Trade quote
Tell us what you need and we'll come back with a quote.
Share your quantity and project details for a tailored quote.
When a tiling project demands superior flexibility, a bright white finish, and a reliable hold for large format tiles, ARDEX X 17 White delivers. It prevents common failures like tile delamination and cracking over substrates with minor movement. The result is a durable, visually consistent tiled surface that meets both aesthetic and performance expectations.
ARDEX X 17 White is a polymer-fortified, cement-based tile adhesive engineered to address the challenges of modern tiling. Its specialised formulation provides mastic-type properties, allowing for an extended open time and a non-slump characteristic critical for installing heavy or large format tiles, particularly on vertical surfaces. It ensures the adhesive maintains its position without slippage during installation, reducing rework and ensuring alignment. This adhesive provides the necessary flexibility for residential and light commercial wall and floor applications where substrates might experience minor movement.
ARDEX X 17 White mixes easily to a thick, creamy consistency using an electric drill and paddle. A two-stage mixing process—mixing for two minutes, resting for five, then mixing again for two minutes—ensures a lump-free, workable mortar with a three-hour pot life. This allows for efficient work over larger areas. Tiles must be pressed firmly into the wet bed, sliding them perpendicular to the trowel notches to achieve 100% back-of-tile coverage. For tiles with ribbed or keyed profiles, back-buttering ensures complete adhesion. Grouting can typically commence after 24 hours, but dense tiles or colder, humid conditions may require a longer cure. All tools should be cleaned with water immediately after use to prevent adhesive hardening.
ARDEX X 17 White typically functions as the bonding layer between the prepared substrate and the tiles. For porous substrates like concrete or fibre-cement sheeting, priming with ARDEX Multiprime is essential to regulate absorption and improve bond strength. When installing over ARDEX liquid applied waterproofing membranes, this adhesive forms a durable bond once the membrane has fully cured. After tiles are fixed and the adhesive has sufficiently hardened, typically 24 hours later, the joints should be filled with an appropriate ARDEX grout. Critical movement joints must be sealed with an approved sealant, not grout, to maintain system integrity according to AS 3958.
While ARDEX X 18 is formulated for heavy commercial applications, external use, and continuous immersion areas like swimming pools, ARDEX X 17 White is specifically designed for residential and light commercial wall and floor tiling. Both offer S1 flexibility, but X 17 White delivers a bright white finish and is tailored for projects where continuous immersion is not a requirement, making it a suitable choice for internal and sheltered external areas with standard demands for flexibility and high bond strength.
Yes, ARDEX X 17 White is specifically formulated as a non-slump adhesive. This property makes it suitable for securely fixing large format and heavy tiles on both walls and floors without tile movement during installation.
The S1 classification signifies superior flexibility, achieving tensile adhesion strengths of ≥1.0 MPa across varied conditions including dry, water immersion, heat, and freeze/thaw. This level of flexibility helps prevent tile cracking and delamination by accommodating minor substrate movement common in residential and light commercial settings, both internal and external.
No, ARDEX X 17 White is not recommended for continuous immersion applications such as swimming pools or tanks. These demanding environments require alternative ARDEX systems specifically designed for constant water exposure to ensure long-term performance and prevent failure.
No, ARDEX X 17 White should not be used directly over timber or other substrates prone to significant shrinkage and movement. For such applications, ARDEX offers other systems designed to manage these dynamic substrate conditions effectively.
