getting the most from the latest installation technologies · • blueprints are turning green! •...

Dr. Neil McMurdie, Ph.D.

Director R&D MAPEI Americas

Thin Tiles

Getting the Most from the Latest

Installation Technologies

Course Description

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This presentation will explore the special

application challenges to producing sound,

durable installations with tiles of reduced

thickness and lighter weight.

Learning Objectives

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1. What are the green benefits

of "thin" tile installations?

2. Types and uses of thin tiles

3. Special installation

procedures necessary for

thin tiles

4. ‘Full mortar coverage’ under

thin tile a requirement

Sustainable

Tile Systems • Blueprints are turning GREEN!

• Green construction & remodeling design projects -

up to 10% a year!

• New construction or remodeling with green

innovations can allow you to save:

• up to 30% on energy

• from 30% to 50% on water

• from 50% to 90% on waste

• To meet these needs...the construction industry

has entered a new era in lightweight products for

tile installation systems

• The technology behind this “leaner yet stronger”

trend is good for both the building design and the

environment

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Sustainable Tile Systems

Tile & Mortar Production Manage Natural Resources,

Recycle, Innovate

Construction Costs Manage/Reduce Costs

while Encouraging Growth & Product Innovation

Health & Aesthetics Meet Design criteria while using products

low in VOCs & low dust

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Thin Body Tile “Lightweight”

“Lightweight” Mortar

“Meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”--

UN Commission on Environment (Bruntland Commission, 1984)

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Porcelain Tile -A 'Sustainable' Choice-

Fired Waste/Discarded Tile

Processed: Fired Waste Tile

Verifiable: Recycled Content in “New” Tile

• Innovations in tile recycling

• Unused powders and unfired tile have been

• part of the recycling process

• Tile manufacturer pioneer new process

• Unsold fired tile & tile removed from remodeling jobs

can now be part of a proprietary recycling process

• Both ceramic & porcelain tile can be processed back

into powder and used in producing “new” tiles with

verifiable recycled content

• The company will even take back tile samples &

installed tile to produce new tiles

• Diverting unused tile from the Landfill!

Porcelain Tile -Dropping the Weight!-

'Slim' Body Tile

Typical: 3mm-7mm (1/8"-9/32") thick

• Slim or Thin Body Porcelain Tiles

• In the slim format, half the thickness and half the

weight of conventional tiles

• Reduced thicknesses from 1/8" to 9/32”

• (3mm to 7mm)

• For example: 1m x 3m (3’ x 9’) tile panel

weighs approx. 20-21Kgs (44lbs), …about the

weight of an average box of tile

• Easier to cut and handle than 'Standard' porcelain

tile

• Reduce 'load-bearing' to walls & building structure

• Allows tile to be installed directly on existing

level and stable wall/facade surfaces -

Speeding up installation

• Streamline manufacturing methods:

• Reduce raw material content by up to 70%

• Reduce energy consumption by 45%

• Reduce CO2 emissions by over 46%

• Lighter weight also means a lighter footprint when

shipping 7

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Porcelain Tile -Dropping the Weight!-

• Tiles with thicknesses from 3 mm are produced

by compacting the dry, raw materials on feeder

belts without molds followed by firing in special

furnaces at a temperature of 1200°C. This type of

tile is offered in several different versions:

• Thickness of 3 mm

• With a reinforced back face by applying glass

fiber mesh during the production cycle for a

total thickness of 3.5 mm

• Tiles with a variable thickness from 4.5 to 6 mm

are produced by pressing the raw materials into

molds, with no reinforcement mesh, followed by

firing in special furnaces at a temperature of

1200°C.

• The special characteristics of the thin body tile,

with its reduced material makes it more fragile

and subject to fracture

• Precautions should be taken during handling,

preparation of the substrates and installation

which differ from standard body porcelain tiles

greater 7mm or greater in thickness 8

Thin Body Porcelain Tile -Greater versatility with thin tile-

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10 10

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Is it a Tile or a Panel?… Large format porcelain tile common

sizes from: 12”-24“ [30mm-60mm]

◦ Square & Oblong

◦ Porcelain ~ 3/8” [9mm]

Large format tile panel

◦ Large format tile is being specified Commercial

on Interior/Exterior Façades

◦ Tile panels installed in sizes of 9'x4’ [2.7m x 1.2

m]

Standard Body Porcelain Tile (typical 3/8”

thick)

‘Slim’ Body Porcelain Tile (3mm – 7mm

thick)

Take Away Lesson #1

ANSI and ISO Standards Do

Not Yet Exist for Thin Tiles

Ask Your Manufacturer

Does this

‘Lightweight’ Technology Only

Apply to Thin Tile?

