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Why Kerakoll? The system behind a tidy tile job
Why this brand · Kerakoll #1 · The brands Saniso stocks, and why
Walk onto a tiling job in the Netherlands and there's a good chance you'll see the green-and-white Kerakoll buckets and bags. Why do so many tilers, and more and more DIYers, stick to this one brand from the first coat of primer to the last bead of sealant? In this first edition of our new series Why this brand we look at the Kerakoll tile system: where the brand comes from, how primer, adhesive, grout and sealant fit together, what makes the brand strong (in a reader-friendly SWOT), and which Kerakoll products you can order at Saniso today.
In short
Who: an Italian manufacturer from Sassuolo, founded in 1968, specialised in tile adhesives from day one.
Why a system: primer, adhesive, grout and sealant from one maker, with one colour code for grout and sealant.
Colour: 50 KK colours, shared by Fugabella Color, Fugalite Color and Silicone Color.
Adhesives: from a classic gel adhesive in a bag to a ready-to-use bucket and a hybrid gel for demanding jobs.
At Saniso: 8 Kerakoll products in this guide from €17.55, prices incl. and excl. VAT.
Who is Kerakoll, and where does the brand come from?
Kerakoll was founded in 1968 by Romano Sghedoni in Sassuolo, in the heart of the most important ceramic district in Italy. The name says it all: it combines the Greek kéramos (ceramic) and kólla (glue). The company started with tile adhesives, and the H40 name you still see on its best-known gel adhesive goes back to the 1970s, when Kerakoll launched H40 Flex for porcelain stoneware tiles. In 2010 it adopted the tagline The GreenBuilding Company, and in 2023 it obtained B Corp certification. The full sustainability story is already on our blog, in the article on how Kerakoll approaches green building, so here we focus on what the brand means on your tile job.
Why do tilers choose one brand for the whole tile job?
A tiled wall or floor is a stack of layers: substrate, primer, adhesive, tile, grout and sealant. When every layer comes from the same manufacturer, the products are developed and described with the same approach. You read one style of technical data, you work with one colour code for grout and sealant, and you have one logic for the whole job. For a tiler that means fewer questions on site and a finish that looks the same in every room. For a DIYer it means one clear shopping list instead of a shelf full of guesswork. Many Kerakoll packs also carry the brand's own GreenBuilding Rating, a quick way to see the product's environmental profile at a glance.
What does the Kerakoll tile system look like, from primer to sealant?
Here is how the layers fit together. The full step-by-step method for tiling (layout, notched trowel, spacers, grouting) is already explained in our guide on how to tile a wall, step by step, so we keep this to the brand overview.
| Layer | What it does | Kerakoll at Saniso |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Prepare | Gives the adhesive a sound, even grip on the substrate | Active Prime Fix |
| 2. Waterproof (wet zones) | Keeps water out from behind the tiles in showers and wet rooms | Kerakoll waterproofing, such as Nanodefense Eco and the Aquastop range |
| 3. Bond | Holds the tile on wall or floor | H40 Gel, Bioflex, Biogel Ready, Biogel Extreme |
| 4. Grout | Fills the joints between the tiles, in 50 KK colours | Fugabella Color, Fugalite Color |
| 5. Seal | Closes corners and movement joints, in the same KK colour | Silicone Color |
| 6. Clean and care | Removes resin residue and streaks after grouting | Fuga-Soap, Fuga-Wash, Fuga-Shock (see our Color Fill guide) |
What are Kerakoll's strengths and opportunities for your tile job? (a positive SWOT)
A SWOT usually looks at a brand from a boardroom. We wrote this one for the person holding the trowel: what the brand does well, where it opens doors for you, where it fits best and why we stock it.
Strengths
- One maker for every layer: primer, adhesive, grout and sealant that are developed side by side.
- One colour language: 50 KK colours across Fugabella Color, Fugalite Color and Silicone Color, so the sealant matches the grout.
- An adhesive for every situation: a gel adhesive in a bag (H40), a mineral classic (Bioflex), ready-to-use (Biogel Ready) and a hybrid gel (Biogel Extreme).
- Healthy to work with: the product pages of H40 Gel and Bioflex mention very low VOC emissions.
- Experience: more than 55 years of tile adhesives, from the heart of Italy's ceramic district.
Opportunities
- Large-format tiles: H40 Gel is suitable for formats up to 3000 × 1500 mm, ideal for today's popular big slabs.
- Coloured joints: dark, warm and stone-look joints are popular, and with the KK palette every corner bead matches.
- Renovation: deformable adhesives such as the Biogel range are made for substrates that move.
- Conscious building: clients who ask about healthier, more sustainable materials will recognise B Corp and the GreenBuilding approach.
Where Kerakoll fits best
- Bathrooms and showers, where grout, sealant and waterproofing have to work as one.
- Kitchens and splashbacks, especially with stain-proof Fugalite Color.
- Large floors and walls with big porcelain tiles.
- Pools, spas and saunas, which the product pages of H40 Gel and Silicone Color name as suitable.
