Stephen Lovatt, aftercare manager at Saint-Gobain Weber, provides some important tips for tiling in extreme weather conditions
We Brits love discussing the weather, and it’s only getting more extreme. The UK reached an all-time highest May temperature this year – a reminder that hot weather is becoming a practical site condition that tilers need to plan for, not simply work around.
Strong sunlight, warm substrates and big day-to-night temperature swings can all put pressure on the installation.
Cement-based adhesives can lose moisture more quickly in warm conditions, particularly where substrates, tiles or working areas have been exposed to direct sunlight.
That can reduce working time, encourage skinning and make it harder to achieve the required contact between tile and background.
Look after your materials
Best practice starts before the adhesive is mixed. Materials should be kept cool, shaded and dry, not left in vans or exposed storage areas. Mixing water should be clean and cool. Substrates should be assessed carefully, as hot, dry or absorbent backgrounds can pull moisture from the adhesive too quickly.
Where priming is needed, installers should follow the system guidance rather than treating it as an optional extra.
Rapid-set adhesives – including Saint-Gobain Weber’s weberset rapid SPF – need particular care in hot weather, as they can become difficult to use when high temperatures accelerate setting behaviour.
The answer is not to avoid them altogether, but to plan their use carefully. Mix smaller quantities, work in manageable areas, and check the product’s pot life and open time against the conditions on site.
Choose your tiles wisely
Ceramic, porcelain and stone finishes are generally well suited to warm environments once correctly installed, and porcelain in particular is fired at very high temperatures during manufacture.
However, the issue in summer is rarely whether the tile can tolerate heat. More often, it is whether the adhesive, substrate preparation, coverage and movement provision are right for the site conditions.
Summer application
According to BS 5385 Part 4, background temperatures should preferably be between 5°C and 25°C when tiles are being bedded. Where surface temperatures exceed this, select an adhesive with an extended open time and take extra care to control site conditions.
Strong sunlight should be avoided during application, particularly externally or where glazing is creating high surface temperatures. Work may be better planned for earlier or later in the day, when backgrounds are cooler and adhesives are easier to control.
Ensure internal areas are well ventilated and windows are temporarily covered to reduce intense thermal cycling. Avoid spreading adhesive too far ahead. If it skins over, don’t re-wet it but remove and replace with fresh material.
Good summer tiling is about controlling the variables. With the right system and disciplined site practice, installers can protect adhesive performance and deliver durable tiled finishes, even in high temperatures.
