Tile Today Issue 87 | 2015

TILEtoday 87

Tile Today Tile To 87

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The true cost of carpet, vinyl, timber and tile Architecture & Specification

> Building envelope solutions, considering the influence of ceramic tiles TRENDS

> Current colour and decoration trends > Taking shape MARKETS

> Time-honoured trendsetters: Italy INTERVIEWS

> Troy Hogan – CTA Pty Ltd > Lorenzo Colussa – Metro Tiles INSTALLATION

> Game-changing grout released

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EDITORIAL

6 Editor’s Comment

100 News

106 Advertisers Index

NEW PRODUCTS 48 Design

98 Featured Products

ARCHITECTURE & SPECIFICATION 14 The true cost and performance of carpet, vinyl, timber and tile 26 Architile Project: gift wrapped facade 28 Architile Interview: Alex Njoo in conversation with Edi Menegas 32 Architile Standards: important new ISO Standards are under development 36 Building envelope solutions, considering the influence of ceramic tiles

MARKETS & TRENDS 8 Current colour and decoration trends

contents

87 Tile Today

24 Taking shape 58 Time-honoured trendsetters 64 Glass mosaic: the prime pool surface finish

INTERVIEWS 70 Troy Hogan, Construction Technologies Australia 72 Lorenzo Colussa, Metro Tiles 76 Stefano de Rienzo, Starstile 78 Vojimir Jesic, Trade Port International

INSTALLATION & TECH FORUM 51 Laticrete launches game-changing grout 82 Fixing heavy, large format wall tiles 86 A look at 25 years of issues in waterproofing shower recesses 90 Actualities: sticking together at PappaRich

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92 Cracking down on cracks 94 Brushing up on bond coats Read on the go: Scan code to download FREE digital versions of individual articles.

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editor’s comment

Accentuate the positives Our 87th edition features a selection of articles and interviews which cover various aspects of tile decoration, design, installation, market trends and proposed new standards. Our prime focus rests on providing accurate information which emphasises that ceramic tile is undoubtedly the best value for money flooring on the market. In ‘The true cost of carpet, vinyl, timber and tile’ we provide accurate supply and lay figures for these products, backed by an international analysis of the required levels of maintenance and renovation required during the 40 year lifespan of a building.

Many of our readers enjoy interviews that focus on new products and services, and key industry developments. This edition features no less than five industrybased interviews, which include Troy Hogan, the Managing Director of CTA Pty Ltd, discussing the recent sale of the company to Sika Australia, and his plans for the future.

Our feature on ‘Current colour and decoration trends’ emphasises the sheer variety of hard wearing, visually appealing products which are available from leading suppliers for use in every conceivable interior and exterior space, in residential and commercial environments.

If there is one cloud on the horizon it relates to our industry’s continued lack of local promotion of the environmental credentials of tile versus competitive floor finishes which are technically inferior. Fortunately, Australian Tile Council National President Peter Carter recognises this issue and the ATC has acted by circulating our interview with Emma Berthold and Dr Shaila Divakarla of Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) in Tile Today, Issue 86 to all members. The interview will also be placed on the ATC website.

Importers of European product which has been granted an EU Ecolabel can use those credentials to gain GECA accreditation which is recognised by the Green Building Council of Australia. These products will achieve 100 per cent points in Green Building calculations.

Read about Laticrete’s innovative new grout on page 51.

As per usual I hope that every reader will find something valuable in this important edition. Enjoy! Anthony Stock, Managing Editor

Cover Note

6 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Tile Today focuses on the issues pertaining to the development of new products and technologies in the tile industry. Published quarterly, Tile Today is fully endorsed by the Australian Tile Council.

VOLUME 23 – ISSUE 87 June – august 2015 Managing Editor: Anthony Stock Editor: David Stock Art Director: Stephanie Thompson Contributors: Barry Schafer, Fred Gray, Patricia Huedo Dorda, David Fernandez – Camunas Gallego, Ana Sos Castell, David Stock, and Anthony Stock.

