How to Glue Tomettes: The Complete Guide

Tomettes, those beautiful hexagonal or square terracotta tiles that bring warmth and character to floors across the Mediterranean and beyond, have been used for centuries in homes, kitchens, terraces, and hallways. Whether you are restoring an old farmhouse or installing a brand new terracotta floor, the success of your project depends almost entirely on one factor that is often overlooked: the quality of the adhesive you use. A beautiful tomette floor laid with the wrong glue will crack, lift, or shift within months. A properly chosen adhesive, on the other hand, will keep your tiles firmly in place for decades.

This is exactly why, before anything else, we want to talk about the product itself. At Ferber Painting, we developed our Tiling Glue specifically with natural stone and terracotta tiles like tomettes in mind, and it is the only tiling adhesive on the market that comes with a full satisfaction guaranteed or money back policy. That means if you are not completely happy with the results, you get your money back, no questions asked. No other manufacturer in this space offers that level of confidence in their own product, and we believe that says everything about the quality you are getting.

In this complete guide, we will explain why choosing the right glue matters so much, why Ferber Painting Tiling Glue stands above the competition, and then walk you step by step through the entire process of gluing tomettes like a professional. We will also look at real world scenarios, from restoring a century old farmhouse floor to installing brand new terracotta on a modern terrace, so that whatever project you are tackling, you can move forward with confidence and avoid the pitfalls that trip up so many first time installers.

Tomettes are not simply decorative objects. They carry history, texture, and a certain irregularity that is part of their charm but also part of the challenge when it comes to installation. Unlike mass produced ceramic tiles that come out of a factory with perfectly uniform thickness and dimensions, tomettes are often handmade or reclaimed, meaning every single tile can behave slightly differently once adhesive is applied. Understanding this reality from the very beginning will help you approach the entire project with the right mindset, and it explains why so much of this guide focuses on preparation, patience, and choosing materials that are forgiving rather than rigid.

Why the Right Adhesive Is the Foundation of a Successful Tomette Floor

Tomettes are porous, dense, and often irregular in shape and thickness, especially when they are reclaimed or handmade. This means the adhesive you choose needs to do several things at once: it must have strong initial grab to hold heavy tiles in place, it must remain flexible enough to absorb small movements in the subfloor without cracking, and it must allow enough open time for you to adjust each tile before it sets.

Many DIY enthusiasts and even some professionals make the mistake of using a generic all-purpose adhesive, thinking that glue is glue. This is one of the most common causes of tomette floor failure. Standard adhesives are usually formulated for ceramic tiles, which are far less porous and much more uniform in thickness than terracotta. As a result, they either dry too fast, do not bond properly to the porous underside of the tomette, or become brittle over time and crack under foot traffic.

This is why we always recommend starting your project with a purpose built product like Ferber Painting Tiling Glue. It has been engineered with a formulation that respects the specific needs of terracotta and natural stone tiles, giving you a much higher chance of a long lasting, professional looking result on the very first try.

It is also worth understanding a little of the science behind why porosity matters so much. Terracotta tiles are fired at relatively low temperatures compared to ceramic or porcelain, which leaves the clay body with a network of tiny pores. These pores are wonderful for the character and patina of the tile, allowing it to absorb natural oils and develop that rich, aged look over time. But from an adhesive standpoint, this same porosity means the tile will draw moisture out of the glue much faster than a dense ceramic tile would. If the adhesive is not formulated to compensate for this rapid moisture loss, it can cure unevenly, losing strength exactly where you need it most, at the interface between the tile and the subfloor. A glue that dries too quickly on the surface while remaining wet underneath will never achieve full mechanical strength, and this is precisely the kind of hidden failure that shows up months or years later as hollow sounding tiles, cracked grout lines, or tiles that pop loose entirely.

