the symbol ofStrengthFind my product →One guided recommender for the whole range. Tell us your project type and where you are in the build — foundation, structure, plaster, waterproofing, flooring or tiling — answer a couple of quick questions, and we’ll spec the exact SUMO products for the job.
Tile adhesive grades exist because tiles, substrates and exposure differ — a bathroom mosaic and an exterior porcelain facade need different chemistry. This recommender asks what you are fixing, where, and on what, then maps it to the SUMO grade whose EN 12004 / IS 15477 classification actually covers the job.
| Job | Grade | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Ceramic / clay / terracotta, indoor floors & walls | S01 | C1T · IS 15477 T1-T |
| Vitrified & semi-vitreous indoor · tile-on-tile | S02 | C2T · T1-T |
| Exterior walls · natural stone · glass mosaic | S02+ | C2TE · T2 |
| Large-format tiles · wet areas · dry or wet, in/out | S03 | C2TE · T3-T |
| Swimming pools · heavy traffic · facades | S04 | C2TES1 · T4-TS1 |
| Metal, plywood, cement board, engineered stone | Flexit 2K | R2T · T5-TS2 |
Every classification above is from the product datasheet — the recommender applies the same map, plus grout and waterproofing where the job needs them.
Behind the questions is the same decision an application engineer makes, in the same order:
What is being fixed — porosity and size of the tile or stone set the minimum bond class (C1 → C2) and bed behaviour.
Onto what — cement substrates take cementitious grades; metal, board and plywood need reaction-resin chemistry (R2).
Where — exterior, wet areas and pools add E (open time), S1 (deformability) and water-resistance requirements.
What happens after — traffic, thermal movement and cladding height decide whether standard or deformable grades are safe.
The recommender answers in systems, not single bags, because failures rarely come from the adhesive alone: a wet area needs waterproofing under the adhesive and an impervious epoxy joint above it; a facade needs deformability in the adhesive and movement joints in the layout; large-format floors need a flat substrate before the first bag opens. When you get a recommendation, the products around it are part of the answer.
S03 (C2TE, T3-T) for large-format work in general, stepping up to S04 (C2TES1) where deformability matters — heavy traffic, facades, pools. Large formats are laid on a 10–15 mm combined bed with back-buttering regardless of grade.
They are EN 12004 bond-strength classes: C1 is normal cementitious adhesive (≥ 0.5 N/mm²), C2 is improved (≥ 1.0 N/mm²). Vitrified tiles, stone, exteriors and wet areas call for C2 — that is why S02 and above are C2 grades.
They are EN 12004 supplementary classes: T = slip-resistant (thixotropic — tiles do not slide on walls), E = extended open time, S1/S2 = deformable/highly deformable, which absorbs substrate movement. S04 being C2TES1 means improved bond + no slip + long open time + deformability.
S02+ (C2TE) is the exterior-grade entry point; move to S04 (C2TES1) for facades and anywhere thermal movement is high. Exterior work always pairs with the right joint and, where needed, waterproofing behind — the recommender covers the full system.
No — bed thickness fixes coverage, not chemistry. A C1 adhesive under exterior vitrified tile fails from bond strength and movement, not bed depth. Match the classification to the job; the price difference per m² is small against re-tiling.