Walk into any tiler’s van across QLD and NSW and there’s a good chance you’ll find a bag of ADH-44 in it. It’s ACT Australia’s best-selling tile adhesive for a simple reason: it’s a premium, flexible, high-strength mastic that holds up on almost every job you throw at it — and it’s easy to work with from mix to trowel.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Where ADH-44 Gets Used
ADH-44 is a powder mastic-style adhesive suited to both walls and floors, indoors and out. It bonds reliably to:
- Concrete
- Sand and cement screeds
- Green screed
- Cement render
- Fibrous cement sheeting
It also handles large-format tiles and porcelain with ease, and it’s rated for tiling straight over existing tiled surfaces (priming required) — a handy option for renovation jobs where ripping up the old tile isn’t practical.
Coverage: one 20kg bag mixes with approximately 6L of clean drinking water and covers around 7-8 square metres using a 10mm notch trowel.
The Performance Ratings Behind the Reputation
ADH-44 carries a full set of performance ratings that translate directly into a better result on site:
- C2 — High Adhesion Strength, for a bond that holds
- E — Extended Open Time, giving you more working time before it skins over
- F — Fast Setting, so you’re not waiting around between stages
- T — Non Slip / Non Slump, so tiles stay put on vertical surfaces
- S1 — Good Flexibility, with crack-bridging capability up to 1mm
Together, that’s an adhesive built to perform across a wide range of substrates and conditions, thanks in part to ACT’s Infused Primer Technology (IPT) — which means most surfaces won’t need a separate priming step first.
How to Mix It
- Measure roughly 6 litres of clean water into a clean bucket for each 20kg bag.
- Slowly add the ADH-44 powder into the water.
- Mix with a quality drill and mixing paddle until you reach a smooth, lump-free, toothpaste-like consistency.
- Let it sit for 3 minutes, then re-stir before use.
That’s it — your adhesive is ready to apply.
Applying ADH-44
Use the notch trowel size suited to your tile and substrate, and work the adhesive firmly in for full contact and a good bond. It should sit up and hold its shape while wet and tacky, without slumping.
A few things worth keeping in mind:
- Open time is approximately 30 minutes at 23°C. If the adhesive skins over before you lay tiles, scrape it off and apply a fresh layer rather than tiling over it.
- Minimum bed thickness is 2mm for walls and 4mm for floors, depending on tile size and substrate.
- Curing time before grouting is a minimum of 7 hours. Impervious substrates — waterproofing membranes, non-absorbent tiles — will need longer depending on site conditions and temperature. Always confirm the adhesive has fully set before grouting.
Why It’s Still Our Best-Seller
ADH-44 earns its spot for one reason above all: it just works. It’s genuinely versatile across substrate types, forgiving enough for a wide range of site conditions, and straightforward to mix and apply — which is exactly what tradies want from the product they reach for on repeat.
Ready to put it to the test on your next job? Explore ADH-44 here, or find your nearest distributor here.