Another factor to consider is thermal and structural movement. Tomettes are frequently installed over wooden subfloors in older homes, and wood naturally expands and contracts with humidity and temperature changes throughout the year. A rigid, brittle adhesive has no ability to absorb this movement, so the stress gets transferred directly into the tile or the grout joint, eventually causing cracks. A flexible adhesive, by contrast, acts almost like a cushion, allowing tiny amounts of movement without transferring that stress into the tile itself. This is one of the main reasons flexibility after curing is such an important criterion when selecting a tiling adhesive for terracotta.

Why Ferber Painting Tiling Glue Is the Best Choice on the Market

There are dozens of tiling adhesives available today, but very few are designed specifically with tomettes and terracotta in mind, and even fewer come with the kind of guarantees and service that Ferber Painting offers. Here are the main reasons our product consistently outperforms the competition.

• Satisfaction guaranteed or money back: we are the only brand in this category to offer a full refund if you are not satisfied, which shows how confident we are in the results.
• Formulated for porous materials: our glue is specifically balanced to bond deeply into porous terracotta without drying out too quickly.
• Extended open time: you get more working time to position and adjust each tomette before the adhesive begins to set, which is essential when working with irregular reclaimed tiles.
• Flexible bond after curing: this reduces the risk of cracking caused by natural movements in wooden or older subfloors.
• Fast and reliable worldwide shipping through our international carrier network, so you receive your order quickly no matter where you are.
• Simple and secure online payment directly on our website, with no complicated ordering process.

Beyond these headline benefits, it is worth taking a moment to think about what actually happens on a jobsite when you choose the wrong product. Imagine you are halfway through laying a beautiful antique tomette floor salvaged from a demolished farmhouse. The tiles are irregular, some slightly thicker than others, and you need time to level each one carefully. If your adhesive starts to skin over and lose its tack after only ten or fifteen minutes, you are suddenly racing against the clock instead of focusing on getting each tile perfectly level. This kind of pressure leads to rushed work, poorly bedded tiles, and a finished floor that looks uneven when the light hits it at a low angle. Extended open time solves this problem at its source, giving you the breathing room to work at a pace that produces a genuinely professional result, whether you are a seasoned tiler or tackling your first restoration project.

The satisfaction guaranteed or money back policy also deserves a bit more explanation, because it is genuinely rare in this industry. Most adhesive manufacturers will only replace a product if it arrives damaged or defective in the packaging. They rarely, if ever, stand behind the actual performance of the product once it has been applied to a floor. Ferber Painting takes a different approach. We believe that if our glue does not perform to your expectations on your specific project, whether that is a rustic terrace, a busy kitchen, or a delicate restoration of antique tomettes, you should not be the one left carrying the financial risk. This policy has shaped the way we formulate and test our products, because we know we have to stand behind every batch that leaves our facility.

To make the comparison even clearer, here is how Ferber Painting Tiling Glue stacks up against typical generic adhesives found in most hardware stores.

Criteria	Ferber Painting Tiling Glue	Generic Tiling Adhesives
Satisfaction guarantee	Full money back guarantee	Rarely offered, or limited to defects only
Designed for porous terracotta tiles	Yes, specifically formulated	Usually designed for ceramic only
Open working time	Extended, ideal for irregular tiles	Often too short
Flexibility after curing	High, reduces cracking risk	Variable, often brittle
Shipping	Fast worldwide delivery	Depends on local retailer stock
Online purchase and payment	Simple, secure, direct on our site	Not always available online

As this table shows, the difference is not just marketing. It comes down to formulation, service, and the confidence we have in standing behind our product with a real guarantee. When you add up the cost of a failed tiling job, including the tiles themselves, the labor to remove and relay them, and the frustration of having to redo a room you thought was finished, the price difference between a generic adhesive and a purpose built product like ours becomes almost irrelevant. Choosing the right glue from the start is simply the most cost effective decision you can make on a tomette project.

How to Glue Tomettes: Step by Step Guide

Now that you understand why the choice of adhesive matters so much, let’s go through the full process of gluing tomettes correctly, from preparing the surface to the final finishing touches. This section is designed to be followed in order, since each step builds on the one before it, and skipping ahead is one of the most common reasons projects run into trouble.

