Independent tile fields had to be carefully created in 95 square metres of floor at the Halifax Bank of Scotland's Nottingham office reception area, spreading outwards from a movement joint in the substrate.
London-based Sparcc Architects, who designed the reception area, were banking on advice from tiling contractors Telling (Finishings) Ltd as to which type of surface joint was appropriate for the application, and exactly where they should be fitted.
Telling (Finishings)' recommendation was to install the appropriate Schlüter-DILEX movement joint directly over the joint specified in the standard sand/cement screed, with the resulting tile centres fitted at distances in line with industry standards.
Contracts Manager Graham Hayes says: "Surface movement joints must be installed directly on top of any existing movement joints in the substrate. We're frequently asked if surface joints can be offset by putting them just a small distance away, but this is rarely possible. If it's not absolutely over the top, problems can occur. As a rule of thumb if the movement joint in the surface has been offset from the substrate joint only by millimetres, the ceramic tile or stone covering will crack."
As well as the appropriate movement joint from the extensive Schlüter-DILEX range, the Schlüter-SCHIENE transition profile was installed to protect the edge of tiles abutting the neighbouring flooring surfaces of carpet and matting.
Solus Ceramics, of Birmingham, supplied the 600 mm x 300 mm marble composite honed and pre-finished tiles, which were fixed with Mapei Granirapid, a two-component rapid set high performance adhesive, and finished with a cement grey grout.
The rest of the building was designed by Nottingham-based architects Maber Associates, who specified Schlüter-RONDEC to protect the unglazed edge of wall tiles used in outside cornering in the toilet areas on all storeys. "As well as protecting the tiles, the Schlüter-RONDEC profile's rounded shape also provides an attractive finish to the installation," says Graham Hayes.
The 800 square metres of tiles used for the toilet application - also supplied by Solus Ceramics - were Cool 5.0 matt and Cool 2.0 300 mm x 300 mm porcelain, grey for the walls and black for the floor. The wall tiles were fixed with white Mapei Keraflex adhesive and finished with silver grey Mapei Ultracolor Plus grout, while the floor tiles were fixed with grey Keraflex. Keraflex is a single part flexible cementitious adhesive with no vertical slip and extended open time, for all ceramic tiles and stone material. Keraflex is particularly suitable for this kind of application, the extended open time leaving more time for any adjustment of the porcelain. Ultracolor Plus is a fast setting and drying polymer modified grout with added BioBlock anti-mould and DropEffect water resistant technologies - suitable for any tiling project with a range of 26 varied shades.
