Substrate preparation
and why it lasts
Tile lies flat only as flat as the substrate beneath it. Most "delays" aren't the installation — they're waiting for the substrate to gain strength.
Demolition and cleanup
We remove the old tile, chip off adhesive residue, and haul away the debris. What's under the old tile often reveals things you couldn't see at the measurement.
1 day per 15–20 m²Priming
A dusty substrate won't hold adhesive. Primer binds the dust and evens out moisture absorption, otherwise the adhesive gives up water to the screed faster than it can set.
dries in 4–6 hoursWall leveling
Plastering on beacons if the deviation exceeds 10 mm. Leveling the wall with a layer of adhesive wastes material and leads to tiles coming off later.
1 day + 3–5 days dryingScreed or self-leveling floor
The main reason for the long timeline. Cement screed gains strength over weeks, self-leveling compound is faster, but it isn't ready by the next morning either.
self-leveling 3–7 days, screed up to 21 daysWaterproofing
Bathroom and shower — two layers with wall overlap and corner taping. Each layer dries separately, and there's no way to speed that up.
2 coats × 6–12 hoursInstallation and grouting
We grout no earlier than the adhesive has set across the whole area, otherwise the joint darkens in patches. Epoxy grout also needs a joint clean to full depth.
grouting 24–48 hours after installationBathrooms with the same area can differ by two weeks: the whole difference is in the substrate. Even walls — and we start laying tile the next day. Fresh screed — and it's the calendar that's working, not the crew. At the measurement, we check deviations with a straightedge and give the timeline already factoring in drying.