Why Saniso carries Kerakoll
- It completes a full tile job in one cart: tiles, Kerakoll products and tools from our range.
- Clear prices incl. and excl. VAT, so both pros and private customers see what they pay.
- A wider Kerakoll range is available on request: add products to your Project List for a bulk quotation.
- Thousands of products in stock in the Netherlands and next-workday delivery when it fits in a parcel.
How do you start the Kerakoll way: with a primer?
A primer is the step people skip most often, while it decides how well everything on top of it holds. It binds dust, evens out how much moisture the substrate draws from the adhesive and helps on smooth, non-absorbent surfaces. Check the technical sheet of your adhesive for which substrates need a primer.
Active Prime Fix 5 kg (Kerakoll primer)
A rapid, universal adhesion promoter for cement-based adhesives, self-levelling products, finishes and plasters. Single-component and water-based, for indoor and outdoor use. It suits absorbent and non-absorbent substrates, dries quickly and covers about 0.1–0.2 kg/m².
What is it for? The first coat on a dusty, porous or very smooth substrate, so the adhesive or levelling compound that follows gets a good grip.
Which Kerakoll tile adhesive fits your tile and substrate?
Kerakoll has an adhesive for every type of job. Use this overview to find yours, then read the product blocks below. All figures come from the product pages on saniso.nl.
| Adhesive | Type | Good to know | Typical job |
|---|---|---|---|
| H40 Gel | Gel adhesive (bag) | Formats up to 3000 × 1500 mm, 2–15 mm bed, open time about 30 min | All-round walls and floors, indoors and outdoors |
| Bioflex | Mineral adhesive (bag) | No vertical slip, long open time, about 1.25 kg/m² per mm | Standard wall and floor tiles |
| Biogel Ready | Ready-to-use gel (bucket) | No mixing, highly elastic, about 1.6 kg/m² | Small jobs, flexible substrates |
| Biogel Extreme | Hybrid gel (monopack) | Very fast bond, very high deformability | Demanding substrates, fast turnarounds |
Kerakoll H40 White Gel 25 kg
A multifunctional gel adhesive for ceramic tiles and natural stone on almost any substrate, including large formats up to 3000 × 1500 mm. No vertical slip, an open time of about 30 minutes, a bed of 2–15 mm and very low VOC emissions. White uses about 1.2 kg/m² per mm. Also available in grey.
What is it for? Your all-round adhesive for walls and floors, indoors and outdoors, and according to the product page also for pools, spas, saunas and facades.
Read also: How to tile a wall: step-by-step DIY guide
Kerakoll Bioflex 25 kg
A mineral adhesive for porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles and natural stone, with no vertical slip and a long open time. Made with organic salts and extra-pure inert minerals, with very low VOC emissions. Coverage about 1.25 kg/m² per mm.
What is it for? A reliable everyday adhesive for standard wall and floor tiles in bathrooms, toilets and kitchens.
Kerakoll Biogel Ready 17 kg
A ready-to-use gel adhesive in a bucket: no mixing with water, open it and start. Highly elastic, no vertical slip, solvent-free, with a long adjustment time. Coverage about 1.6 kg/m².
What is it for? Smaller jobs such as a splashback or a toilet wall, and tiling on flexible or deformable substrates.
Kerakoll Biogel Extreme 10 kg
A hybrid gel adhesive in a 10 kg monopack (8.6 + 1.4 kg). The product page lists a bond strength five times that of a C2 cement-based adhesive after 24 hours, and ten times the deformability of an S2-class adhesive. Coverage about 1.45 kg/m² per mm.
What is it for? The demanding jobs: substrates under stress, fast turnarounds and situations where you want maximum grip and flexibility.
How do grout and sealant end up in exactly the same colour?
This is where the system really shows. Every KK code exists as Fugabella Color (resin-cement grout), Fugalite Color (waterproof resin grout) and Silicone Color (sealant). Pick your colour once, and the joints and the corner beads match. Which colour suits your tiles is covered in choosing the right grout colour, and the choice between the two grouts in Fugalite or Fugabella. A full overview of the colour system is in Kerakoll Color Fill: grout and sealant.
Kerakoll Fugabella Color KK1 3 kg
Resin-cement grout for ceramic tiles, mosaics and natural stone, available in 50 colours (KK1 is neutral white). Water-repellent with very low water absorption, high surface hardness, easy to clean and tested against bacteria and mould (ISO 846).
What is it for? Joints in bathrooms, kitchens and living spaces where you want an even, deep colour.
Read also: Choosing the right grout colour: Kerakoll's 50 options
Kerakoll Fugalite Color KK1 1.5 kg
Waterproof, stain-proof resin for grouting and bonding ceramic tiles, mosaics and natural stone, in the same 50 colours. Non-absorbent and colour-stable, compliant with HACCP food-hygiene requirements and approved for marine use.
What is it for? Showers, kitchen worktops and every joint that gets a lot of water, grease or dirt.
