GENERAL SPECIFICATION FOR FIXING ‘FUSION TYPE’ GLASS MOSAICS ONTO INTERIOR RENDERED WALLS
Please note that ‘general’ specifications are issued for information purposes, and should not be used as project specifications.
As each and every project needs to be assessed individually on its own merits and characteristics please contact the TAL Technical Advice Centre for a project-specific detailed materials and methods specification for specific projects.
It is important that the tile selected is suitable for the application, preferably against a written Supplier’s specification. Factors such as water absorption, irreversible moisture expansion, MOR and PEI ratings, chemical resistance and overall stability of the product need to meet the requirements of the service conditions.
The backs of all tiles must be clean and free from all traces of dust and contaminants.
Please note that any “wet” areas, such as showers or balconies, should be waterproofed using TAL SUPERFLEX I or TAL SUREPROOF waterproofing compounds prior to commencing tiling. Please feel free to contact us for a specification for waterproofing and tiling these areas, as well as for technical literature on any of our products.
TAL PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS
The TAL products required for this installation are as follows:
TAL SEALMASTER CORD
SPECIAL NOTE MUST BE TAKEN OF THE FOLLOWING:
Glass Products:
- Glass products are impervious as well as brittle and rigid and therefore require a flexible rapid-setting high-strength shrinkage-compensated adhesive system. Failure to use a flexible adhesive system will result in any movement being transferred directly to the glass. Glass products, being reflective and translucent, will immediately show defects that might not be as visible with opaque (ceramic and porcelain) tiles and mosaics.
- It must be noted that glass tiles are reflective products, and any inconsistencies in the surface will show through after the tile is installed. For the installation of this type of material it is imperative that the substrate to be tiled is clean, sound, flat and level. Variations in levels in the substrate must be rectified prior to the glass tile installation.
- The installation of glass products requires good adhesive mixing and application procedures, as well as consistent and accurate installation techniques.
- The adhesive bed thickness should not exceed 5mm when using 4mm glass products.
- Due care must be taken when apply the adhesive to ensure that the face of the glass products do not get scratched.
- Movement joints (‘Soft’ Joints) must be created at maximum 2 metre centres in both directions, as well as at interfaces between glass tiles and other finishes (ie other tiles, metal trims, etc). These joints must be a minimum of 5mm wide, must extend through the tile and adhesive layers, and must be filled with a good quality resilient joint sealant.
Mosaics:
The bonding and grouting of mosaics should be done in one operation in order to provide a strong installation. The mosaics should be FIRMLY bedded into the adhesive to ensure good contact between the adhesive and tile.
To facilitate ease of handling, mosaics are assembled as sheets, the individual tessera being glued either face-down onto paper or plastic (paper-faced mosaics), or bed side down onto a synthetic mesh backing, fabric, or onto small tabs. Paper-faced mosaics are preferable since they allow full contact to be achieved with the adhesive bedding.
When sheets are assembled by means of a backing mesh, the mesh should be made of water-resistant synthetic fabric such as nylon, and not from cotton or paper.
In the case of a mosaic that has been assembled with a fabric backing or tabs, the following is critical for a successful installation:
- the fabric or tabs and the bonding adhesive should not occupy more than 25% of the areas of each tessera; the critical factor is the contact of the adhesive with the backs of the tessera, and
- the fabric or tabs and the bonding adhesive should be water resistant, should not weaken when exposed to moisture, and should be compatible with the adhesive bed
- the backs of the sheets must be clean and dry, and not contaminated with dust or powder
Furthermore
- the application of mosaics requires effective supervision and the employment of skilled operatives
- the bonding and grouting of mosaics should be done in one operation in order to provide a strong installation
- the mosaics should be FIRMLY bedded into the adhesive to ensure good contact between the adhesive and tile
- all mosaics should be inspected, and loose or damaged tessera removed and replaced before installation
Please refer to the manufacturer’s instructions regarding cleaning and maintenance of these mosaics after installation.
Tile Panel Movement Joints & Perimeter Joints:
It should be noted that the lack of movement joints in a tile panel, or poorly constructed joints, is a major cause of tile failure. Joints must be created at the required spacing and must be well raked out to remove all traces of adhesive residues, debris, contamination, etc, ie the joint must extend through the tile and tile adhesive layers. These joints must be filled with TAL GOLDSTAR SEALMASTER 1000 Polyurethane Joint Sealant (and suitable backing cord where applicable) in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
(See later detail of correctly constructed tile panel movement joint and perimeter joint.)
- BACKGROUND PREPARATION
- Allow all new wall rendering to cure for at least 14 days. The rendering must be firmly attached to the substrate, must be integrally sound (no crumbling, cracking, etc) and must be of a quality and consistency suitable for tiling. All damaged, defective, deteriorated or hollow sounding areas must be removed and made good before proceeding. Renders should be left with a woodfloat finish and should not be skimcoated with gypsum plaster. The surface must be clean, dry, firm and sound and free from all traces of dust, loose particles and surface contaminants.
- If the surface has been woodfloated (rough) it is possible to commence tiling. However, if the surface has been steelfloated (smooth, dense) it will be necessary to first key the surface with a slurry consisting of 1 part TAL KEYCOAT to 2 parts TAL KEYMIX powder or 2 parts TAL MARBLEFIX powder (by volume), which is applied by block brush. Allow this slurry coat to dry for 4 – 6 hours before applying the adhesive. *
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