Step 1: Prepare the Subfloor

Before laying a single tile, your subfloor needs to be clean, dry, level, and structurally sound. Any dust, grease, old paint residue, or loose material will prevent the adhesive from bonding properly.

• Remove any old flooring, glue residue, or debris completely.
• Check that the surface is level using a long spirit level, correcting any dips or bumps with a leveling compound if necessary.
• Vacuum and wipe the surface to remove all dust.
• If the subfloor is particularly porous or dusty, apply a primer suited to the material to improve adhesion.

A well prepared subfloor is just as important as a good adhesive, since even the best glue will struggle to perform on an unstable or dirty base.

It is worth spending extra time on this step depending on the type of subfloor you are working with. On a concrete slab, check for any signs of rising damp before you begin, since terracotta is porous and will readily absorb moisture from below if the slab has not fully cured or if there is no effective damp proof membrane in place. A simple test is to tape a small sheet of plastic to the concrete and leave it overnight. If condensation forms underneath the following morning, the slab is too damp to tile over safely and you will need to address that moisture issue first, either by waiting longer for the concrete to cure or by installing an appropriate moisture barrier.

On a wooden subfloor, structural rigidity is the priority. Any bounce or flex in the floor joists will eventually translate into cracked grout lines or loosened tiles, no matter how good your adhesive is. It is common practice to overlay old wooden floorboards with cement backer board or plywood rated for tiling, screwed down at close intervals to eliminate movement, before applying any adhesive. Skipping this step to save time is one of the most frequent causes of tomette floors failing within the first year or two, particularly in older homes where the original floorboards have already seen decades of wear.

If you are working over existing tiles, whether ceramic or old terracotta that you are choosing not to remove, make sure the surface is roughened slightly with a sander or scarifier so the new adhesive has something to mechanically key into, since glossy or sealed tile surfaces offer very poor adhesion on their own.

Step 2: Plan the Layout

Tomettes often come in hexagonal, square, or octagonal shapes, sometimes combined with smaller cabochon tiles to fill the gaps. Before applying any glue, dry lay a section of your tiles to visualize the pattern, check the spacing, and decide where cuts will be needed near walls or corners.

• Find the center point of the room and work outward for a symmetrical layout.
• Use spacers if you want consistent joint width, although many traditional tomette floors are laid with very tight or irregular joints for an authentic rustic look.
• Mark reference lines on the subfloor using a chalk line to keep your rows straight.

Dry laying an entire room, or at least a generous sample area, before committing to any glue is one of those steps that experienced tilers never skip, even though it can feel like an unnecessary delay when you are eager to get started. Laying tomettes dry allows you to spot problems while they are still easy to fix. You might discover that the pattern does not center nicely on a doorway, that a particular batch of tiles has more color variation than expected and needs to be mixed evenly across the room rather than concentrated in one corner, or that the spacing you had planned leaves an awkward sliver of cut tile along one wall. All of these issues are trivial to correct on a dry run and extremely frustrating to correct once tiles are glued down.

When working with reclaimed tomettes in particular, take time to sort the tiles by thickness and color tone before you begin. Old tomettes salvaged from a previous installation can vary quite a bit from one batch to another, and mixing tiles of similar thickness together within the same run will make the leveling process during installation much easier. Similarly, blending color variations across the whole floor rather than laying tile by tile in the order they came out of the pallet will give you a much more natural, cohesive look once the project is finished.

For rooms with an irregular shape, or where walls are not perfectly square, which is extremely common in older buildings, it often makes sense to start your layout from the most visually prominent line in the room, such as the threshold of the main entrance, rather than strictly centering on the geometric middle of the space. This way, any necessary adjustments to accommodate an out of square wall get pushed to the least visible edges of the room, such as behind a door or under a piece of furniture, rather than showing up as an obvious sliver of cut tile in the center of your view.