Kerakoll Silicone Color KK1 310 ml
Decorative sealant in the same 50 KK colours as Fugabella Color and Fugalite Color. Strong adhesion on non-absorbent surfaces, suitable for permanent contact with water and for pools, resistant to ageing, UV light and frost.
What is it for? Movement joints in corners, around the bath and along the shower tray, in exactly the colour of your grout.
Is Kerakoll also a good choice for DIYers?
Yes. The same products tilers use are easy to work with at home. H40 Gel and Bioflex don't slip down the wall, so tiles stay where you put them. Biogel Ready needs no mixing at all, perfect for a weekend job. And because grout and sealant share one colour code, you don't have to match colours by eye in the shop. Order primer, adhesive, grout and sealant in one go and you have everything on site before you start. New to tiling? Follow our guide on how to tile a wall, step by step.
How much Kerakoll adhesive do you need?
The product pages give the coverage per square metre per millimetre of adhesive bed. A worked example with H40 White Gel (about 1.2 kg/m² per mm): a 10 m² wall with a 4 mm bed needs about 10 × 4 × 1.2 = 48 kg of adhesive. Add a little extra for waste, and check the bag size on the product page. For grout, the amount depends on tile size, joint width and joint depth: ask us or check the packaging before you order.
Which tips help you get the most out of the Kerakoll system?
- Choose the grout colour first, then order the Silicone Color with the same KK code straight away.
- Read the technical data of the adhesive before you start: open time, bed thickness and substrate.
- Prime dusty or very smooth substrates with Active Prime Fix.
- Clean resin grout with the matching Fuga cleaners while you work.
- Order everything in one cart, so the whole job arrives together.
What is the delivery time at Saniso?
Order on a workday before 15:00? Then your order is delivered the next workday, as long as it fits in a parcel. Pallet shipments have a different delivery time. Saniso has thousands of products in stock in the Netherlands. Saniso is on its way to becoming the e-commerce platform for construction across Europe, and already delivers to more than 20 countries.
How do you order at Saniso if you're not a customer yet?
Your first order is easy to place:
- Create an account via register. Already have an account? Log in here with your email address or phone number.
- Choose your product and click "Add to cart", or go straight to "Buy now".
- Check out: all prices at checkout include VAT.
- Choose delivery or pickup: have it delivered, or pick up your order for free in our showroom.
How do you stay up to date on offers?
Want to know when there are new offers? Sign up for the newsletter: scroll to the bottom of any page on saniso.nl, enter your email address under "Newsletter" and click "Subscribe". You'll get updates on offers and discount coupons, and we don't spam. With an account you also collect loyalty points for a discount on your next purchase.
More about this in the Saniso FAQ under "How do I sign up for the newsletter?". Questions about ordering, payment, shipping or returns are answered there too.
Frequently asked questions
Where does Kerakoll come from?
Kerakoll was founded in 1968 in Sassuolo, Italy, in the heart of the country's most important ceramic district.
What does the name Kerakoll mean?
It combines the Greek words kéramos (ceramic) and kólla (glue): a tile-adhesive brand by name.
Can I get Kerakoll grout and sealant in the same colour?
Yes. Fugabella Color, Fugalite Color and Silicone Color share the same 50 KK colours. Silicone Color KK1 costs €17.55.
Which Kerakoll adhesive is suitable for large tiles?
H40 Gel is suitable for formats up to 3000 × 1500 mm according to the product page. The white version costs €35.70.
Is there a Kerakoll tile adhesive that needs no mixing?
Yes, Biogel Ready (€71.33) is a ready-to-use gel adhesive in a 17 kg bucket.
Do I need a primer under Kerakoll tile adhesive?
That depends on the substrate. Dusty, porous or very smooth substrates benefit from a primer such as Active Prime Fix (€58.81). Always check the technical sheet of your adhesive.
How much H40 Gel do I need?
White H40 Gel uses about 1.2 kg/m² per mm of bed (grey about 1.3). A 10 m² wall with a 4 mm bed needs about 48 kg.
Is Kerakoll suitable for DIYers?
Yes. The gel adhesives don't slip down the wall, Biogel Ready needs no mixing, and one colour code for grout and sealant makes choosing easy.
Is Kerakoll a sustainable brand?
Kerakoll calls itself The GreenBuilding Company and obtained B Corp certification in 2023. Our article on Kerakoll and green building tells the full story.
Can I order larger quantities or other Kerakoll products?
Yes. Add products to your Project List on saniso.nl for a bulk quotation, or request a quote on products without a listed price.
Do the prices include VAT?
This blog shows every price including and excluding VAT. At checkout on saniso.nl, prices include VAT.
What is the delivery time at Saniso?
Order on a workday before 15:00 and it's delivered the next workday, as long as it fits in a parcel. Pallet shipments have a different delivery time.
Can I pick up my order?
Yes, you can pick up your order for free in our showroom.
Next in Why this brand: more Kerakoll, starting with how to waterproof a wet room before you tile.
Ready for a tidy tile job?
View the full Kerakoll range at saniso.nl
View the full Kerakoll range at saniso.nl
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