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“Lightweight”

Thin Body Tile

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Innovations in Green/Sustainable Chemistry -Construction Setting & Surface Prep Materials-

Reduce impact to

the environment

and natural

resources..using

recycled content

'Sustainable chemistry'

benefits the plant worker,

installer & homeowner

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Innovations in

'Green Chemistry'

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• 'Sustainable' Chemistry -Innovate, design and application

of chemical products and processes...that reduce or

eliminate the use/generation of hazardous substances

• Non Toxic during and after installation

• Avoid Ground level Ozone Generation

• Reduce Greenhouse gases, Smog, Acid rain, or water

pollution

• How to make chemical processes ‘GREEN’:

• Re-thinking production methods and raw materials

• Lightweight technology applied to construction products:

• Levelers, mortars & backer board

• Use different reaction conditions, catalysts...to achieve the

required performance levels

• Eliminate or reduce steps for producing the product

• Green chemistry is both the chemistry of the future and the

chemistry of today -ensuring that both the production and the

finished products are clean and safe

Interlocking Nanostructures

Lightweight Technology -Two technologies working together-

Microspheres (Cenospheres)

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• Nanostructures- Produced by using ”Ultra-fine” fillers and binders

• Interlock like Velcro

• Microspheres (Cenospheres) -Tiny lightweight spheres

manufactured from recycled materials

Innovations in Green Chemistry -Lightweight Mortar Technology-

• Combines Lightweight fillers with nano

technology which are much easier to

spread -good workability

• Uses recycled content - yields 10% more

coverage than traditional mortars

• Formulated using ‘low-dust’ technology

• Thixotropic characteristics:

• Non-sag, non-slip for walls/facades

• Can accommodate for minor irregularities, tile

run-out

• Can be used to set large format porcelain tile,

both 'Standard' and 'Thin' body tile

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Innovations in Green Chemistry -Lightweight Mortar Technology-

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Why Use Lightweight

Technology?

• The introduction of lightweight mortar and

lightweight tile…

• Dramatically decreased substrate screed

thickness

• Reduced weight to structure

• These reductions in weight and thickness

have been achieved without

compromising…

• Performance or strength of system

• In face, the strength & flexibility have

actually increased

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Benefits of Combining Technologies -Lightweight Mortar & Thin Tile-

Dead Load Reduction: Use of Lightweight Mortars

Mortars Traditional Dead load

Lightweight Dead load

% Reduction in Dead load

Thin-Sets 1 lb./sq. ft. 0.5 lb./sq. ft. 50%

Medium-Bed Mortars

6 lb./sq. ft. 3 lb./sq. ft. 50%

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Dead Load Reduction: Use of Lightweight Thin Tile

Tile Thickness & Size 12” x 12” (30cm x 30cm)

3/8” (9.5mm) thick

‘Standard’ Tile Dead load weight

3.5 lb./sq. ft.

Tile Thickness & Size 12” x 12” (30cm x 30cm)

15/64” (6mm) thick

‘Lightweight’ Thin Tile Dead load weight

1.4 lb./sq. ft.

% Reduction in Dead load weight

40% (Typically 30%-50% reduction)

• Lightweight products can benefit:

• Architects, contractors, installers, building owners, and tile/mortar distributors

• Lightening the dead load on structures:

• Less weight per square foot is placed on a structure = reduce cost of building the

structure

• Lighter dead loads require smaller structural members, including the foundation

• High-rise buildings...reduce stress to structure by using strong, yet lighter materials

Take Home Lesson # 2

Loose the Weight,

Feel Great

(Your local planet and your

installer’s backs will thank

you)

Setting Material

Considerations

OR

Specifying the Right Mortar for the

Job the First Time

(Without needing therapy or a dart board)

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ANSI thin-set substrate tolerances:

◦ 1/4" in 10' & 1/16" in 1'0"

◦ Many Architects when specifying large format

tiles are requiring -1/8" in 10’

Accommodating some tile

irregularities & warpage

Wash lighting effects

Mortar sag = lippage

Some mortar build-up is always

required to achieve an acceptable

appearance

Thixotropic mortars provide better

support without sagging in thicker

applications

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Thin Body Tile

“Lightweight”

“Lightweight” Mortar

Application Guidelines ISO 13007: C2S1

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• Movement & Bond • Increases surface area = accentuates

thermal growth & shrinkage

• The ability to bond the tile to the substrate

(ISO 13007 C2 = 145psi)

• Deforms to minimize the effects of Movement,

Thermal Expansion & Shrinkage

• Vertical Installations: The ability of the Mortar

System to Deform is Critical!

