Additional Features

• Style: Contemporary, modern, transitional.
• Tile use: Backsplash, bathroom floor, bathroom wall, floor tile, kitchen floor, kitchen wall, shower wall, wall tile.
• Stain resistance: 5.
• Installation ceramic or porcelain tile: Make sure all your products, substrate, tile, thin-set, and grout are compatible with each other. Inspect all materials before use and getting started. Dry lay or do a mockup to confirm your layout and grout joint size and that the final look meets your expectations. Substrates preparation: An installation is only as good as the structure that it is installed on. Most adhesives and mortars will warranty most substrates, (gypsum wallboard, cement board, cement masonry unit, and plywood). Make sure the substrates are structurally sound and free from any sealers or contaminants for both vertical and horizontal installations. Does the floor or wall bounce? The load-deflection standard is L/360 for all porcelain and ceramic tiles. (L/720 for Stone). TileBar tech tips: Try the drip test – drip water on your substrate and if it absorbs then you can ensure that your mortar adhesive has both a mechanical and chemical bond. If the water beads up then there is a bond breaker on your substrate. This could be a wax or sealer. Use a straight edge and level - Flatness ANSI A108.02 (1/4” of change in 10’, 1/8” for stone) with no bump greater than 1/16”. Lay out: Take all measurements of the space or room and develop a layout plan. Locate all cuts and adjust the layout as necessary. Confirm the final layout, cuts, joints, and overall LOOK. Use proper equipment to cut your tiles (wet saw, drill bits, snap cutter, or grinder). Make sure to follow all safety precautions and protection noted by the equipment used. Blend tile materials to ensure consistency throughout the project area. With larger tiles, the waste factor is high, and more material may be needed. Adhesives and mortar: Make sure you use the proper directional troweling techniques and the proper trowel size. Install overview: Mix the mortar per the instructions. With a damp sponge clean off the substrate and tile. With the flat side of the trowel “burn” the mortar into the substrate and larger tiles. Trowel material on the floor or wall with the appropriately sized trowel in a consistent direction leaving a ridged setting bed. Lay tile in the mortar and flatten the mortar ridges by pushing the tile perpendicular to the trowel direction. Install spacers as needed or level the system as needed. Make sure grout joints are clear of extra mortar materials. Let the system cure fully until grouting begins, usually 24 hours. TileBar tech tips: Do not work too far ahead. Make sure that the mortar stays fresh and has not skimmed over. Mosaic tile sheets can be offset to hide some of the sheet joints. Use a beating block or grout float to set your mosaic tile Mosaic tile is mounted to the sheet and this determines the grout joint size. Take a step back and make sure the sheets perimeter joints are the same as the joints that are in the sheet. If you can see the individual sheets you may need to adjust and that is normal. Minimum mortar coverages should be evenly distributed and cover 80% of tiles in a dry area and 95% in wet areas. Once you set tiles pull up a couple to ensure proper coverage Choose the appropriate grout joint size, remember smaller is not always better. The grout joint size depends on how consistent the edge of your tile. Grout: Grout can make or break a new tile project. A great grout job can aesthetically enhance the project. Install overview: Mix the grout per the instructions. Remove spacers as needed. Use a grout float at a 45-degree angle to press in and fill all the grout joints. Cut the grout off the top of the tile using the grout float dragging it at 90 degree angle diagonally across the tile as a squeegee. Now that the joints are full dress them with a sponge or scrub pad. After 15-20 minutes clean again with clean water and a sponge and let cure. After the grout has dried, there will be a grout haze and it can be buffed with dry cloth. Limit use until fully cured, usually 24 hours. TileBar tech tip: Use clean water, a lot! Don’t get too far ahead. Clean promptly what you just grouted. Clean the sponge often, typically 1 swipe, flip the sponge over and 1 swipe, then rinse the sponge clean. Make sure the joints do not have dust or debris in them. Also, any thin-set that has squeezed up needs to be removed. All installations must have movement joints. Use a color-matched acrylic or silicone sealant to provide movement protection. Movement joints are for all transitions, base, inside, and outside corners. Keep the project area clean. Even the lightest dust could permanently stain any uncured grout joints. Use the right grout for your specific installation: Standard polymer-modified grout, high-performance cement grout, premixed grout, or epoxy grout.