Description
Atlas Geoflex Express is a rapid set tile adhesive: a C2FT cement-based gel adhesive you can walk on and grout about 2 hours after the tiles go down, in beds from 2 to 15 mm. It is the fast-setting member of the Geoflex family in the Renders World range of tile adhesives, sold in a 25 kg bag for floors and walls, inside and out.
Why Choose Atlas Geoflex Express
A rapid set tile adhesive is the one to reach for when the floor has to be back in use the same day, or when a balcony or terrace repair cannot wait for a standard adhesive to cure.
- Grout after 2 hours. Fast-setting cement builds adhesion and strength quickly in the first 2–3 hours, so you can step on the tiles and grout about 2 hours after fixing.
- Made for quick repairs. Atlas recommends it for fast repairs of tiling, for example on balconies and terraces.
- Gel technology. Silicate gel holds part of the mixing water, so the cement hydrates fully whatever the tile, and the very fast pre-set leaves no time for building salts to gather under and inside the tiles.
- No slip, no settling. Wall tiles can be fixed from the top down without support, and tiles do not sink while the adhesive sets, so you can stop and carry on without a step in the level.
- Thin bed or thick bed. From 2 to 15 mm: thin-bed on an even substrate, thin-bed after a levelling skim on an uneven one, or thick-bed straight onto an uneven substrate.
- Consistency to suit the job. The water range is wider than with traditional adhesives: more water gives full spread under floor and outdoor tiles, less water gives zero slip.
For work that does not need the speed, choose the Atlas Geoflex 25 kg, the standard-setting gel adhesive of the same family.
Where It Can Go
- Tiles — glazed wall tiles, terracotta and porcelain stoneware; clinker, stoneware and ceramic mosaic. Natural stone, glass mosaic and glass tiles after an application test (see the FAQ).
- Sizes — small, medium and large tiles up to 0.50 m², with the longer side up to 100 cm.
- Places — low, medium and high traffic areas, kitchens, bathrooms, laundries and garages in housing, showers and rooms washed with plenty of water, terraces, balconies and loggias, external slab stairs, corridors and other communication routes, and building plinths.
- Standard substrates — cement and anhydrite screeds, cement and cement-lime renders, gypsum plasters, aircrete, brick and block walls.
- Difficult substrates — concrete, terrazzo, waterproofing coatings, plasterboard, gypsum-fibre and cement-fibre boards, heated screeds and heating mats laid in adhesive.
- Over existing finishes — old tiles (tile on tile, indoors only), well-bonded paint and resin coatings, and OSB/3, OSB/4 or chipboard over 25 mm thick on floors and over 18 mm on walls.
Choose another adhesive for facades, pools and tanks, saunas, cantilever stairs, tiles larger than 0.50 m², slim panels, laminated porcelain, concrete and cement tiles, composite and insulation panels, plank floors, metal and plastic.
Preparing the Substrate
Atlas Geoflex Express needs a substrate that is stable, even and clean: free of dust, dirt, lime, oil, grease, wax and old emulsion paint. The bed takes up to 15 mm, so level anything deeper first.
- Absorbent or patchy substrates — prime with Atlas Grunt NKP (undiluted) or Atlas Uni-Grunt Ultra.
- Concrete, terrazzo, old tiles and oil paint — prime with Atlas Ultragrunt. Clean and degrease old tiles, and roughen glazed ones with a diamond disc.
- Wet areas — waterproof first. Tiles can go onto Atlas Woder E after 2 hours as damp-proofing and 4 hours as waterproofing, and onto Atlas Woder Duo after 12 hours.
- Uneven floors — level with Atlas ZW 330; it takes tiles after 5 hours at 5 mm, 10 hours at 10 mm, 20 hours at 20 mm and 48 hours above that.
- Underfloor heating — tiles can go on with the heating off or on. Off: wait at least 7 days before switching it on. On: the screed must be stable at no more than +35 °C, and kept there for 7 days after tiling.
Mixing and Fixing
A rapid set tile adhesive gives you less time with the mix than a standard one, so with Atlas Geoflex Express measure the water and get the tiles ready before you open the bag.
- Pour the bag into 6.0–7.5 l of clean water (0.24–0.30 l per kg): towards 7.5 l for full spread under floor and outdoor tiles, towards 6.0 l for zero slip.
- Mix with a slow-speed drill and paddle to a smooth paste, leave it for 5 minutes, then mix again. Use it within about 45 minutes at the stiffer mix, or about 75 minutes at the wetter one.
- Rub a thin layer into the substrate, then spread a thicker coat and comb it at once with a notched trowel, in one direction where you can and vertically on walls.
- On floors and outside, aim for a full bed under each tile; use the combined method (adhesive on the substrate and on the back of the tile) where needed. Do not soak the tiles.
- Press each tile so that at least two thirds of it is in contact; after pressing, the bed should be at least 4 mm and fill the whole space under the tile. Wipe away adhesive squeezed into the joints as you go.
- You have at least 20 minutes of open time and about 10 minutes to adjust a tile. If adhesive no longer sticks to your fingers, scrape it off and spread fresh.
