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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 3:29 pm
by Den81
Hi
My husband is about to lay some porcelain tiles outside on some steps on our patio.
The steps are concrete.
Does he have to put a primer on the concrete before he lays the tile adhesive? If so, could you recommend one please?
Thanks.
Denise
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 4:05 pm
by Pablo
he could use some sbr it's like pva but is more weather resistant. It's usually the bond between the tile and the adhesive that gives so smearing some adhesive on the tile can prevent this.
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 5:44 pm
by Carberry
My dad laid some quarry tiles on an outdoor step for an asian client. He kept on having a go at me and questioning everything I did, seemingly a cultural thing with older guys higher in the pecking order than younger. He even told me my wall was squint while I had an expensive spirit level (fatmax) over the wall with the bead dead on; When I pointed it out he told me that sometimes you have to put the machine down and look at it with your eye. My dad didn't think he was being that hard on me, because he didn't hear half of it, until he started laying the tiles. After taking enough abuse he yelled at the customer, started kicking the tiles as hard as he could with steel toe caps and said "LOOK THEY AREN'T GOING F*CKING ANYWHERE, NOW F*CK OFF", that was after they had been down for a couple of hours.
Primed the surface with SBR and used some cement based outdoor tile adhesive.
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:00 pm
by Den81
Thank you very much guys.
Carberry, your story was hilarious. 
Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2011 11:25 pm
by lutonlagerlout
probably too late but make sure you use grade 4 or 5 porcelain tiles
grade 5 is commercial i.e. shops ,airports,swimming pools
if you use the lower ones much more chance of breakages especially outdoors
a client had grade 5 laid in her kitchen and sadly dropped her iron from the ironing board
the iron broke but the tiles were unmarked :;): true
LLL