Step 3: Mix and Apply Ferber Painting Tiling Glue

Once your layout is confirmed, it is time to apply the adhesive. If you are using our ready to use formula, no mixing is required, which saves time and avoids inconsistencies that can happen when mixing powder adhesives on site.

• Apply the glue to a small section of the subfloor using a notched trowel, working in areas no larger than one square meter at a time so the adhesive does not dry before you place the tiles.
• Hold the trowel at a consistent angle to create even ridges, which help the tile bed down properly and allow trapped air to escape.
• For particularly porous or uneven tomettes, you can also back butter each tile by applying a thin layer of glue directly to the back of the tile for extra bond strength.

The choice of trowel notch size matters more than many first time installers realize. For tomettes, which are typically thicker and heavier than standard ceramic wall tiles, a larger notch, generally in the range of ten to twelve millimeters, is usually appropriate to ensure enough adhesive is deposited to fully support the tile and fill any irregularities on its underside. Using too small a notch is a common mistake that results in insufficient coverage, leaving voids under the tile that can lead to cracking under point loads, such as the leg of a heavy piece of furniture or a dropped object in the kitchen.

Back buttering, mentioned briefly above, deserves a bit more attention because it is one of the simplest techniques you can use to dramatically improve the long term performance of your tomette floor, particularly with reclaimed or handmade tiles that often have uneven, cupped, or textured backs. By applying a thin, even coat of adhesive directly to the tile in addition to the adhesive already on the subfloor, you ensure that every irregularity in the tile is filled in, maximizing the contact area between tile and glue. This technique takes a little more time per tile, but for an investment as significant as a tomette floor, the extra effort is almost always worthwhile, especially in areas that will see heavy foot traffic or the weight of furniture.

Pay attention as well to the ambient conditions while you work. Adhesives, including ours, behave differently depending on temperature and humidity. On a hot day, or if you are working near a sunny window, the open time of any adhesive will be shortened, so it makes sense to work in smaller sections than usual. On a cold or damp day, curing will take longer, and you should plan your schedule accordingly rather than assuming the standard curing times will apply regardless of conditions.

Step 4: Lay the Tomettes

Place each tile firmly into the adhesive bed, pressing down and using a slight twisting motion to ensure full contact and eliminate air pockets. Use a rubber mallet and a flat wooden board to gently tap the tile level with its neighbors.

• Check alignment frequently with a level, since tomettes can vary slightly in thickness and need adjusting as you go.
• Wipe away any excess glue that squeezes out of the joints immediately, before it dries, using a damp sponge.
• Continue section by section, always working from your reference lines outward.

Thanks to the extended open time of Ferber Painting Tiling Glue, you have more room to make these small adjustments without the adhesive setting too quickly underneath you, which is a major advantage compared to standard fast setting adhesives.

One technique professional tilers rely on heavily when working with irregular tiles like tomettes is what is sometimes called the string line and straightedge method. Rather than relying purely on the eye to judge whether a row is straight, stretch a taut string line along your reference marks and periodically lay a long straightedge across several tiles at once. This will immediately reveal any tile that is sitting slightly proud or slightly recessed compared to its neighbors, allowing you to correct it while the adhesive underneath is still workable, rather than discovering the problem days later once everything has cured solid.

Lippage, which is the term for uneven height between adjacent tile edges, is one of the most common cosmetic issues in tomette installations, and it is almost entirely preventable with careful attention during this stage. Because tomettes are rarely perfectly uniform in thickness, some amount of adjustment is normal and expected. The key is to distribute small thickness variations gradually across several tiles rather than trying to force a single tile to match its neighbor exactly, which can create stress points and, over time, cracking.

As you work, keep a bucket of clean water and a couple of sponges close at hand. Terracotta is a forgiving material in many ways, but dried adhesive residue on the surface of a tomette can be genuinely difficult to remove once it has cured, sometimes requiring mechanical abrasion that can damage the natural patina of the tile. Wiping away excess glue promptly, while it is still fresh, will save you significant cleanup work later and protect the appearance of your finished floor.

