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." 

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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