TAL Laboratory

Our custom-built technical laboratory is located at our head office in Olifantsfontein, Pretoria. It features four separate testing facilities ensuring that our products meet our own TAL standards as well as international standards and that they’re fit for use in local climate conditions.

The TAL laboratory is the first in Africa to gain ISO 17025 accreditation for 1348:2017 testing(tensile strength of cementitious tile adhesives). Whilst similar to the ISO 9001 standard, ISO 17025 also speaks to technical competence.Tests under 1348:2017 determine the strength of the adhesive bond between tile and substrate. This includes evaluation of the adhesive under test conditions, as a control measure, and under simulated real-life environments such as water immersion and heat aging over a 28 -day period. Positive results confirm for the end-user that the claimed performance of the tile adhesive is accurate, and that the product will deliver the expected result on site.

We test and develop products that are specifically compatible with the harsh South African climate conditions. By testing each product batch manufactured individually and conducting regular in process quality checks on our products, we ensure that the right products and consistent quality of products are released into the market providing peace of mind to our customers. Product batch tests include pot life, setting time, mix consistency, self-healing properties and flow characteristics. Through rigorous testing we also assure customers that products are fit for purpose and will perform to specification.

Our procedures are in line with our Quality System Standard ISO 9001:2015, Environmental Management System ISO 14001:2015 and Occupational Health and Safety Management System OHSAS 18001: 2018 certifications, which means that in addition to testing done for South African climate conditions, our products also have to adhere to international European norms.

New products are continuously developed and benchmarked to meet EN Standards and all current products are tested regularly against this benchmark.

We pride ourselves on our research capabilities and the efficient testing of products, whether it be our own products or samples provided by customers. As a company we are committed to research and quality and it’s this commitment that enables us to provide technically advanced tiling and building product solutions.