Daily Archives: 9th November 2017

Providing a stable background with BAL Board

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When tiling a wall or floor it’s important to ensure your backgrounds are strong and stable to support your weight of tile.

One way of providing a safe and secure base is with the use of a tile backer board such as BAL Board – a new BBA-approved magnesium oxide board for internal tiling.

Easily fixed to either stud work, solid walls or floors, BAL Board can support a combined tile weight of up to 100kg/m2. This far exceeds the recommended tiling weight for plasterboard (32kg/m2), gypsum plaster (20kg/m2), wood base sheets (up to 30kg/m2) and foam-core tile backing board (up to 60kg/m2).

This means that with BAL Board you can install heavier tiles.

Many tile backer boards on the market are also suitable for use in wet areas. BAL Board for example is moisture and water resistant, meaning it won’t warp, rot or degrade over time even in the wettest conditions. Despite being water resistant, it is still recommended to tank water resistant boards with a waterproofing kit before tiling especially in installations such as showers, wet rooms or swimming pool surrounds.

As well as water resistance, BAL Board is also mould resistant, and because it is thermally resistantit provides a high-level tolerance during hot and cold cycles and is suitable for use with underfloor heating.

Unlike alternative cement-based boards, BAL Board is also extremely lightweight – in fact it is up to 35% lighter per m2 than cement-based boards. combining the lighter weight and the standard 1200mm x 600mm measurements, tile fixers can now transport and carry more boards in one trip, producing a number of savings, not least time.

What’s more, unlike leading cement-based boards, BAL Board is even easier to install – as there are no specialist cutting tools required. All you need is a simple craft or utility knife to score and snap – it’s that easy! Plus, with no specialist screws required namely standard stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanised screws only for studwork; the ancillary costs start to be reduced.

And because it’s available in 1200mm x 600mm and fixed at British Standard recommended 300mm centres, this means less waste for fixers.

Safe and secure for the environment

Some cement-based backer boards are recommended to be cut outside or use breathing protection to prevent harmful dust from being ingested.

This is thankfully not the case with new BAL Board as there is minimal dust created when cutting, and it won’t cause harm to the person or environment. Always refer to the BAL board technical data sheet for additional advice. What’s more the cold fusion, low carbon manufacturing process significantly reduces the CO2 output compared to other manufacturers processes.

Thanks to its environmental characteristics and build performance BAL Board comes with BBA Approval – this means it has been rigorously tested and certified as an “outstanding construction product”.

Fixer Approved

Tile fixers gave the BAL Board the thumbs up in pre-launch trials. Contractors and tilers rated BAL Board as far superior to the nearest equivalent leading cement-based boards in trials.

For example, 100% of all fixers trialled preferred BAL Board over equivalent cement-based boards, as well as scoring “excellent” overall, compared to “poor” for the leading cement-based board (scores based on ease of handling, cutting, application, stability and installation speed).

Leading Warranty

Because BAL Board is fully tested and approved by the BBA and manufactured according to ISO 9001 for quality control, it comes with BAL’s leading 25-year written guarantee (when correctly installed and used in suitable applications). This means that BAL Board will not let you down, and ensure your tiling lasts the test of time.

For more information including full fixing instructions visit www.bal-adhesives.com/products/bal-board/

Providing a stable background with BAL Board

Posted by on

When tiling a wall or floor it’s important to ensure your backgrounds are strong and stable to support your weight of tile.

One way of providing a safe and secure base is with the use of a tile backer board such as BAL Board – a new BBA-approved magnesium oxide board for internal tiling.

Easily fixed to either stud work, solid walls or floors, BAL Board can support a combined tile weight of up to 100kg/m2. This far exceeds the recommended tiling weight for plasterboard (32kg/m2), gypsum plaster (20kg/m2), wood base sheets (up to 30kg/m2) and foam-core tile backing board (up to 60kg/m2).

This means that with BAL Board you can install heavier tiles.

Many tile backer boards on the market are also suitable for use in wet areas. BAL Board for example is moisture and water resistant, meaning it won’t warp, rot or degrade over time even in the wettest conditions. Despite being water resistant, it is still recommended to tank water resistant boards with a waterproofing kit before tiling especially in installations such as showers, wet rooms or swimming pool surrounds.