If your layout includes smaller cabochon tiles filling the gaps between larger hexagonal or octagonal tomettes, lay these secondary pieces as you go rather than leaving them all until the end. This keeps your overall pattern consistent and makes it much easier to spot and correct any small misalignments while the surrounding tiles are still adjustable.

Step 5: Let It Cure

Once all your tomettes are laid, resist the temptation to walk on the floor too soon. Most adhesives, including ours, require at least 24 to 48 hours of curing time before any foot traffic, and up to a week before grouting, depending on humidity and temperature. Always check the specific curing time indicated on the product packaging.

During this curing period, it is a good idea to protect the floor from dust, debris, and accidental contact, particularly if the installation is taking place in a home that is still occupied or under renovation. Covering the floor loosely with breathable material, such as cardboard sheets, rather than airtight plastic, will keep dust off the surface without trapping moisture that could interfere with the curing process. Avoid placing any heavy objects or setting up scaffolding directly on the fresh tiles during this window, since even light pressure applied unevenly can shift a tile before the adhesive has reached its full strength.

Temperature and humidity in the room will significantly affect how quickly the adhesive reaches full cure. In a warm, dry environment, curing may proceed on the faster end of the stated range. In a cold, damp room, particularly during winter months or in older stone buildings that naturally hold more moisture, it is wise to extend the curing period beyond the minimum recommendation just to be safe. Rushing this stage to save a day or two is rarely worth the risk of a tile shifting or a joint cracking before the adhesive has fully set.

Step 6: Grout and Seal

After the adhesive has fully cured, you can proceed with grouting the joints between your tomettes. Choose a grout color that complements the natural tones of the terracotta, and apply it with a rubber float, working diagonally across the joints. Clean off excess grout with a damp sponge before it dries completely.

Finally, since tomettes are porous by nature, applying a quality sealant is highly recommended to protect the tiles from stains, moisture, and daily wear, especially in kitchens or high traffic areas.

When selecting a grout for a tomette floor, many installers choose a color that sits close to the natural terracotta tone rather than a stark white or grey, since this tends to produce a more cohesive, traditional look that lets the tiles themselves remain the visual focus of the room. That said, some modern interpretations of the tomette floor deliberately use a contrasting grout to highlight the geometric pattern of hexagonal or octagonal tiles, so this really comes down to personal taste and the overall style of the space. Regardless of the color you choose, avoid rushing the grouting process. Work in small sections, packing the grout firmly into each joint with the rubber float held at an angle so the edge of the float scrapes away excess material as you go. Wait a few minutes for the grout to begin firming up on the surface before making your first pass with a barely damp sponge, rinsing the sponge frequently in clean water to avoid smearing grout haze across the face of the tiles.

Terracotta has a particular tendency to develop a stubborn haze from grout residue if it is not cleaned promptly, since the porous surface can absorb fine particles of grout before they are wiped away. If you do end up with haze after the grout has dried, there are specialized haze removing products available, but prevention through careful cleaning during the grouting process itself is always easier than correction afterward.

Sealing deserves particular attention because it is the step most often skipped or rushed by DIY installers, and it is also the step that most directly affects how well your floor holds up to daily life. Terracotta left unsealed will readily absorb oil, wine, coffee, and other common household spills, leaving permanent dark stains that are extremely difficult to remove. A quality sealant, whether a penetrating impregnating sealer that soaks into the pores of the tile or a surface sealer that forms a protective film on top, dramatically reduces this risk. Impregnating sealers tend to be preferred for tomettes because they preserve the natural matte look and texture of the terracotta while still offering strong stain resistance, whereas surface sealers can sometimes give the tile an artificial shine that some homeowners find less authentic.

Plan on applying at least two coats of sealer, allowing the manufacturer’s recommended drying time between coats, and expect to reapply sealer periodically over the years, particularly in high traffic areas like entryways and kitchens, since the protective layer does wear down gradually with foot traffic and cleaning.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Gluing Tomettes

Even with the best adhesive, a few common errors can compromise the final result. Keep these points in mind throughout your project.