Photography: Bernie Phelan Accounts Felicity Stock and Noel Melville & Associates Advertising StockDon

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The Davinci series by Tile Power is a stunning replication of natural timber which is much easier to clean and maintain than the product it seeks to imitate. These hard-wearing porcelain tiles will never require re-sanding and polishing, and they will literally last the lifespan of the building. The planks are produced in three formats; 1200 x 300, 1200 x 200 and 1200 x 150mm in two captivating finishes, brown ‘weathered oak’ and ‘white limewash’. These utterly convincing products are suitable for use on floors and walls in commercial and residential environments. The slightly structured surface has an R9 slip rating.

87 Tile Today

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trends

In the not too distant past, most wall and floor tiles were produced from different clays which were fired at variable temperatures.

Today, practically every tile, large or small, can be used on walls or floors. This sensible practice permits designers and homeowners to create tile installations, which comprise modular formats and symmetrical grout joints, or contrasting combinations of formats, colours, textures and designs.

1. Bristol range by Colortile (NSW)

Current colour and decoration de trends words

Anthony Stock

A

mazing advances in inkjet printing technologies allow tilemakers to accurately replicate the appearance of popular surface finishes like natural stone, timber, cement (concrete), brick and fabrics.

Importantly, many of these products can be used internally and externally, with surface finishes which are appropriate to anticipated levels of foot traffic and slip resistance.

Inkjet printing has encouraged a resurgence of interest in the use of colour, decoration, and surface reliefs. New technical refinements permit the faithful reproduction of the most complex and articulated designs.

In a distinct throwback to the early 1970s, manufacturers have revived their interest in geometric shapes. This

2. Arkitek by leading tile retailer Beaumont Tiles

3 and 4. Traiti by Urban Edge Ceramics

8 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Ultra

design www.nationalceramicindustries.com.au

trends

5 and 6. Rust Metal Collection by NCIA 7 and 8. Lifestone by Tile Power

particular development is addressed in ‘Taking Shape’ on page 24.

We invited a number of leading tile wholesalers and retailers to submit images of their latest product releases, which appear here under a variety of headings.

Brick

9. Expo Off-white by ColorTile

Brick is the latest product to capture the attention of imaginative tile manufacturers. The Bristol range by Colortile (NSW) is available in three colourways – cream, red and rust, in two formats: 60 x 250mm and 340 x 340mm. These hard wearing products can be used on walls and floors, internally and externally in commercial projects and private residences. The slim format is ideal for reproducing the timeless rustic appearance of brick, which can be emulated in conventional or herringbone patterns (Photo 1).

Cement The popular cement-look continues to evolve. Arkitek by leading tile retailer Beaumont Tiles features soft colours, in a hybrid cement / concrete-look, which is available in a durable glazed porcelain tile. Arkitek is available in three finishes, four colours and four formats (Photo 2).

Fabric Traiti by Urban Edge Ceramics (Vic) (Photos 3 & 4) is available in three base colours (white, beige and grey), and eight patterns, which can be randomly mixed to create tactile surface finishes that are reminiscent of faded fabrics and embroideries. These architecturally orientated products were designed by Inga Sempe.

Metallic Tilemakers have enjoyed surprising success with their imitations of bright or oxidised metallic surfaces. Some companies specialise in producing mosaics which meld metal and glass together (Photo 5 & 6).

10 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

TM

EUROMARMO TILE

NEW ARRIVAL STATUARIO VENATO 900x600mm, 600x600mm 600x300mm, 300x300mm Polished

Sydney 02 9795 2000

www.everstone.com

Melbourne 03 8792 3500

Brisbane 0418 886 833

2

10 . siz Ha es bita 18 t c 00 om x es 3 00 in 3 an co d lo 18 ur 00 s B x etu 2 ll 00 a, m Eb m a by no Ev and er st Fag on g e io

an

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trends

Natural stone

11. Samba by Distinctive Tile Imports

12. Circle by Everstone

The original compulsion to imitate the appearance of natural stone was driven by the fact that many public buildings and spaces in Europe are paved or clad with marble, limestone, granite or sandstone. Tile manufacturers figure that if they can faithfully marry the appearance of natural stone with the performance and easy maintenance characteristics of tile, they can gain a substantial share of that market.

Digital inkjet printing processes endow tile manufacturers with the potential to produce large quantities of glazed replications of stone without any duplication.