• ISO 13007 S1: 2.5 mm (0.1”) and < 5 mm

(0.2”)

Application Guidelines ISO 13007: C2S1

Example: Thermal Movement – During the ‘Life-Cycle’ of the

building…the tile façade is exposed to the elements…causing the entire

installation to thermally grow and shrink as it heats up and cools down.

Surface Preparation is Not Optional! -Walls & Floors

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Thin Tile −Great for Remodeling!

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Minimizes additional ‘build out’ to the wall or floors Refurbish or remodeling projects…where time & height restrictions are an issue

Interior Floors Typically 9/64" to 1/4" (3,5 to 6 mm) in Thickness

Existing Tile Preparation

−Surface Prep Method 1: Resin-based primers

with bond-promoting silica aggregates

− Surface Prep Method 2: Mechanical methods

to roughen the surface and remove the glaze

Latest Testing

ASTM 627

Understanding Floor Applications of

Thin Tiles

Take Home Lesson #3

Using the proper setting

materials and installation

techniques, Wall and Floor

installations are possible

Do your Homework and ask the

Manufacturers First

We did some of your homework

already:

RGT0112 Reference Guide

Thin-Body Tile for Floors.pdf

(You are welcome!)

Concrete Floors –existing tile over tile

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Existing tile over

concrete slab

Concrete Floors –existing tile over tile

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−Surface Prep Method 1: Resin-based primers with

bond-promoting silica aggregates

− Surface Prep Method 2: Mechanical methods to

roughen the surface and remove the glaze

Key steps: 1. Proper surface preparation

2. Proper material selection

3. Proper trowel selection

4. Use of a mechanical edge-leveling system

Concrete Floors –existing tile over tile

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Mechanical edge-leveling systems 1. Intended to be used in conjunction with good

substrate preparation practices, not as a

substitute

2. Help in reducing the effects of lippage

Specialized trowels –unique configurations May be required to ensure that ‘full coverage’ is

achieved under the entire thin-body tile system

Reducing Lippage -Walls & Floors

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Lippage is defined as a difference in elevation between the

edges of adjacent tiles which affects the flatness of the tile

surface, often giving the finished surface an uneven

appearance

Mechanical Edge Leveling Systems

• Embeds tiles into mortar…reducing voids & hollow spots

• Locks tile into a monolithic system…reducing lippage

• Reduced Lippage on walls…minimizes the effects of

shadows across the tile surface

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Accommodating Tile Movement Floors & Walls –TCNA EJ-171

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Excerpts from the TCNA 2011 Handbook; EJ-171

1.) Standard •ΔTempºF between Winter &

Summer does not exceed 100ºF

(TCNA EJ-171-08)

Expansion Joints

8' O.C.

Flexible Sealant 3/8"

Flexible Sealant 1/16

Grout Joint

3/8"

2.) Modified •If Δ TempºF between Winter

& Summer exceeds 100ºF... (TCNA

EJ-171-11)

•Winter Tile Temp: 0ºF

•Summer Tile Temp: 150ºF

•Exceeds by 50ºF (for every 15ºF

above 100ºF; add a 1/16" to the width)

•Add 3/16" to the Expansion Joint

Width for 50ºF above 100ºF

•3/8" is now >9/16"

Expansion Joints

8' O.C.

9/16"

Flexible Sealant

1/16

Grout Joint

9/16"

Flexible Sealant

Accommodating Tile Movement –Tile on Facades

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Large Format Thin Porcelain Tile -Keys to a Successful Installation-

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Thin Body Tile

“Lightweight”

“Lightweight” Mortar

• Use a large format tile rated for use on either

walls or floors

• Consider if the substrate was designed for

large formats

Plan on doing some surface prep, flat &

plumb

• Wall render coat

• Self-Leveler for floors

• Use the right adhesive for the application

• Full −Coverage, Coverage, Coverage

• TCNA EJ-171 −Movement joints

• Cost of specialized products vs. labor costs

Dr. Neil McMurdie, Ph.D.

MAPEI Corporation

Phone: 954-246-8693

Email: nmcmurdie@mapei.com

Questions?