile manufacturer whether the tiles are suitable for heavy use areas.

Step 2 – Background preparation

• Correct background preparation is absolutely crucial for heavy use and commercial areas. Ensure that all backgrounds are clean, dry, sound, free from dust and flat – this means to SR1 surface regularity which is defined as plus or minus 3mm over a 2m straight edge. If floors don’t meet SR1 surface regularity, then consider the use an ARDEX smoothing and levelling compound such as ARDEX K 40 HB or ARDITEX NA.

Step 3 – Uncoupling systems

• If you are using an uncoupling system, ensure that it is suitable for heavy use and/or commercial floors. Some systems are only designed for lightweight/domestic use.

Step 4 – Adhesive Selection

• Ensure the adhesive selection is conducive to the background you are tiling onto, the tile choice and environment you are tiling on. Consider whether a slow-set or a rapid-setting product is required and consider the use of a flexible tile adhesive such as ARDEX X 325 PTB, or ARDEX X 77. ARDEX X 325 PTB is pourable making it easier to tile larger floor areas in one go. Rapid-setting products are particularly suitable where fast track installation is required. Always ensure solid bed fixing is achieved.

Step 5 – Choosing the correct grout

• A hard wearing and abrasion free grout is an absolute must for commercial and heavy use areas. ARDEX FLEX-FL is the perfect for most commercial jobs as it is strong and flexible, water and frost resistant and is suitable for highly trafficked areas, with suitable joint widths up to 15mm.

• For commercial food preparation/storage areas, or chemical/hygiene-critical areas consider the use of an epoxy grout such as ARDEX EG 18 Plus. ARDEX EG 18 Plus is suitable for heavily trafficked areas as a durable, abrasion resistant grout.