Bal 20kg Rapid-Flex One White Tile Adhesive

Name: Bal 20kg Rapid-Flex One White Tile Adhesive
Brand: Bal
SKU: B066873
Price: 31.98 GBP
Availability: InStock

£31.98

Tax included. Shipping calculated at checkout.

Special order item: 3-5 days

Quantity

Cement-based powder adhesive — requires mixing before use. Add water on site and mix mechanically. Need more working time or suitability for moisture-sensitive stone? See BAL Flex One — 2½ hour pot life and 45-minute open time.

Pot life is only 60 minutes at 20°C and open time is 30 minutes. Have tiles cut and everything prepared before mixing. Work in small batches. In warmer conditions pot life will be shorter — keep materials cool where possible.

BAL Rapid-Flex One is a rapid-setting, highly polymer-modified S1 flexible tile adhesive for walls and floors — formulated with BAL's FST (Fibre Strand Technology) for improved flexibility, strength, and a smoother consistency that makes mixing and application easier. It sets fast enough to grout after just 3 hours, making it the right choice for renovation projects, commercial installations, or any job where the area needs to return to use quickly. Suitable for large format tiles and panels up to 3m×1m on walls, swimming pools, showers, underfloor heating and most substrates. Backed by BAL's 25-year product guarantee.

Exceeds BS EN 12004 C2F E S1

S1 flexible — highly polymer modified

FST — Fibre Strand Technology

Rapid set — grout after 3 hours

Swimming pools & showers

Underfloor heating compatible

Indoor & outdoor

25-year BAL guarantee

Pack size

20 kg

Type

Powder — mix with water

Classification

C2F E S1

Colour

White

Pot life

≈ 60 min

Open time

>30 min

Grout after Rapid
3 hours

Setting time Rapid
3 hours

Bed thickness

2–6 mm typical

Water per bag (wall)

3.6–4.0 litres

Water per bag (floor)

≈ 5.0 litres

App. temperature

+5°C to +35°C

Working temperature

-30°C to +100°C

Swimming pools

3 weeks after grouting

Shelf life

12 months

Guarantee 25 years
BAL product guarantee

Works with

Ceramic and porcelain tiles — all formats

Vitrified tiles and mosaics

Most natural stone (excluding moisture-sensitive varieties)

Terrazzo and brick slips

Rigid foam insulating materials

Large format wall tiles and panels up to 3m×1m

Floors and walls, internal and external

Swimming pools and hydrotherapy pools

Wet rooms and showers (with BAL Tank-It waterproofing)

Underfloor heating — with BAL uncoupling mat

Timber floors — via backer board or BAL uncoupling mat

Anhydrite/calcium sulphate screeds (with BAL Prime APD)

Existing glazed tiles — with BAL Admix AD1

Fast-turnaround renovation and commercial projects

Not suitable for

Moisture-sensitive or translucent natural stone — use BAL Flex One

Metal, painted surfaces, glass/metal tiles with water-sensitive coating

Direct tiling to timber or plywood — use backer board or uncoupling mat

Glazed tiles without BAL Admix AD1 modification

Bed thickness over 6mm — 12mm in localised areas (max 0.5m²) only

Large areas where remixing mid-job is impractical — consider BAL Flex One

Plaster in commercial wet rooms or domestic power showers

Rapid-Flex One vs Flex One — which do you need?

BAL Rapid-Flex One (this product)

Grout after just 3 hours

Ideal for renovation and fast-turnaround jobs

Large format panels up to 3m×1m on walls

60-minute pot life — work in small batches

Not suitable for moisture-sensitive natural stone

BAL Flex One

Grout after minimum 16 hours

2½ hour pot life — more working time

45-minute open time

Suitable for moisture-sensitive natural stone

Bed thickness up to 15mm (localised)

How to mix and apply this adhesive Surface prep · priming · mixing · fixing · grouting

Preparation & mixing

Prepare the substrate. Surfaces must be flat (SR1), clean, dry, sound and free from contamination, dust, grease and barriers to adhesion. Do not use below 5°C or in damp conditions.

Prime the substrate. Plaster and plasterboard: 2 coats BAL Prime APD undiluted, allow each coat to dry. Anhydrite screeds: mechanically abrade first, then 2 coats BAL Prime APD — 1st coat 1:1 diluted, 2nd coat undiluted. Allow each coat to dry fully.

Plaster: max tile weight 20kg/m². Plasterboard: max 32kg/m².

Underfloor heating. For heated sand/cement screeds use with a BAL uncoupling mat. For electrical undertile heating: encased within an appropriate BAL leveller.

Check manufacturer compatibility before tiling over any heating system.

Prepare everything before mixing. Cut all tiles, have spacers and tools ready. Once mixed you have only 60 minutes — there is no time to stop and cut tiles mid-batch.

Do not add water to adhesive that has begun to thicken. Discard and mix a fresh batch.

Mix. Add powder gradually to clean cold water — approximately 4–5 parts powder to 1 part water by weight. Wall tiling: 3.6–4.0 litres per 20kg bag. Floor tiling: ≈ 5.0 litres. Mix until lump-free, stand for 2 minutes, then remix for 30 seconds. Use slow speed drill (under 300rpm).

Pot life ≈ 60 minutes at 20°C. In warm conditions this will be shorter.

Fixing & finishing

Apply adhesive immediately after mixing using a notched trowel, combing ribs in one direction. Bed thickness 2–6mm typical, up to 12mm in localised areas only (max 0.5m²).

Dry walls (up to 300×300mm): 6mm notch. Wet walls: 6mm solid bed. Floors/external: 10mm solid bed. Mosaics: 4mm notch.

Open time is 30 minutes — fix tiles promptly and work in small sections.

Back-butter large format tiles with a thin layer of adhesive to ensure solid bedding. For solid-bed applications leave no voids behind tiles.

Fix tiles before skin forms — within 30 minutes at 20°C. Press firmly with a slight twisting action. If skin has formed, remove adhesive and apply fresh layer. Do not add water to adhesive that has started to set.

Clean surplus adhesive from tile faces immediately — with a 3-hour set time it will be very difficult to remove once hardened.

Movement joints. Install to BS 5385 Parts 1–5 at all perimeters, internal corners and at regular intervals. Fill with BAL Micromax Silicone Sealant — not grout.

Grout. Wait minimum 3 hours at 20°C before grouting. Use BAL Micromax3 Eco Grout or BAL Absolute Grout. Fill movement joints with BAL Micromax Sealant.

Swimming pools: do not fill for at least 3 weeks after grouting. Showers: do not use for at least 2 weeks after grouting.

Downloads

Technical data sheet Safety data sheet Environmental Product Declaration Declaration of Performance