Large format, thin porcelain tiles are now very much the mainstream and used throughout domestic and commercial properties up and down the country, rather than being chosen by a few specifiers for specific projects.
However, the substrate and surface they will be installed onto is as important for the success of the installation as the choice of the tile itself.
For floors, the substrate should be totally level and stable. The use of a rapid hardening self-levelling compound such as Tilemaster LevelFlex+ DEPTH is recommended. This flexible fibre reinforced levelling and smoothing compound has been developed to allow applications in depths of up to 85mm in a single application, with ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tiles being able to be fixed to it after just 2.5 hours due to its rapid-setting and drying properties.
Care should be taken when fixing to ensure that there are no air cavities under the tiles and that the back of the tile is entirely covered by adhesive. The best way to achieve this is to ensure that the tile is back buttered/back trowelled as well as the usual layer of adhesive applied to the substrate.
Tilemaster Adhesives has a choice of standard and semi-rapid setting products in the Setaflex range, a polymer modified, flexible cement-based wall and floor tile adhesive. Both Setaflex Standard Set and Semi-Rapid Setaflex have been specially developed to give an extended pot life, making them ideal for working with larger format tiles. They can be used both internally and externally on almost all substrates, including timber, and are excellent for use in areas exposed to prolonged wet conditions.
Once the tiles are installed and the adhesive has set, Tilemaster Grout 3000 can be used to grout the joints between the slabs. This is a flexible, fast setting wall and floor grout which can be used for joints between 1mm and 20mm and is ideal for use with this sort of tile installation. All joints should be clear of adhesive as far as possible to avoid cracking of the grout where there is not adequate depth of coverage.
More details on the products can be obtained from the Tilemaster team, who will also be delighted to answer any questions and offer technical advice on particular projects.
T: 01527 578000
E: [email protected]
W: www.tilemasteradhesives.co.uk
