Kitchens – What type of adhesive should I use to attach metal to vertical tile

adhesivekitchensmountingtile

I'd like to attach a magnetic, metal knife rack to a tile splashback in my kitchen. The tile is glazed white and the attachment points on the rack are small (about 0.9 sq in of metal). The rack weighs 2.5lb and with the knives and a margin for error, we're looking at about 5.25lbs total weight.

I've been looking at Loctite, Gorilla Glue, and everything Henkel makes, but I'm having trouble hitting:

  • Works on metal & glazed tile
  • Water resistant enough to be behind the sink
  • Sets up quickly enough for a vertical application
  • Removable (this is a rental)

I've looked at:

  • Cyanoacrylate gel adhesives, but I can't tell if they can handle being sprayed with water.
  • Epoxies, but they aren't removable.
  • Polyurethane adhesives, but they don't work vertically.

Thoughts?

Best Answer

If I had to install something like that without mechanical fasteners I'd try a product called Lexel. It's silicone based so it's good in wet conditions and sticks to pretty much anything, but it gets harder than traditional silicone so it forms a bond that's scary strong. Having said that, relying solely on an adhesive in an application like this is not recommendable. Ceramic tile is really good at not letting stuff stick to it, and a falling knife rack is the stuff of my nightmares. A couple hollow wall anchors will buy you a lot of piece of mind.