Thursday 30 October 2014

Cementitious Grout Perfection with PERMACOLOR® Grout



PERMACOLOR Grout offers the maximum performance available in a cement-based grout, providing consistent colour and antimicrobial protection to resist stain-causing mould and mildew. PERMACOLOR Grout is easy to install – just mix with water. PERMACOLOR Grout is ideal for floors and walls in both interior and exterior installations. When you must use a cement-based grout, choose PERMACOLOR Grout.
  • Consistent colour
  • Mixes with water only
  • Ideal for floors and walls (joint widths of 1.5 mm to 12 mm)
  • Inhibits mould and mildew with antimicrobial protection
  • Improved stain resistance for a cement based grout
  • Interior and exterior applications
  • Residential and commercial

Click here for more information on this product.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Wednesday 29 October 2014

Superior Pool Interiors Are Cost Effective


An Interesting Article in Pool+Spa Review:

The installation of a recreational or therapeutic pool is a big investment for a community, health, commercial or domestic consumer. The investment has to be sound in that it will provide years of service for its intended function with minimal running and maintenance costs. The right choices made at the time of design and construction will pay big dividends in the overall cost to maintain the pool over its design life. 

Given in-ground concrete pools should have a life span of more than a few decades or longer, you should plan on the pool interior lasting just as long, especially given its exposure to varying degrees of water balance and chemical concentrations. 

The consumer is presented with many options when having a pool installed and it is important to recognise that some pool interiors may have significant repercussions on the economic life of the structure. Some interiors have relatively short lie spans and require renovation sooner than you would like; some are porches and susceptible to chemical attack or staining and require more attention to water chemistry than normal; some can be easily damaged resulting in costly repairs; or some are just plain hard to look after and require a lot more attention than others. Read more.

By Fred Gray - LATICRETE Australia Technical Services Manager

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Tuesday 28 October 2014

Wow the Brilliance!

Earth Cycles by the artist Sarrita King & Mosaicist Don Macdonald

30 000 hand-cut mosaics which weighs 51kg


A Truly Talented Mosaicist


Email received from Don Macdonald, on this beautiful mosaic mural.

"The Design House, One Tree Group commissioned Symmetry Mosaics to bring the stunning beauty of Sarrita King’s urban Australian Aboriginal style into the medium of mosaics.  It is 3.0m long, 1.0m high and weighs just 51kg with over 30,000 hand-cut 10x10mm Bisazza glass mosaics.  Up close the detail in the artwork is self evident and at distance the piece appears to be a painting, but in the sunlight, the subtle shade variations become more obvious and it gives the artwork life and a three dimensional perspective.  It is a micro mosaic in a macro application making it a truly fine-art piece.

Setting aside the workmanship and beauty of the design, what is so unique about this artwork is its compelling message.  It tells a timeless story of ‘connectedness’ from the original inhabitants of this ancient land for our modern world. The centre of each of the circles represents each of us and how we are surrounded by family and friends, experiences and events and each of these people and happenings blend into other people’s families and events.  As you step away from one circle and see how all the others circles are interlinked you begin to understand how all things are connected.  And then, you see how the river of life flows through all of our lives and experiences, like the life bringing waters of a meandering river in the outback.

This piece is our first promotional artwork and is the beginning of a creative collaboration between One Tree Group and Symmetry Mosaics. I’ll keep you posted with our other very exciting projects as they are completed.

Don Macdonald
Symmetry Mosaics
Tel: 07 5449 9663 / 0412 050 500

Don used LATAPOXY® SP-100 as the coloured epoxy adhesive - is a stainless, pigment free, colourfast epoxy grout for grouting floor installations of ceramic tile, brick, and stone. Cleans with water while fresh. Can be used for interior and exterior applications. Ideal for kitchen floors, counter tops, bathroom floors, malls, cafeterias, and laboratories.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Monday 27 October 2014

Paver Link™ is the ANSWER!


1-2-3…The Wonders of Paver Link

Paver Link is every landscapers dream - prevents the growth of weeds! Quick and Easy application - just brush it in. No watering required. Will not stain pavers. 7x stronger than basic polymeric sand. 

Want to know more? Click here for more product information.

Can we interest you in a FREE sample?

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Friday 24 October 2014

Have a Technical Support Question?


For answers to all your planning questions click on the specific product area. Can't find your answer? Call +1 800 243-4788 for Technical Express or email us at technicalexpress@laticrete.com

For answers to all your planning questions click here.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Thursday 23 October 2014

LATICRETE Warranty = Peace of Mind


When selecting the installation system for your project, consider the value and peace of mind that a LATICRETE® warranty can bring. LATICRETE provides comprehensive commercial and residential warranty programs. However, our best guarantee is our 50 years of experience with industrial, commercial and residential installations in every imaginable climate around the world.