As well as water resistance, BAL Board is also mould resistant, and because it is thermally resistantit provides a high-level tolerance during hot and cold cycles and is suitable for use with underfloor heating.

Unlike alternative cement-based boards, BAL Board is also extremely lightweight – in fact it is up to 35% lighter per m2 than cement-based boards. combining the lighter weight and the standard 1200mm x 600mm measurements, tile fixers can now transport and carry more boards in one trip, producing a number of savings, not least time.

What’s more, unlike leading cement-based boards, BAL Board is even easier to install – as there are no specialist cutting tools required. All you need is a simple craft or utility knife to score and snap – it’s that easy! Plus, with no specialist screws required namely standard stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanised screws only for studwork; the ancillary costs start to be reduced.

And because it’s available in 1200mm x 600mm and fixed at British Standard recommended 300mm centres, this means less waste for fixers.

Safe and secure for the environment

Some cement-based backer boards are recommended to be cut outside or use breathing protection to prevent harmful dust from being ingested.

This is thankfully not the case with new BAL Board as there is minimal dust created when cutting, and it won’t cause harm to the person or environment. Always refer to the BAL board technical data sheet for additional advice. What’s more the cold fusion, low carbon manufacturing process significantly reduces the CO2 output compared to other manufacturers processes.

Thanks to its environmental characteristics and build performance BAL Board comes with BBA Approval – this means it has been rigorously tested and certified as an “outstanding construction product”.

Fixer Approved

Tile fixers gave the BAL Board the thumbs up in pre-launch trials. Contractors and tilers rated BAL Board as far superior to the nearest equivalent leading cement-based boards in trials.

For example, 100% of all fixers trialled preferred BAL Board over equivalent cement-based boards, as well as scoring “excellent” overall, compared to “poor” for the leading cement-based board (scores based on ease of handling, cutting, application, stability and installation speed).

Leading Warranty

Because BAL Board is fully tested and approved by the BBA and manufactured according to ISO 9001 for quality control, it comes with BAL’s leading 25-year written guarantee (when correctly installed and used in suitable applications). This means that BAL Board will not let you down, and ensure your tiling lasts the test of time.

For more information including full fixing instructions visit www.bal-adhesives.com/products/bal-board/

Providing a stable background with BAL Board

Posted by on

When tiling a wall or floor it’s important to ensure your backgrounds are strong and stable to support your weight of tile.

One way of providing a safe and secure base is with the use of a tile backer board such as BAL Board – a new BBA-approved magnesium oxide board for internal tiling.

Easily fixed to either stud work, solid walls or floors, BAL Board can support a combined tile weight of up to 100kg/m2. This far exceeds the recommended tiling weight for plasterboard (32kg/m2), gypsum plaster (20kg/m2), wood base sheets (up to 30kg/m2) and foam-core tile backing board (up to 60kg/m2).

This means that with BAL Board you can install heavier tiles.

Many tile backer boards on the market are also suitable for use in wet areas. BAL Board for example is moisture and water resistant, meaning it won’t warp, rot or degrade over time even in the wettest conditions. Despite being water resistant, it is still recommended to tank water resistant boards with a waterproofing kit before tiling especially in installations such as showers, wet rooms or swimming pool surrounds.

As well as water resistance, BAL Board is also mould resistant, and because it is thermally resistantit provides a high-level tolerance during hot and cold cycles and is suitable for use with underfloor heating.

Unlike alternative cement-based boards, BAL Board is also extremely lightweight – in fact it is up to 35% lighter per m2 than cement-based boards. combining the lighter weight and the standard 1200mm x 600mm measurements, tile fixers can now transport and carry more boards in one trip, producing a number of savings, not least time.

What’s more, unlike leading cement-based boards, BAL Board is even easier to install – as there are no specialist cutting tools required. All you need is a simple craft or utility knife to score and snap – it’s that easy! Plus, with no specialist screws required namely standard stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanised screws only for studwork; the ancillary costs start to be reduced.

And because it’s available in 1200mm x 600mm and fixed at British Standard recommended 300mm centres, this means less waste for fixers.

Safe and secure for the environment

Some cement-based backer boards are recommended to be cut outside or use breathing protection to prevent harmful dust from being ingested.