Porcelain tile, the prime ceramic product, is available in a variety of surface finishes which include glazed porcelain (which combines dense porcelain tile bodies and conventional ceramic glazes) to produce our most popular ceramic surface. Porcelain tile is also available in polished, lappato, honed, matt and structured finishes, which include unglazed natural porcelain in which the surface colour of the tile is uniform throughout the body.

Homeowners can use glazed, lappato or polished porcelain internally, combined with a structured or natural, non-slip surface, in the same colour and dimensions, laid outdoors.

Photos 7 & 8 illustrate Lifestone by Tile Power a 300 x 600mm structured porcelain surface that provides an R12 Slip Rating. Lifestone is available in four appealing colourways.

Timber The tile industry has made at least three distinct attempts to capture the charm, warmth and appeal of timber.

The best of the latest ceramic replications have become immensely popular, not only in terms of appearance.

12 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

13. Fifth Avenue Chevron by Ace Ceramics

Retailers and consumers are developing an appreciation of the facts which pertain to the durability and low maintenance of ceramic replications of timber, which will never require the sanding back or re-polishing required to maintain timber floors.

Ceramic tile can be used in dry or wet, external and internal applications including the bedroom. Photo 9 illustrates off-white timber-look planks by Colortile.

Ceramic planks are produced in innumerable colours, finishes and sizes which include Habitat, an 1800mm long plank which is produced in 200mm and 300mm widths (Photo 10).

Photo 11 highlights use of timberlook wall and floor tiles by Distinctive Tile Imports in an outdoor setting.

Subtle relief designs which flow over the surface of conventional square formats are gaining in popularity. The 200 x 200mm Circle design by Everstone is a classic example (Photo 12).

A growing number of colourful designs are gaining in popularity. Fifth Avenue Chevron by Ace Ceramics is a bold design which is produced using traditional screen printing techniques which evoke hand-painted designs captured on a 150 x 150mm format. The product is suitable for walls and floors (soft shoe only) (Photo 13).

Patchwork by Southern Cross Ceramics is available in a variety of colours. Each 300 x 300mm tile features a number of intricate floral and geometric designs (Photo 14).

Colourful floral designs have been ever present in tile designs for centuries. Margarite by Beaumont Tiles combines sensual colours, soft floral motifs, traditional Japanese patterns and designs created by fashion designer Juan Vidal (Photo 15).

14. Patchwork by Southern Cross Ceramics

15. Margarite by Beaumont Tiles

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 13

The Anima porcelain tile collection from Caesar reveals the most intimate aspects of some of the most elegant qualities of marble, a supremely noble material. A versatile collection with a distinctive style and natural appeal, it enhances spaces with its constantly varying surfaces and sophisticated decorative accents. (Courtesy of Living Tiles, NSW).

specification

The true cost and performance of carpet, vinyl, timber and tile

words Anthony Stock

The majority of tile importers and retailers that I speak with are content that contemporary ceramic tile still provides the best long term value for money, by comparison with other soft, resilient and hard surface coverings. In the last edition of Tile Today (Issue 86 – February 2015) Peter Halliday reported that imports of ceramic tile had climbed to record levels in 2014, and that local production is steadily growing.

In addition, per capita consumption has virtually doubled over the last 20 years.

This article compares the cost and performance of several competitive floor coverings and reviews their attempts to recycle product, and gain environmental accreditation with the performance of our tile and stone sectors.

T The Dolphin collection (ABK Group) is inspired by disused wooden mooring posts. Advanced digital inkjet printing processes allow tile manufacturers to produce convincing imitations of virtually any competitive surface finish including concrete, natural stone and timber. Conversely producers of vinyl and linoleum use similar techniques to replicate the appearance of tile and stone, however they cannot match tile in terms of durability, ease of maintenance, life expectancy or design potential.

14 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

he chances are that when you visit your local supermarket there is a distinct possibility that the chosen flooring will be Mechanically Polished Concrete (MPC) or linoleum in preference to ceramic tile.

Only MPC can provide the same levels of durability and sustainability associated with ceramic tile. These are the only practical hard surface finishes that will last the projected 40 year lifespan of a building, without the need for regular maintenance, repair or total replacement. However while specifiers may enjoy the seamless appearance of MPC, in comparison with ceramic tile, timber, carpet and vinyl the choice of colours and design possibilities are minimal.

