While they're made of vinyl rather than real concrete, the untrained eye won't be able to tell the difference. And although the material isn't suitable for floors, you can install these tiles on any wall in your kitchen, bathroom, laundry room, mudroom, stairwell—you name it. Heat-Resistant Tile Adhesive: This is what you will need when installing fireplace tiles. You need a heat-resistant adhesive because very high heat can easily damage a normal adhesive. Never use organic mastic where there will be high heat. You need a thinset that can handle at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Concrete Slab:For both dry and wet installations choose a latex thinset. Other options for dry installations are organic mastic or a water-mixed thinset.

The matching rug complements the stove nicely and draws even more attention to the centre of the room. 2. Wooden beams are an alcoves best friend The Heat Resistant Tile Adhesive should not be used as a grout. For grouting needs, utilise VITCAS Heat Resistant Tile Grout. As mentioned, 99.9% of porcelain tiles are suitable for use in fire surrounds, hearths and fireplaces and there are no restrictions on the size or design you go for. However, given that wood burners and stoves are prone to creating ash and soot, it’s probably a good idea to opt for tiles that feature a satin or matt glazed surface so as to minimise the risk of stains and scratches from accessories such as ash pans, pokers and tongs. Tiles with these types of finish are a bit more hardy than those with a high-gloss polished finish and the tougher surface layer will require much less effort when it comes to cleaning and upkeep. You always want to make the most durable installation you can and using these 3 questions will help you to do so:Any surplus Heat Resistant Tile Adhesive must be swiftly removed from tile surfaces with a damp cloth to prevent hardening or staining.

Overall, Vitcas Heat Resistant Tile Adhesive is a reliable and effective solution for bonding tiles in high-temperature areas. Heavy tiles and materials such as stones, marble, and granite should be fully supported during application and curing. High-Temperature Resistance: Formulated specifically for areas exposed to elevated temperatures, it remains reliable and steadfast where ordinary tile adhesives may falter. Resistant to 1000°C /1830°F This adhesive is intended for internal use only. For external applications, consider using Vitcas HB60. PALACE Heat-Resist is a polymer-fortified adhesive, designed to provide a high strength, durable bond in areas where tiles are installed around a radiant source of heat which does not reach temperatures in excess of 250°C. This is typical of conditions found around domestic installations such as a log burning fire, cooking range/stove or a traditional Aga Oven. It is a pale grey powder based blend incorporating special hydraulic binders which produces a non-slump, fast setting paste suitable for fixing ceramic, porcelain and vitrified tiles in areas surrounding a radiant source of heat. PALACE Heat-Resist should only be used for fixing tiles onto solid masonry surfaces or cement board structures which are stable when exposed to high temperatures. Note: It is essential to confirm that all tiles selected for use in this type of location are similarly heat resistantHave you considered metal tile? The Brushed Penny collection from SpeedTiles is made of real metal and features small round tiles roughly the size of pennies—but copper isn't your only option. If you’ve opted to use tiles with a polished finish in your fire surround then do ensure that you seal them if required. The manufacturers instructions will stipulate whether the tiles need sealing or not – tiles with this kind of finish often require such an action so as to prevent them from staining. Whilst most porcelain tiles are impervious to organic matter, those with highly polished surfaces and porous tiles such as those constructed from natural stone like limestone and slate will be susceptible to staining by ash, soot or damage from an errant ember, so please do seal them. We recommend LTP Porcelain Tile Protector for the job. Use Heat Resistant Adhesive & Grout

Just take a putty knife, margin trowel, or utility knife and simply scrape off all of the existing adhesive. When replacing tile adhesive remember to use the same exact adhesive that was used originally. Unfortunately, sometimes this isn’t possible, and if that is the case try to use the same type. So if organic mastic was used, use that. If a thinset was used, use a thinset. It's usually at this stage that people start asking us, " Can I use tiles around my wood burning fire?" and " what to put behind a wood burning stove?".Pay attention to the size as well. Beyond the size of the individual tiles, note the dimensions of each self-adhesive sheet or piece, which might have anywhere from eight to 50 tiles on it, depending on the scale. Waterproof Tile Adhesive: This would be used when doing an installation in an area that will frequently be getting wet like in the main bathroom or a kitchen countertop. These will be a thinset but which type depends on the surface you are setting your tile on. As with tile surfaces, your grout joints are at risk of becoming stained and discoloured by ash and other detritus associated with open fires, so it’s always a good idea to protect them. Grout joints within natural stone and polished tile installations will be sealed just along with the tiles themselves if you’ve gone down the sealing route, however, you can protect just the grout even those installations that don’t require sealing. We recommend our LTP Grout Protectors for the job. The adhesive is suitable for use with a wide range of materials including ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, and mosaics.