This is thankfully not the case with new BAL Board as there is minimal dust created when cutting, and it won’t cause harm to the person or environment. Always refer to the BAL board technical data sheet for additional advice. What’s more the cold fusion, low carbon manufacturing process significantly reduces the CO2 output compared to other manufacturers processes.

Thanks to its environmental characteristics and build performance BAL Board comes with BBA Approval – this means it has been rigorously tested and certified as an “outstanding construction product”.

Fixer Approved

Tile fixers gave the BAL Board the thumbs up in pre-launch trials. Contractors and tilers rated BAL Board as far superior to the nearest equivalent leading cement-based boards in trials.

For example, 100% of all fixers trialled preferred BAL Board over equivalent cement-based boards, as well as scoring “excellent” overall, compared to “poor” for the leading cement-based board (scores based on ease of handling, cutting, application, stability and installation speed).

Leading Warranty

Because BAL Board is fully tested and approved by the BBA and manufactured according to ISO 9001 for quality control, it comes with BAL’s leading 25-year written guarantee (when correctly installed and used in suitable applications). This means that BAL Board will not let you down, and ensure your tiling lasts the test of time.

For more information including full fixing instructions visit www.bal-adhesives.com/products/bal-board/

Selecting the right cement-based tile adhesive

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When selecting the right tile adhesive for your tiling project, a number of factors need to be taken into account including the substrate, type and size of tiles and the environment.

 

Selecting the wrong adhesive for the intended background/application could lead to unwanted consequences including the cracking or de-bonding of your tiles, causing you financial pain in repair and recompense.

Purely selecting an adhesive or grout on its BS classification is not always the be-all – as other factors may render your selection invalid.

Firstly, let’s look at the substrate or background.  Whether you’re tiling onto tile-backer boards, tongue & groove floorboards, sand: cement screeds or even existing tiles will make a massive difference as to what adhesive to consider.

For example, where floors need to resist some limited movement or vibration, then a flexible/deformable adhesive should be selected

Polymer modified adhesives/grouts have the addition of either powdered polymers, pre-blended in at the manufacturing stage or can be modified with a liquid polymer additive.  This enhances the physical and mechanical properties of the product.

One such example is BAL’s new Rapid-Flex One wall and floor tile adhesive. Fast, strong and flexible, BAL Rapid-Flex One is an all-round adhesive which provides a number of benefits to fixers including extended 30 minutes open time and 60 minutes working time (pot life) giving total control. What’s more, it is still ready to grout in just three hours – ensuring fast track project completion.

BAL Rapid-Flex One is enhanced with Fibre Strand Technology (FST) providing enhanced strength and a super smooth consistency for easier and faster spreading. With S1 classification – meaning it’s deformable – BAL Rapid-Flex One comes in just one white colour meaning it can be used for any tile type at the great value of a standard grey flexible adhesive.

Tile type and size also plays a significant factor in determining your adhesive and grout. Ask yourself “are my tiles porous?”, or are they glazed, fully vitrified, light-coloured/translucent or natural stone. Is the material you are using vulnerable to water-staining? Are you using large format or mosaic tiles and are they mesh-backed?

For example ready-mixed adhesives may be suitable for porous-bodied ceramic tiles, but for porcelain a highly polymer-modified cementitious adhesive would be recommended. Ready-mixed adhesives are also not suitable for floor tiling or for tiles over 300x300mm.

In case of light coloured or translucent natural stone, rapid-setting and drying white cementitious adhesives – such as BAL Rapid-Flex One – are recommended in order to minimise any potential risks of staining. A pourable adhesive – such as new BAL Pourable One – may also be suitable for floor tiling with large format tiling.

This is because they can be build up to large bed depths – up to 25mm in one application for Pourable One – when using uncalibrated stone or for patch repairs.

A new and improved alternative to BAL Stone & Tile PTB, it has all the same great benefits and is also available as just a white adhesive – meaning that only one bag is needed for any floor installation.

A highly flexible adhesive, it is particularly suited with underfloor or undertile heating as it resists thermal movement.