All LATICRETE materials are covered by a limited one-year warranty when properly installed according to our written instructions (see Data Sheet 230.13). By using the combinations of products shown to form a complete single source system, both the term and the scope of the warranty are dramatically increased.

Click here to view all LATICRETE Warranties. 

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Wednesday 22 October 2014

Become a LATICRETE Distributor


Interested in stocking LATICRETE Products?
We want to hear from you!

Contact us to discuss the benefits, difference and solutions our Products can bring to your business.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Pool Mosaics




"Installed!! Blue skies in the forecast in the foreseeable future. I am SO glad to be finished with this installation, and happy that it went well, finally. Thanks to all for the helpful advice. 

Created with Mexican Smalti, kiln formed glass fish, and glow in the dark outlines on the compass. SPECRALOCK® PRO Premium Grout. 254 Platinum thin set adhesive. A couple glasses of wine to wind down and celebrate."


For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Monday 20 October 2014

STRATA_MAT Selected


We did it again! STRATA_MAT was selected as one of the top 100 Best New Products for 2014 by Professional Remodeler magazine in the USA.

STRATA_MAT is a next generation high performance uncoupling membrane for use under ceramic tile and stone installations, for both residential and commercial applications. Designed to replace traditional underlayment materials. The unique patent pending design of STRATA_MAT provides for an enhanced mechanical bond of the adhesive mortar and provides for faster drying of the mortar, allowing for shorter time to grout. Specifically designed for use with both modified and unmodified mortars, STRATA_MAT allows for the proper adhesive mortar to be used with porcelain or large format tiles and stone.

Click here to read more about STRATA_MAT.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Friday 17 October 2014

The Grout that Always Looks Great!



You've heard the complaints, "What do you expect?! You get what you pay for...!" 

Do you want your tiles to look as good as new? Do you want a "StainProof grout" which, cleans to the original colour?! YES - then LATICRETE has the solution for you and no, you don't have to re-tile!

SPECTRALOCK® PRO Premium Grout is the grout the dealers, tilers and Interior Designers choose in grout. This grout offers colour uniformity, durability and stain resistance with extraordinary ease of use. This grout inhibits the growth of stain-causing mould and mildew in the grout joint with antimicrobial product protection. Available in 40 colours. Add DAZZLE™ for that high fashion component. 

SPECTRALOCK PRO Premium Grout is designed for use on ceramic tile, glass tile and stone applications, both residential and commercial. Can be used both interior and exterior on floors and walls. Ideal for re-grouting applications and is prefect for swimming pools, fountains and other wet applications. Click here for more product information and to view an installation video.

Can we interest you in a FREE sample?

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Thursday 16 October 2014

Surface Preparation and the Specification of the Surface Profile


Surface Preparation and the Specification of the Surface Profile 
by Fred Gray, LATICRETE Australia Technical Services Manager

The below is an extract directly from the published article in Tile Today magazine, Issue 84.

"Over the years, I have read many articles outlining the preparation requirements of concrete surfaces prior to the installation of a tiling system, including self-levelling underlayments and membranes. I have even penned one or two myself. The reoccurring themes of these outlines invariably provide good advice about the virtues of ensuring a proper, sound surface to tile or attach a membrane to. Surface preparation is a key element in the success of a tiling installation. After all, the job is only as good as the surface we are working on. This is something that can never be understated, as we all know.

There articles have concerned themselves with many of the desirable characteristics required for the installation of a tiling system – adequate structural integrity of the surface, correct flatness and surface planarity, and the right moisture content, to name but a few. 

Performance requirements are nearly always assigned to these characteristics by specifiers. To be able to comply with these requests by determining and measuring performance values is important and necessary. For instance, we can do tensile tests to determine the surface strength of concrete and we can put straight edges across a floor to measure its desired flatness before tiling. We can even insert probes into concrete slabs to measure moisture or humidity levels to ensure we meet the moisture content requirements of the various tiling system components." 

Click here to continue reading this interesting but yet informative article.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Mosaic Art - It Really Glows!


Betsy Gallery wins an Award


The published article by Edhat Subscriber:

The 2014 award for Public Open Space was presented to Mosaic Artist Betsy Gallery for her mosaic of the Seal of the City of Santa Barbara, which forms part of the award given to The Sea Landing Walkway at the Santa Barbara Harbor.

Alfred Ramirez MFA installed the mosaic. Erin Carroll ASLA of Arcadia Studio was project landscape architect.

Betsy fabricated the mosaic of the Seal of the City of Santa Barbara using Dal porcelain tile. As a secret extra she put LATICRETE Glow-in-the-Dark grout behind the lighthouse windows. Take a look on a dark, but not stormy, night!

