Mastic

• Mastic comes in a variety of formats depending on the type of tile you are installing, but as a general rule it can be used with any man-made tile, such as glass, ceramic or porcelain. Due to the chemical nature of the adhesive, it is not recommended for use with porous natural stones such as marble or travertine that will soak up the coloring from the mastic. Slate and flagstone can be installed on a wall using mastic. It is a glue-like formula that is sold pre-mixed in containers and ready for application upon purchase.
  
  

Latex-Modified Thinset

• Thinset mortar is a concrete-based adhesive that is the mainstay adhesive for all types of tiles, both man-made and natural. The latex-modified variants are the industry standard for all installations because the additional latex polymers increase the elasticity of the adhesive. This means that seasonal movement or slight movement over time will not affect the overall installation, as the shockwaves will be spread out through the elasticity in the thinset.
  
  

Marble and Granite Thinset

• Marble and granite thinset are special latex-modified thinset mortars that are specifically designed to work with marble and granite and other natural stones. Rather than being a normal-bed (thickness) thinset for the thinner, lighter man-made tiles, marble and granite thinsets are designed to be thicker with a special blend of cement, sands and polymers to provide a higher tensile strength for use with natural stones.
  
  

Rapid-Set Mortars

• Rapid-set mortars and mastics are specialty adhesives that are designed to be used with wall installations that require the tile to set up more quickly in comparison to their traditional counterparts. They are the most expensive type of adhesives available, and are difficult to work with because of their rapid drying time. However, for cases where you need a job finished quickly, they are the only choice.