HOW-TO · TILE FIXING

How to fix tiles & stone around window and door frames

Reveals, sills and door surrounds move, get wet and take knocks. SUMO S03 is recommended for window and door framing — here is how to tile them so nothing lifts.

LEVEL

Intermediate

TIME

30–45 min per reveal

STEPS

WHO THIS IS FOR

Applicators tiling or cladding window reveals, sills and door surrounds in stone or tile.

Window and door reveals are awkward, exposed spots — they take thermal movement, wind-driven rain and the odd knock, and the tiles or stone often sit on narrow, mixed backgrounds. A rigid, low-grade adhesive lets them work loose.

SUMO S03 is a highly flexible C2TE adhesive that is specifically recommended for window and door framing, indoors and out, in wet and dry areas. This guide covers fixing tile and stone around frames so it stays put.

BEFORE YOU START

What you’ll need

S03C2TE · recommended for window/door framingTile & Stone AdhesiveC2TE · 20 kg→

Notched trowel + margin trowelfor tight reveals

TILE SPACERSUMO PRODUCTTile Spacers100 nos / pouch→

Sponge, bucket & clean water

THE METHOD

Step by step

Prepare and check the reveal

Make sure the reveal/frame background is sound, clean and reasonably flat. Fill big gaps and make good crumbling edges — a narrow reveal has no room for a lumpy bed.

WATCH OUTExposed reveals get wet. Confirm the background is sound and, on external frames, that any waterproofing/flashing is intact first.

Plan the cuts around the frame

Dry-lay and mark your cuts so joints line through and edge pieces are sensible. Neat cuts against the frame make the whole opening look right.

Fix with SUMO S03

Comb S03 onto the reveal with a notched (or margin) trowel and back-butter each piece for full contact — its flexibility absorbs the movement a frame sees. Press firmly and check alignment with the frame line.

PRO TIPOn narrow reveals, back-buttering is easier than combing a tight bed — and gives the full coverage exposed edges need.

S03PRODUCT USED IN THIS STEPTile & Stone AdhesiveC2TE · 20 kg→

Set even joints and leave a movement gap

Use spacers/wedges for consistent joints, and leave a movement joint where the tiling meets the frame — fill it later with a flexible sealant, not rigid grout, so expansion has somewhere to go.

TILE SPACERPRODUCT USED IN THIS STEPTile Spacers100 nos / pouch→

Clean, cure and finish

Sponge off adhesive before it sets, let it cure, then grout the field joints and seal the frame junction with a flexible sealant.

SUMOXY 2KPRODUCT USED IN THIS STEPEpoxy Tile Grout · 2-PartEN 13888 - RG · 1 kg→

AVOID THESE

What to avoid

!Using a rigid, low-grade adhesive

Frames move and get wet. A flexible C2TE adhesive (S03) resists the movement a basic adhesive cannot.

!Grouting hard against the frame

Rigid grout at the frame junction cracks. Leave a movement joint and seal it with flexible sealant.

!Partial coverage on exposed edges

Reveal edges chip and lift if hollow. Back-butter for full contact.

QUESTIONS

FAQ

Which adhesive is best for window and door framing?+

SUMO S03 — a highly flexible C2TE adhesive specifically recommended for window and door framing, in wet and dry areas indoors and out.

Why do tiles around windows keep cracking or lifting?+

Usually a rigid adhesive or rigid grout at a spot that moves and gets wet. Use a flexible adhesive (S03), full coverage, and a flexible sealant at the frame junction.

Should I grout right up to the window frame?+

No — leave a movement joint at the frame and fill it with a flexible sealant. Rigid grout there will crack as the frame moves.

THE KIT

Products used in this guide

S03SUMO PRODUCTTile & Stone AdhesiveC2TE · 20 kg→S02+SUMO PRODUCTTile & Stone AdhesiveC2TE · 20 kg→TILE SPACERSUMO PRODUCTTile Spacers100 nos / pouch→SUMOXY 2KSUMO PRODUCTEpoxy Tile Grout · 2-PartEN 13888 - RG · 1 kg→

NOT SURE ON YOUR JOB?

Send us your substrate and tile size — our technical team will confirm the exact method.

Read the datasheet →