Use of MPC is growing in major construction projects but the fact remains

that in most instances concrete surfaces are covered with alternative floor finishes, including, in some instances ceramic (porcelain) tiles which ironically imitate the appearance of concrete.

With this in mind we focus our attention on popular functional and decorative surface finishes.

Nowadays it is hard to open a consumer publication without coming across stunning images of kitchen and family room floors decked out in structural or floating timber, vinyl or linoleum.

And in spite of the fact that carpet has been found to harbour dust mite and other potentially harmful allergens which can trigger asthma attacks, ‘Carpet, according to current statistics, accounts for more than 70 per cent of

Table 1. Summary of the interventions on the various types of floors to be expected during the lifetime of the building (40 years), in reference to the physical lifetime of the material (Sources: Confindustria and the Tile Council of America).

Year

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34

36

38

40

Ceramic Tile – Single-fired tile – Terracotta tiles – Stoneware tiles – Klinker

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

●

●

●

●

●

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

NATURAL STONE – Marble – Granite

✦ ✦

● ●

▲ ▲

●

CONGLOMERATES – Marble-cement – Marble-resin – Siliceous resins WOOD CORK RUBBER VINYL CARPETING

✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

❑ ❑ ❑

●

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

●

●

❑ ❑ ❑

●

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

● ●

●

●

❑ ❑ ❑

●

❑ ❑ ❑ ❑

●

●

❑ ❑ ❑

●

▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲ ▲

Key: ✦: Construction ●: Maintenance ❑: Renovation ▲: End of the lifetime of the building

all floor covering sales in the developed world.’ (Liam Jones – ‘All about Carpet Recycling’ – Fowles Auction Group, May 2014).

Remarkably, a number of comprehensive studies (Table 1) have concluded that carpet and vinyl in particular will wear out much faster than tile, and while good quality timber will last a relatively long time, it will require regular stripping and sanding every three to four years to maintain its appearance, integrity and resistance to moisture and warping. These regular interventions are expensive, time consuming and intrusive.

When we examine the detail in Table 1 it is hard to understand why anyone interested in a long term floor covering should seriously consider using any material other than tile or stone. Unfortunately, here in Australia, the story is not that simple. There is a perception that tile is considerably more expensive than alternative floor coverings. This is,

A wool woven carpet

as we will illustrate, an inaccurate assessment.

However, it is a fact that tile costs more to lay than carpet or vinyl. It is also more permanent and costly to remove.

Nevertheless, tile sales are growing and use of the product has extended from wet area walls and floors to living spaces and external entertainment areas. The big pluses for ceramic tile are the product’s flexibility as an internal and external surface finish that can function in wet areas, including fully immersed conditions (pools), its durability and low maintenance requirements.

Before we review the costs of purchasing and installing carpet, vinyl, linoleum, timber and tile, let’s review the basic attributes of each product. It is important to remember that the most important decision relates to deciding which performance features are most relevant in a specific environment, before choosing a product that meets or exceeds these requirements.

Carpet Advantages:

• Comfort and warmth underfoot • Extra insulation • Reduces sound transmission • Safer underfoot • Inexpensive to install and remove Disadvantages:

• High maintenance requirement (deep clean once a year, vacuum weekly)

• Very absorbent – stains easily and

prone to mildew in warm, humid environments • Harbours dust mite which cause allergic reactions, including asthma • Easily spoiled when very wet • Difficult to recycle

Application: Internal floors: residential and commercial

Expected Life: 6 years

An Excelon vinyl tile (3mm)

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 15

specification

Vinyl Advantages:

• Available in sheet or tile • Improved performance characteris-

tics which include enhanced wear, maintenance and acoustic properties

• Availability

of additives which can be introduced to the wear layer to make maintenance easier

• Loose-lay products are available Disadvantages:

• Some vinyls can be easily scratched and indentations can be noticed

• Chemicals

used to manufacture vinyl can release Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which may cause respiratory or asthma problems

• Non-biodegradable

product which may be difficult to recycle

• Substrate preparation must ensure that even minute particles are removed prior to installation, as elements trapped below soft vinyl sheet or tile may be evident after installation, and may tear through the surface • Vinyl can catch fire and release toxic

• Hard-wearing • A low allergenic product; does not at-

Application:

tract mould • Easy daily maintenance

Internal and external walls and floors, including wet areas and pools, plus building facades

Disadvantages:

Expected Life:

• Costly stripping and re-sanding ev-

ery three to four years that can ultimately be restricted by the thickness of the flooring • Water can cause permanent damage • Damage can be easily caused, even on hard timbers by the impact of stiletto heels or relatively lightweight objects • Can fade in strong sunlight

Application: Internal and external, but not in wet areas

Expected Life: 40 years.