• Skipping subfloor preparation, which is one of the leading causes of tiles lifting over time.
• Applying too much adhesive at once, causing it to dry before the tiles are placed.
• Using an adhesive not designed for porous materials, resulting in weak or uneven bonding.
• Walking on the floor before the recommended curing time has passed.
• Forgetting to seal the tomettes after grouting, leaving them vulnerable to staining.

Beyond these frequently cited mistakes, there are a few subtler errors worth mentioning that even experienced installers occasionally fall into. One is failing to account for expansion joints in larger installations. Any tiled floor that spans a significant area, particularly one that experiences temperature swings such as a sunroom, terrace, or conservatory, needs periodic expansion joints to allow for natural movement of the overall structure. Omitting these joints in a large tomette installation can lead to widespread cracking that has nothing to do with the quality of the adhesive itself and everything to do with the physics of a rigid material trying to expand across a long, uninterrupted span.

Another subtle mistake is neglecting to condition or dampen extremely dry, dusty reclaimed tomettes before installation. Very old, very porous tiles that have been sitting in storage for years can be so dry that they draw moisture out of the adhesive almost instantly, a phenomenon sometimes called adhesive starvation. Lightly dampening the back of particularly dry tiles with a wet sponge just before applying the adhesive can help equalize this moisture transfer and improve the overall bond strength, though this technique should be used with judgment and is generally unnecessary with our formulation given its balanced moisture retention properties.

Finally, do not underestimate the importance of reading and following the specific instructions printed on your adhesive packaging. Even within the same broad category of tiling adhesive, formulations can vary in their exact working time, curing schedule, and recommended trowel size, and the manufacturer’s specific guidance should always take precedence over general advice, including much of the general advice offered in this guide.

Choosing a reliable, purpose built product like Ferber Painting Tiling Glue removes much of the guesswork from this process, since the formulation is designed to be forgiving even for those laying tomettes for the first time.

Mini FAQ

Can Ferber Painting Tiling Glue be used on old, reclaimed tomettes?

Yes, it is specifically formulated to bond well with older, more porous terracotta tiles, including reclaimed and antique tomettes.

How long does it take to receive my order?

Thanks to our international network of carriers, delivery times are among the fastest in the industry, wherever you are located in the world.

What happens if I am not satisfied with the product?

Ferber Painting offers a satisfaction guaranteed or money back policy on all products, including our Tiling Glue, so you can order with complete peace of mind.

Do I need to mix the glue before use?

No, our Tiling Glue comes ready to use, saving you time and ensuring a consistent formula every time.

Is it suitable for both indoor and outdoor tomette installations?

Yes, it is designed to perform reliably in a variety of environments, including terraces and other outdoor applications.

Conclusion

Gluing tomettes successfully comes down to careful preparation, a methodical step by step approach, and above all, choosing an adhesive that is truly suited to the porous, irregular nature of terracotta tiles. While the technique matters, no amount of skill can fully compensate for a poor quality product that dries too fast, bonds weakly, or becomes brittle over time.

Whether you are laying a small hallway with reclaimed antique tomettes salvaged from a demolition, tiling an entire kitchen floor in a new build, or restoring a terrace that has seen decades of sun and rain, the fundamentals remain the same. Take the time to prepare your subfloor properly, plan your layout with care, work with an adhesive formulated for the specific demands of porous terracotta, allow adequate curing time, and finish the job with quality grout and sealant. Follow these principles and your tomette floor will not just look beautiful on the day it is finished, it will remain beautiful and structurally sound for many years, developing the rich patina that makes terracotta such a beloved flooring material in the first place.

Order Ferber Painting Tiling Glue today directly on our website and enjoy fast worldwide delivery, secure online payment, and the peace of mind that comes with our satisfaction guaranteed or money back promise.