Betsy designs and fabricates mosaics in Santa Barbara for private and public clients. Click here to view the published article.

A unique design component, SPECTRALOCK® Grout DAZZLE™ adds metallic and "Glow-In-The-Dark" enhancements to SPECTRALOCK PRO Premium Grout. These high-end design elements offer limitless imaginative applications. Use DAZZLE on walls and floors. Add a metallic look to plain tile and stone. Accentuate metallic tiles, glass tiles, mosaics, stone and listellos with Dazzling colour combinations. Use DAZZLE in your pools and spas. Use Glow in your bathrooms, hallways and entryways. For use in interior and exterior applications on floors and walls.  Click here for more info and to view an installation video.

Can we interest you in a FREE sample?

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Tuesday 14 October 2014

LATICRETE is Going to Totally Concrete East Africa


Are You Going?


Come by our booth - talk to the team, find out how our innovative products, installation systems and warranties for tile and stone applications, will save in time and labour!

James Baratta, Regional Manager, Speciality Products Division from LATICRETE International will present on "Preparing for the finish" on Wednesday, 29 October @ 13:45. Register so you don't miss out on this great opportunity!

Click here for more information on this Expo, including presentations, guest speakers and the list of exhibitors.

Totally Concrete East Africa, 29 - 30 October 2014 - Booth 118.
Hyatt Regency, The Kilimanjaro, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Friday 10 October 2014

HYDRO BAN Linear Drain



HYDRO BAN® Linear Drain

HYDRO BAN Linear Drain is a low profile linear floor drain specifically designed for bonded waterproofing installations with HYDRO BAN® waterproofing membrane. HYDRO BAN Linear Drain allows for the use of large format tile or stone installations in a shower with a single plane slope to the drain. The HYDRO BAN Linear Drain can be installed near the wall or at medial locations in a variety of areas requiring waterproof applications. The HYDRO BAN Linear Drain is available with a standard vertical waste line or a horizontal side outlet.

  • Single slope to drain
  • Allows for use of large format tile
  • Tile in grate available to match floor tile
  • Eliminates pre-slope and primary shower pan for a faster installation
  • Made from heavy duty 304 stainless steel provides for long lasting performance
  • HYDRO BAN waterproofing membrane bonds directly to stainless steel flange edge allowing for faster, easier installation
Click here for more information.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Thursday 9 October 2014

Have YOU Subscribed To Our YouTube Channel?


"A Multitude of Informative Videos!"

Within the LATICRETE International YouTube Channel we have a wealth of information in the form of how-to videos, installation, product features, projects and so much more! Why not subscribe to our channel and browse through the multitude of videos that may help you with your next project.

Click here to go to the LATICRETE YouTube Channel.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Wednesday 8 October 2014

Seven Days of Creation Mural



Project Spotlight

For Syverson Tile & Stone, although there were eight panels to install, they actually had 16 different areas to prepare on the one-story high vertical terrace where the murals now rest. Using the double indirect method with LATICRETE materials to transfer the paintings to the mosaic sheets and finally to the concrete masonry unit wall substrate, the collaboration came through with impressive results. 

The 16 different CMU areas were first prepped by roller applying two coats of HYDRO BAN® to provide waterproofing and anti-fracture protection. HYDRO BAN is a revolutionary, liquid-applied membrane that does not require the use of fabric† in the field, coves or corners. The single-component membrane applies quickly with a paint roller, brush or trowel, and meets or exceeds ANSI A118.10 and A118.12 requirements for both waterproofing and anti-fracture protection up to 3mm. Perhaps even more innovative than not requiring fabric even around pipe penetrations or drains on any given project, HYDRO BAN can be flood tested in just 2 hours† once the second coat has cured to a lighter olive green colour.

For each particular mural depicting the Seven Days of Creation on each panel, Syverson Tile & Stone treated the substrate for the glass mosaic sheets by applying a skim coat of 254 Platinum thin-set. When the skim-coat had cured, the pixelized SICIS mural, all boxed up and numbered accordingly, was set in place by May and Harris, sheet by sheet, beginning with the bottom rows and working up 10m to the very top edge. 254 Platinum thin-set, Stammer’s “favorite setting material,” represents the ultimate one-step, polymer-fortified thin-set adhesive mortar for interior and exterior installations such as the Mergia’s Seven Days of Creation. 254 Platinum has a long open time with unsurpassed adhesion that far exceeds all industry requirements, and the premium thin-set has been specially-formulated for easy workability in even the most trying conditions. With a proven track record on high-profile building projects around the world, 254 Platinum is ideal for challenging installations such as vertical exterior façades with difficult to bond glass mosaic tiles. 