Ceramic Tile Advantages:

ming pools • Low absorbency – can survive flooding

Internal floors: residential and commercial

Disadvantages:

Expected Life:

• Glazed floor tile surfaces can be scratched by grit or dirt trapped in the sole of a shoe

10 years.

Hardwood Timber Advantages:

• Various styles including tongue and

groove solid planks, parquetry and floating floors

Vinyl Vinyl products which look like timber, stone, tile and other surface finishes are widely available. High quality vinyl will perform well, and it will look the part, but it will rarely last as long as the product(s) it seeks to imitate.

Timber

Tile

some vinyl surfaces, creating discolouration, and a permanent blemish

Application:

Carpet can be used creatively. Intricate shapes and designs can be created by combining contrasting colours and patterns. Carpet tiles are particularly effective.

lightly and use microfiber wipes

• A totally inert material – no VOCs • Fireproof – will not burn • Can be used in wet areas and swim-

care; sheet products pose a greater problem

Carpet

longed, constant heavy foot traffic

chemicals in the air

• Damaged tiles can be replaced with

Aesthetics

Intricate designs can be created using hardwood timber flooring, but this is a relatively expensive option.

• Durability – can withstand pro-

• Easy to clean – simply sweep, mop

• Rubber shoe heels easily mark or scuff

40 years.

• Surface

can be damaged by impact from dropped items

• Ceramic tile is very hard, particularly in environments where people are expected to stand for long periods

• Cold – tile can be very cold underfoot • Expensive to lay and remove

Inkjet printing technologies permit manufacturers to add virtually any image to the surface of a tile. Imitations of stone, timber and concrete are common.

Critically, the ceramic imitation will generally last longer and prove superior to the materials it imitates.

Cost Comparisons The general advantages and disadvantages I have detailed can be found on numerous websites and various industry resources. When it comes to flooring; safety, convenience, comfort and economy are major factors in the buying equation. If that is not the case, why does carpet account for 70 per cent of floor covering sales in the developed world?

Tongue and groove veneered floating floor panels 8 mm laminated tongued and grooved flooring.

Parquetry timber flooring

16 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

With its soft patterning & beautiful semi polished finish, Volcanic Stone series will bring depth & finesse to your indoor living space.

Volcanic Stone reflects style while offering the benefits of easy maintenance and no sealing, available in various colours and sizes.

Showrooms in NSW & ACT

ambertiles.com.au 1300 362 241

specification

Granit sheet vinyl (2mm)

Carpet is the hardest product to effectively clean and maintain; it harbours allergens, stains easily, burns, emits VOCs and is permanently damaged by water.

The Homesafe Group’s 2013 first quarter guide to Home Renovation Cost Indicator, and Home Replacement & Depreciation Indicators states in reference to depreciation: “Different components of the home are depreciated at different annual rates, the highest rates being for carpets, window coverings, some electrical components, white goods, hot water services, heating and cooling systems etc., carpet for example having a depreciation life of 5 years”.

Yet, carpet is popular because it is warm, safe and consumer friendly.

None of the surveyed products compare favourably to tile in relation to ease of maintenance, durability or life expectancy.

Tile is however expensive to lay, and it is very permanent. In an environment where roughly 40 per cent of Australians have moved house during the last five years (Australian Bureau of Statistics), permanent floor coverings that last a lifetime are not necessarily a high priority.

Using figures, extracted from Rawlinsons’ excellent Construction Cost Guide 2015, let us compare the installed unit cost per square metre for the surveyed materials in a variety of States. (Table 2 opposite).

The Rawlinsons Guide has been produced since 1993 to cover the small / light commercial and industrial sectors as well as housing projects in the $200,000 to $1,500,000 price range.

