Cement tiles with underfloor heating: compatibility and installation
03/11/2026
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Thermal resistance, temperature limits, deformable adhesive, movement joints and first heat-up of a cement tile floor over underfloor heating.
Installation and maintenance
Almost every problem with a cement tile floor or a zellige wall comes down to three things: laying without mixing tiles from different boxes, grouting without protecting the tile and cleaning with acids. This section brings together the practical guides for the job: preparing the substrate, back-buttering, joints, grout, water-repellent, first foot traffic and routine cleaning.
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How many tiles per square metre: pieces, waste and layout
27/10/2026
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Pieces and weight per m² for every format, how much wastage each layout needs, and how to turn metres into boxes without coming up short.
How to clean bathroom tiles without damaging the glaze
20/10/2026
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The glaze on a tile survives almost anything; cement grout does not. The workshop guide to cleaning a bathroom wall without ruining it.
How to polish and restore an old cement tile floor without ruining it
29/09/2026
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How much an old cement tile floor can be polished, when not to do it, which diamond grits are used and what treatment comes after polishing.
Outdoor cement tiles: where they work on patios and terraces
21/07/2026
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An honest guide to cement tiles on patios, terraces and balconies: where they work, what treatment they need and how to lay them step by step.
How to clean cement tiles: step-by-step care and maintenance
14/07/2026
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A manufacturer’s guide to cleaning and caring for a cement tile floor: what to use, what to avoid, reviving an old floor, when to polish and how often to seal.
How to lay cement tiles: a step-by-step guide from the manufacturer
24/02/2026
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How to lay cement tiles step by step: a dry, level substrate, back-buttering, 1 to 2 mm joints, unpigmented grout, efflorescence and sealing.
Questions we answer here
- How are cement tiles laid? A flat, dry substrate, back-buttering with flexible adhesive, minimal joints and tiles mixed from several boxes to spread the variation in shade.
- Which grout should you choose? The colour of the grout completely changes how the pattern reads; there is a dedicated guide on choosing it to match the colour of the tile.
- How do you clean a cement tile floor? With neutral products, never acids or abrasives: acid attacks the cement and takes the colour with it.
- What is the white haze on new tiles? It is efflorescence: salts from the cement itself that water carries to the surface. It is not a manufacturing defect.
Why the material dictates how it is laid
A cement tile is cement, not ceramic: it absorbs water (between 5.9 and 6.2 % for 20 × 20 cm hydraulic terrazzo, according to UNE-EN 13748-1) and needs a water-repellent. Zellige absorbs much more—15.7 % on average according to UNE-EN ISO 10545-3—which is why in a shower, patio or swimming pool the substrate must be waterproofed before tiling. Every guide starts from that figure, not from generic advice.