| Application | Key benefit | Primary trades |
|---|---|---|
| Fixing large format and heavy tiles | Non-slump properties prevent tile drop or slippage on walls and floors, ensuring a secure, level installation. | Tilers, Builders |
| Internal and external residential tiling | C2 TE S1 classification confirms high bond strength and flexibility, durable for both interior and exterior conditions. | Tilers, Renovators |
| Tiling over ARDEX liquid applied waterproofing membranes | Ensures compatibility and a strong bond within a certified system, reducing system failure risk. | Waterproofers, Tilers |
| Tiling over existing ceramic tiles (internal dry areas) | Provides reliable adhesion to prepared existing glazed surfaces, avoiding costly and time-consuming tile removal. | Renovators, Tilers |
| Installing fully vitrified, porcelain, ceramic, and mosaics | Formulated for excellent adhesion to a wide range of dense and non-porous tile types, preventing delamination. | Tilers |
| Green Building Council of Australia Green Star projects | Meets specific Green Star requirements for ceramic tile adhesives, supporting project certification. | Builders, Specifiers |
Ensure the substrate is clean, dry, and structurally sound. Mechanically prepare any dense, non-porous surfaces like sealed concrete. Prime porous substrates such as fibre-cement sheet with Ardex Multiprime as required.
Add a 20kg bag of Ardex X 17 powder to approximately 6-6.5 litres of clean water. Mix thoroughly with a paddle mixer for at least 2 minutes to a lump-free, creamy consistency. Let the mix stand for 5 minutes, then give it a final 2-minute mix.
Apply the adhesive to the substrate with the appropriate notched trowel for the tile size. Press tiles firmly into the wet mortar and slide them at a right angle to the trowel lines to ensure full coverage. Check for voids periodically by lifting a tile.
Danger: This product causes skin irritation, may cause an allergic skin reaction, and causes serious eye damage. It may cause respiratory irritation, is suspected of causing genetic defects, and may cause cancer. Causes damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, safety glasses with side shields or chemical goggles, and face protection. When dust is generated, use a half-face filter-type respirator with a P3 particulate filter.
Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area to minimise dust and fume inhalation. Ensure good local exhaust ventilation in enclosed spaces.
Store locked up in original containers, securely sealed, in a cool, dry area protected from environmental extremes and incompatible materials. Keep away from foodstuff containers. Dispose of contents and container to an authorised hazardous or special waste collection point, in accordance with local regulations.
Correct substrate preparation is critical for the long-term performance of tile installations and to prevent premature failures.
Surface prep: Allow concrete to cure for a minimum of 4 weeks. Remove all surface laitance, sealers, curing compounds, and other barrier materials. Mechanically roughen steel trowel finished concrete to achieve a CSP 2-3 profile for a strong mechanical key. Ensure the surface is true, level, and pitched correctly for drainage.
Primer: Not required if the concrete is clean, porous, and properly prepared. If conditions are questionable, consider priming with a suitable ARDEX primer.
Surface prep: Ensure existing tiles are sound, firm, and stable. Mechanically roughen the glazed surface, removing at least 80% of the glaze. Clean thoroughly to remove all contamination and dust before tiling.
Primer: Required. Prime with ARDEX Multiprime or ARDEX P9 to enhance adhesion and consolidate the surface.
Surface prep: Boards must be fixed firmly and rigidly according to manufacturer specifications to support the tile bed. Ensure surfaces are dry and clean.
Primer: Optional. Priming is recommended for fibre-cement sheets. For plasterboard, priming is generally not necessary unless jointing compound has been used.
Surface prep: Sheets must be installed strictly in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and confirmed suitable for the intended application.
Primer: Recommended. Consult sheet manufacturer's recommendations for specific priming requirements.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Colour | White |
| Mixing Ratio | 1 vol water: 3 vol powder |
| Water Required (per 20kg) | 6 - 6.5 litres |
| Open Time | 30 minutes |
| Adjustment Time | 20 minutes |
| Grouting Time | 24 hours |
| Pot Life | 3 hours |
| Sagging | None |
| Underfloor Heating Suitability | Yes |
| Tensile Adhesion Strength (28 Days Dry) | ≥1.0 MPa |
| Tensile Adhesion Strength (Water Immersion) | ≥1.0 MPa |
| Tensile Adhesion Strength (Heat) | ≥1.0 MPa |
| Tensile Adhesion Strength (Freeze Thaw) | ≥1.0 MPa |
| Classification | C2 TE S1 (ISO 13007) |
| Packaging | 20kg polylined paper sacks |
Here are some common examples on where Ardex X 17 Tile Adhesive used by our customers.