- Walk on the floor and grout after about 2 hours, then fill expansion, corner and sanitary joints with sanitary silicone, both in grouts and silicones. Pedestrian traffic follows after 2–6 hours and full loads, including wheeled traffic, after about 24 hours.
The times hold at about 23 °C and 55 % humidity; the traffic times apply to a bed up to 5 mm and run longer when it is colder or the bed is thicker. Work between +5 °C and +35 °C. On balconies and terraces, divide the screed into fields of up to 3 x 3 m and carry its joints through the tiling. Clean tools with water straight away; hardened residue comes off with Atlas Szop.
Consumption and Trowel Size
How much rapid set tile adhesive a job takes depends on the tile and the trowel. The figures are for an even substrate; an uneven substrate and the combined method use more.
| Tile size | Wall: tooth / use | Floor: tooth / use |
|---|---|---|
| 2 x 2 cm | 4 mm / 1.4 kg/m² | 4 mm / 1.4 kg/m² |
| 10 x 10 cm | 4 mm / 1.4 kg/m² | 6 mm / 2.2 kg/m² |
| 15 x 60 to 30 x 30 cm | 6 mm / 2.2 kg/m² | 8 mm / 2.8 kg/m² |
| 30 x 60 to 50 x 50 cm | 8 mm / 2.8 kg/m² | 10 mm / 3.4 kg/m² |
| 60 x 60 and 70 x 70 cm | 10 mm / 3.4 kg/m² | 12 mm / 4.3 kg/m² |
| Plank tiles, e.g. 20 x 90 or 15 x 100 cm | 8 mm / 2.8 kg/m² | 10 mm / 3.4 kg/m² |
Floors laid with a 12 mm half-round trowel at the flowing mix (7.5 l per 25 kg) use 6.7 kg/m². To work out bags, take the figure for your tile, multiply it by your area and round up to whole 25 kg bags. The 8 x 8 mm notched trowel and the 10 x 10 mm notched trowel cover the middle of the table.
Atlas Geoflex Express in Figures
| Detail | Atlas Geoflex Express |
|---|---|
| Class | C2FT to EN 12004+A1:2012 |
| What the class means | Improved, fast-setting, reduced slip |
| Where it can be used | Inside and outside, walls and floors |
| Declaration of Performance | 229/CPR |
| Reaction to fire | A1 / A1fl |
| Initial and early adhesion | ≥ 1.0 N/mm² and ≥ 0.5 N/mm² |
| Adhesion after heat ageing, water immersion and freeze-thaw | ≥ 1.0 N/mm² each |
| Bed thickness | 2–15 mm |
| Water | 0.24–0.30 l per kg, 6.0–7.5 l per 25 kg |
| Maturing time | 5 minutes |
| Pot life | About 45 minutes (0.24 l/kg) to about 75 minutes (0.30 l/kg) |
| Open time | At least 20 minutes |
| Adjustment time | 10 minutes |
| Walk on and grout | After 2 hours |
| Full loads, wheeled traffic | After about 24 hours |
| Working temperature | +5 °C to +35 °C |
| Bulk density | About 1.4 g/cm³ |
| Shelf life | 12 months from production in plastic bags |
| Packaging | 25 kg plastic bag of dry mix |
How to Order
- Quantity — use the consumption table above for your tile and trowel; one bag holds 25 kg.
- Dispatch — when the adhesive is in stock, the order leaves Renders World the same day.
- Delivery — we confirm the delivery time after you order; small parcels up to 25 kg go next day and pallets next day or in two working days on the economy option, all delivered to the kerb.
- Collection — Unit 9A, Central Trading Estate, Southampton SO14 5JP, open Monday to Friday 7am–5pm and Saturday 7am–12pm.
- Returns — items bought directly from Renders World can be returned within 14 days in their original condition, apart from goods in paper bags, tinted products and special orders.
FAQ
How soon can I walk on the tiles and grout?
Atlas Geoflex Express is a rapid set tile adhesive, so you can do both after about 2 hours at around 23 °C. Pedestrian traffic follows after 2–6 hours and full loads after about 24 hours; cold weather and a thicker bed slow it down.
What is the difference from the standard Geoflex?
The speed. Atlas Geoflex Express is the fast-setting version that lets you grout after about 2 hours; the standard Geoflex sets at the normal pace.
Can I use it on underfloor heating?
Yes. With the heating off, wait at least 7 days before switching it on; with it on, keep the screed at no more than +35 °C for 7 days after tiling.
Can I tile over old tiles?
Indoors, yes. Remove loose tiles, clean and degrease the rest, roughen glazed ones with a diamond disc and prime with Atlas Ultragrunt.
Can it go outside on a terrace or balcony?
Yes. Use the wetter mix for a full bed under each tile, and split the screed into fields of up to 3 x 3 m with the joints carried through the tiling.
Can I fix natural stone or glass with it?
Test first. Fix one tile with about 60 % of its back in contact and check it after 2–3 days: if there is no shade difference between the contact and non-contact areas, go ahead.