COMPARISON
How soon can you install tile or flooring over each underlayment?
35 products in our catalog state a time for installing tile or flooring, from 5 minutes (LATICRETE LATICRETE HYDRO BAN Instant Cure) to 1 day (Sika SikaScreed-1). The median is 4 hours. The table shows the 20 shortest, built only from numeric times in manufacturer documents.
Comparison table
| Product | Manufacturer-stated minimum | Condition/source |
|---|---|---|
| LATICRETE LATICRETE HYDRO BAN Instant Cure Liquid membrane with cure spray | 5 minutes | At 70°F (21°C) and 50% relative humidity. |
| ARDEX Feather Finish New Zealand data sheet | 15 minutes | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| MAPEI Planiprep SC Cement-based smoothing compound | 30 minutes | Depends on thickness and environmental conditions. |
| ARDEX A 30 Feather Edge Patching Compound Thin-section floor patching (NZ) | 1 hour | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| MAPEI Mapelastic WaterStop Liquid-applied waterproofing membrane | 1 hour | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Rapid Set (CTS Cement) FLOOR PATCH Powder | 1 hour | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| MAPEI Mapelastic Turbo Fast-setting waterproofing membrane | 1.5 hours | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| MAPEI Planitop 330 Fast Fast-setting patching and smoothing mortar | 1.5 hours | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Sika Level-525 Rapid Powder (all sizes) | 1.5 hours | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| LATICRETE NXT Level Self-Leveling Underlayment Powder (Spanish-language data sheet) | 2 hours | The data sheet does not say what the 2 to 3 hours count from; walkable is stated at 70°F (21°C). |
| Sika SikaLevel Self-leveling underlayment | 2 hours | Check the covering maker's moisture limits. |
| Bostik Screedmaster Deep Self-levelling floor screed (UK) | 3 hours | 48 hours over 10 mm. |
| LATICRETE NXT Level Flow Self-Leveling Underlayment Powder (Spanish-language data sheet) | 3 hours | The data sheet does not say what the 3 to 4 hours count from; walkable is stated at 70°F (21°C). |
| MAPEI Mapecem Rapid-drying screed binder (Malaysia page) | 3 hours | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| ARDEX K60 ARDITEX Rapid latex smoothing compound | 4 hours | Breathable synthetic textile coverings also wait 4 to 5 hours. |
| ARDEX LQ 92 Under Tile Levelling Compound Levelling compound for tile | 4 hours | At 23°C and 50% humidity. |
| ARDEX WPM 002 Liquid-applied waterproofing membrane (NZ) | 4 hours | 16 to 24 hours with other adhesives. |
| Custom Building Products LevelQuik RS Rapid Setting Self-Leveling Underlayment Powder (all sizes) | 4 hours | The data sheet gives no conditions for this time. |
| Rapid Set (CTS Cement) CONCRETE LEVELER Powder | 4 hours | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
| Rapid Set (CTS Cement) LEVELFLOR Self-Leveling Underlayment Powder | 4 hours | The source gives no conditions for this time. |
Quick answers
Which has the shortest stated time for installing tile or flooring?
Among the 35 products in our catalog with a numeric milestone for installing tile or flooring, the shortest is LATICRETE LATICRETE HYDRO BAN Instant Cure at 5 minutes.
How wide is the range for installing tile or flooring?
Stated times run from 5 minutes to 1 day, with a median of 4 hours across 11 manufacturers.
What can change the order?
Temperature, humidity, thickness, airflow, surface preparation and what the manufacturer means by this milestone can all change which product is right. We keep the manufacturer wording on each product page so you can check before relying on a number.