While BAL Rapid-Flex One and BAL Pourable One are suitable for most tiling installations, sometimes you need a little bit more flexibility and deformability when tiling to specialist substrates such as tongue & groove floorboards, single layer chip or plywood floor, floating timber floor, steel, epoxy coating and existing glazed tiles.

This is where you need a specialist tile adhesive such as BAL Single Part Fastflex. A one-part elastomeric adhesive, BAL Single Part Flexible is manufactured with rubber-crumb technology meaning it is highly deformable (S2) as well as sound-deadening, helping to achieve the requirement of Building Regulations Part E (Resistance to sound).

There are other factors which should be considered and more importantly are NOT covered by the tile classification. Some of these include ease of use, coverage, colour, pot life and adjustment time and cost.

 

Selecting the right tile adhesive

Posted by on

When selecting the right tile adhesive for your tiling project, a number of factors need to be taken into account including the substrate, type and size of tiles and the environment.

 

Selecting the wrong adhesive for the intended background/application could lead to unwanted consequences including the cracking or de-bonding of your tiles, causing you financial pain in repair and recompense.

Purely selecting an adhesive or grout on its BS classification is not always the be-all – as other factors may render your selection invalid.

Firstly, let’s look at the substrate or background.  Whether you’re tiling onto tile-backer boards, tongue & groove floorboards, sand: cement screeds or even existing tiles will make a massive difference as to what adhesive to consider.

For example, where floors need to resist some limited movement or vibration, then a flexible/deformable adhesive should be selected

Polymer modified adhesives/grouts have the addition of either powdered polymers, pre-blended in at the manufacturing stage or can be modified with a liquid polymer additive.  This enhances the physical and mechanical properties of the product.

One such example is BAL’s new Rapid-Flex One wall and floor tile adhesive. Fast, strong and flexible, BAL Rapid-Flex One is an all-round adhesive which provides a number of benefits to fixers including extended 30 minutes open time and 60 minutes working time (pot life) giving total control. What’s more, it is still ready to grout in just three hours – ensuring fast track project completion.

BAL Rapid-Flex One is enhanced with Fibre Strand Technology (FST) providing enhanced strength and a super smooth consistency for easier and faster spreading. With S1 classification – meaning it’s deformable – BAL Rapid-Flex One comes in just one white colour meaning it can be used for any tile type at the great value of a standard grey flexible adhesive.

Tile type and size also plays a significant factor in determining your adhesive and grout. Ask yourself “are my tiles porous?”, or are they glazed, fully vitrified, light-coloured/translucent or natural stone. Is the material you are using vulnerable to water-staining? Are you using large format or mosaic tiles and are they mesh-backed?

For example ready-mixed adhesives may be suitable for porous-bodied ceramic tiles, but for porcelain a highly polymer-modified cementitious adhesive would be recommended. Ready-mixed adhesives are also not suitable for floor tiling or for tiles over 300x300mm.

In case of light coloured or translucent natural stone, rapid-setting and drying white cementitious adhesives – such as BAL Rapid-Flex One – are recommended in order to minimise any potential risks of staining. A pourable adhesive – such as new BAL Pourable One – may also be suitable for floor tiling with large format tiling.

This is because they can be build up to large bed depths – up to 25mm in one application for Pourable One – when using uncalibrated stone or for patch repairs.

A new and improved alternative to BAL Stone & Tile PTB, it has all the same great benefits and is also available as just a white adhesive – meaning that only one bag is needed for any floor installation.

A highly flexible adhesive, it is particularly suited with underfloor or undertile heating as it resists thermal movement.

While BAL Rapid-Flex One and BAL Pourable One are suitable for most tiling installations, sometimes you need a little bit more flexibility and deformability when tiling to specialist substrates such as tongue & groove floorboards, single layer chip or plywood floor, floating timber floor, steel, epoxy coating and existing glazed tiles.

This is where you need a specialist tile adhesive such as BAL Single Part Fastflex. A one-part elastomeric adhesive, BAL Single Part Flexible is manufactured with rubber-crumb technology meaning it is highly deformable (S2) as well as sound-deadening, helping to achieve the requirement of Building Regulations Part E (Resistance to sound).

There are other factors which should be considered and more importantly are NOT covered by the tile classification. Some of these include ease of use, coverage, colour, pot life and adjustment time and cost.