Obviously the quoted rates might vary for small or substantially larger projects. The quoted rates are designed to cover work conducted in typical buildings in metropolitan areas.

18 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Heavy duty lino – XF Silenco (3.8mm)

Conclusion If we analyse the quoted installed per square metre floor covering figures we can see the following:

variances. Some high end vinyl materials are backed by extended 15 year (commercial) and 25 year (private residence) warranties. Having said that some of these materials cost more than ceramic tile or natural stone. Furthermore some high quality porcelain products cost in excess of $100 per square metre.

Decent Wool-woven Carpet for medium use will cost:

$88.22

Domestic grade Carpet

$45.13

3mm Vinyl Tile

$32.88

Environmental Issues

2mm Vinyl Sheet

$80.75

Tile and stone

2.5mm Heavy Duty Linoleum

$89.75

Many leading European tile manufacturers produce ceramic wall and floor tiles which contain a high percentage of recycled content, indeed a growing number have achieved an EU Ecolabel, and LEED accreditation. A number of prime local wholesalers and tile merchants import from these companies, which effectively means that the local importer can gain a hard surface Ecolabel from Good Environmental Choice Australia (GECA) by presenting documentary evidence of the product’s established environmental credentials (GECA 40 – Hard Surfacing Standard).

The GECA standard is recognised by the Green Building Council of Australia, so ceramic tiles, natural and agglomerate stone materials can achieve maximum points in Green Star Calculators.

Local stone producer Melocco Stone recently obtained a GECA Ecolabel for its Austral Black granite.

However, over the last 10 years, tile imports from Europe, in particular Italy and Spain, have declined significantly, from a combined figure of approximately 14 million square metres to 4,878,000 in 2014.

The vast majority of product we import from Asia, in particular China, does not possess environmental credentials.

Nevertheless, a large volume of green, sustainable tile products are available to local specifiers. Unfortunately, we

3.8mm Acoustic Linoleum 8mm Laminated Flooring (96 per cent Timber)

$108.92 $48.67

Proprietary Tongue & Groove Veneered Floating Timber

$257.20

19mm Parquetry Wood Block

$228.00

330 x 330 x 9mm Glazed Ceramic Tile

$115.67

300 x 300 x 9mm Unglazed Porcelain $124.17 600 x 600 x 9mm Glazed Porcelain $119.66

If we glance back at Table 1 all of the products listed above, will require regular renovation and / or specific maintenance, whereas ceramic tile (which includes glazed and unglazed porcelain) will require no significant maintenance.

The associated maintenance, renovation and in many instances early replacement cost will ultimately exceed any initial price variance between the other floor coverings and ceramic tile.

Some timber materials which cost more at the outset also cost a great deal to maintain.

The featured life expectancy and unit cost figures are for good quality products, however there are always

Adelaide $

Brisbane $

Hobart $

Melbourne $

Perth $

Sydney $

Average $

CARPET – Commercial Grade, Laid on Prepared Surface (No Underlay) Supplied & Laid. Unit: Square Metre (sq m) Nylon (PC $30 sq m supplied) (Heavy use)

44.10

44.90

45.80

44.40

45.70

46.40

45.22

Wool Woven (PC $70 sq m supplied) (Medium use)

87.10

87.90

88.80

87.40

88.70

89.40

88.22

Rubber Underlay

24.20

24.90

25.60

24.50

25.50

26.10

Foam Underlay

19.45

20.00

20.60

19.65

20.50

21.00

Domestic Grade

28.00 to 59.60 28.80 to 60.80 29.70 to 62.00 28.30 to 60.00 29.60 to 61.80 30.20 to 62.80

20.20 45.13 (Average price)

MODULAR CARPET – Commercial Grade Laid on Prepared Surface Nylon Anti-Static Loop Pile (PC $60 sq m supplied) (Heavy Duty) Domestic Grade

74.90

75.70

76.40

26.50 to 53.40 27.30 to 54.20 28.10 to 54.90

75.20

76.30

26.80 53.70

76.90

28.00 to 54.80 28.50 to 55.40

75.90 40.97 (Average price)

