Requirements for installation. Materials. Tilers

Always make sure:

• The surface coating to be clean, smooth and free from dust, not smudged with greasy substances;

• To require the installer to check the manufacturer's instructions before work commence; to check the quality of the tiles before installing them. This check is necessary for several reasons:

 -         The tiler who installs the tiles there will have no excuse for poor quality of work provided that he had no claims to the quality of the tiles prior to installation. If any concerns occur, you should refer the matter to the manufacturer or the retailer. This way, you will avoid a situation where you can not make a claim on already glued tiles;

-        The manufacturing process and quality control does not preclude the entry of single pieces defective tiles in the boxes with first quality. Only preliminary examination by the tiler can prevent the installation of a  defective tile in the most inappropriate place. Usually this can be seen only when the tiles are cleaned well.       

• Moderate discrepancy in color shades of tiles is inevitable. Check for differences in color nuances of the tiles in the box and in the batch before use.
• It is recommended that the distance between the tiles (joints) be at least 3 mm;

          • Keep a box for future repairs or replacement. This same box can be used if necessary in the event of a claim. If during the inspection low quality products are discovered, do not open all the boxes. It is necessary to retain at least one factory sealed box with all visible markings of the batch, in order an examination by the manufacturer to be made.

• It is recommended for product installation and waterproofing of the premises to wear suitable watertight mixtures and adhesives;

• After gluing the tiles, wait until the  adhesive is completely dry before placing the grout in the joints- this prevents sealing any moisture that might have still be left;

• Claims after installation and gluing of the tiles are not accepted

The Adhesives: In a very large percentage of cases the cause of the cracks is not in the tiles but in the materials used during the installation process. Due to the affordable prices and ease of production, the market is overflowing with various types of adhesives. The main ingredient in the glue for tiles is cement. When cement concentration exceeds the permissible limits, the material becomes "stronger". The high cement content in the solutions usually leads to cracking and this mainly concerns the tiles.

The Grout: Grouting is extremely important stage of laying the tiles. When applying in the bathroom and other wet areas, grouts used should be elastic and hydrophobic. Thanks to the hydrophobic effect water drops remain on the surface and do not soak into the structure of the joint. In open/ outdoor areas, there are tiles that "rattle" because of temperature deviations- that is why, that the joint gap of 3 mm is almost mandatory outdoors. Even plastered tiles change their size with  temperature change-if there is not enough joint gap left, it is highly likely the tiles to crack or pin up.

The purpose of the Grout is to:

• Seal the tile and prolongs its life;
• All homeowners moving in new buildings should known  that the building has a period of subsidence and repositioning. In this case, leaving a gap , prevents cracking of tiles.