Another revolutionary LATICRETE® product was used by Syverson Tile & Stone to grout all eight panels of the vertical terrace murals for Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. To grout the mosaic sheets from SICIS consisting of three different tile collections, SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout was used in the colour Smoke Grey, offering the high performance, durability and stain resistance of an epoxy grout with extraordinary ease of use. SPECTRALOCK PRO Grout applications result in perfect colour uniformity and full, attractive tile grout joints that stay that way for the life of the installation. Ideal for interior and exterior installations on both floors and walls, LATICRETE SPECTRALOCK PRO Grout never requires additional sealants to keep tile designs looking brand new year after year. 

The performance of SPECTRALOCK PRO Grout is magnified by how easy it is to use, a feature that once again played a critical role in the installation of the Seven Days of Creation mural. With the given challenges of installing a detailed piece of artwork on a vertical exterior façade, Syverson Tile & Stone also faced trying mid-summer conditions during the five-weeks it took to complete the work. With the heat and humidity in mind, Syverson Tile & Stone opted to use SPECTRALOCK PRO Grout in the more residentially-geared mini-units to help stay ahead of the cleanup stages and avoid a more difficult to remove grout haze from the iridescent glass mosaics. 

“We just really like working with LATICRETE products,” said Stammer. “We use LATICRETE on every project that we can. We use HYDRO BAN on most of our projects whether it’s to prep the substrate for a tiled floor or for waterproofing and anti-fracture protection in wet areas. My installers love using it. In a more general overview, we’ve never had any issues using LATICRETE products on any type of job. And when you have no issues you’ve found an awesome line of products.”

Click here to continue reading this Project Spotlight.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Tuesday 7 October 2014

Noisy Neighbours?



125 Sound & Crack Adhesive

Whether it's a townhouse, apartment, two-storey home or offices, the sound of footsteps, moving furniture, or falling items can be annoying to say the least. You can literally lose sleep over it. As developments go up we are noticing more and more people live on top of each other. The issue of sound control has never been more important.
LATICRETE has the solution to this problem - 125 Sound & Crack Adhesive, provides outstanding sound insulation. The single component adhesive takes the place of costly time consuming membrane or mat systems by allowing for faster, more effective tile or stone installations. 

Key Features
  • Prevents transmission of cracks from the approved substrates to the tile or stone finish when subjected to horizontal in plane movement of cracks up to 3 mm under normal usage.
  • Single component, just add water
  • Contains 33% post consumer recycled materials
  • Superior workability—equipped with lightweight technology
  • GREENGUARD certified, LEED compliant
  • Reinforced with Kevlar®
  • Equipped with antimicrobial protection
  • "Extra Heavy" as per ASTM C627 Robinson Floor Test - TCNA
Click here for more information and to view an installation video.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Monday 6 October 2014

Want to INCREASE Your Profits?


SPECTRALOCK® PRO Premium Grout*

Up-sell from traditional cement grout to SPECTRALOCK® PRO Premium Grout*. Offering 40 vibrant colours to choose from, SPECTRALOCK PRO Premium Grout is easy to install and colour consistent, with no sealing required. Provide your customers with a beautiful appearance for years to come.

Click here for more information on SPECTRALOCK PRO Premium Grout.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

* United States Patent No.: 6,881,768 (and other Patents).

Friday 3 October 2014

We Do Stone Façades


Masonry Veneer Installation System (MVIS) 

LATICRETE has a complete solution for adhered manufactured stone masonry veneers, providing a permanent, high strength installation that is freeze thaw stable and protects from water intrusion – backed by a LATICRETE® System Warranty*.

Click here for more information on the Masonry Veneer Installation System (MVIS).

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Thursday 2 October 2014

The NeXT Evolution


Substrate Preparation Products

Ensure your substrate is ready to accept tile or stone finishes with LATICRETE surface preparation products. Preparing your surface for stone, tile or porcelain finish materials guarantees a long-lasting, durable installation.

Click here for more information on LATICRETE Substrate Preparation Products.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk

Wednesday 1 October 2014

Worry-Free Protection for Your Work of Art


SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout* 

Offering consistent colour that will not fade or crack, SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout* provides maximum stain resistance to protect your mosaic art. Choose from 40 vibrant colours with an optional DAZZLE™ component for up to 220 colour options, including metallic and glow-in-the-dark. 

From underlayments to grouts, LATICRETE offers a system of high-quality, easy to use products that are backed by the best warranties in the industry.

For more information about using LATICRETE in your projects, product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE UK Ltd on: 0151 486 6101, email sales@laticrete.co.uk or visit www.laticrete.co.uk