VINYL – (Resilient Finish) Supplied & Laid on Prepared Surfaces Unit: Square Metre (sq m) Tiles - (Semi Rigid) 2mm Excelon (Designer) (PC $10 sq m supplied) 3mm Excelon (Designer) (PC $19 sq m supplied) Sheet – Homogeneous 1.5mm Polyfor XL (PC $16.50 sq m supplied) 2.0mm Granit (PC $38 sq m supplied) Sheet – Heterogeneous 2.0mm Design FX (PC $51 sq m supplied)

22.10

22.90

23.80

22.40

23.60

24.30

23.18

31.80

32.60

33.50

32.10

33.30

34.00

32.88

41.40

43.10

44.90

42.10

44.60

46.00

43.68

64.50

66.20

68.00

65.20

67.70

69.10

66.78

78.50

80.20

82.00

79.10

81.70

83.00

80.75

LINOLEUM – Laid on Prepared Surfaces Unit: Square Metre (sq m) Heavy Duty 2.5mm thick (PC $40 sq m supplied) (XF Allegro) Acoustic 3.8mm (Linoleum XF Silenco)

85.60

88.70

91.90

86.80

91.40

93.80

89.70

105.00

108.00

111.00

106.00

110.50

113.00

108.92

230.00

275.00

—

255.00

287.00

239.00

257.20

229.00 —

228.00 225.00

TIMBER FLOORING Proprietary Tongued & Grooved Veneered floating floor panels Fixed to battens (Parklex 2000) 290mm wide

Parquetry 19mm Wood Block – Laid Herringbone with adhesive incl. laying, sanding & sealing & Applying finish Tasmanian Oak — — — 240.00 215.00 Brush Box 208.00 255.00 212.00 — — Laminated Flooring 8mm Tongued & Grooved Flooring (96 per cent timber)

44.00

44.00

58.00

50.00

45.00

51.00

48.67

CERAMIC FLOOR TILING (Includes Adhesive & Grout, Fixed to Prepared Surfaces) Tiling in Main Areas Light Duty – Commercial & Domestic 200 x 200mm 110.50 (PC $40 sq m supplied) 330 x 330mm 113.50 (PC $42.50 sq m supplied) Unglazed Porcelain 300 x 300mm (PC $50 sq m supplied)

117.50

128.00

105.00

97.30

119.50

112.97

120.50

130.50

107.50

100.00

122.00

115.67

122.00

129.00

139.00

116.00

108.50

130.50

124.17

—

—

—

120.00

114.00*

125.00*

119.66*

Glazed Porcelain 600 x 600mm (PC $60 sq m supplied)

*All figures sourced from ‘Rawlinsons Construction Cost Guide 2015’ with the exception of prices obtained from leading tiling contractors*.

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 19

specification may not be doing enough as an industry to fly that particular flag.

In stark contrast, manufacturers and the representative industry bodies for carpet, vinyl and alternative surface finishes are pushing hard to promote the environmental benefits of their products.

PVC For example, the Vinyl Council of Australia established a Product Stewardship Program in 2002, which is designed to concentrate on health matters pertaining to the life cycle of PVC. In 2014 there were over 30 companies aligned to the program as signatories.

Armstrong Australia recently launched two new ranges, ‘Eco Accolade’ and ‘Eco Terrazz’, which contain postconsumer / post-industrial content in excess of 50 per cent. Coupled with the lower carbon footprint of these products, Armstrong has actually engaged in the removal and reuse of Australianmade vinyl tiles from department stores and supermarkets at the end of their service life.

A growing number of PVC manufacturers are recycling off-cuts and excess material that would normally be consigned to landfill.

Carpet According to ‘Carpet America Recovery Effort’, around 2.2 billion kilograms of discarded carpet winds up in landfills in the United States alone.

The global figure must be astronomical. This is disconcerting for environmentally conscious individuals who are aware that “most of the soft stuff we’re treading on is woven from petroleum-based synthetic fibres. Nylon and polypropylene plastics which are made from petrochemical polymers are the two most common components in carpeting.” (Can I recycle my carpet? By Cristen Conger – howstuffworks.com/ home-improvement/home-diy/flooring/ recycle-carpet.htm) While manufacturers like Mohawk, Shaw and others have made great efforts to reduce their carbon footprint, the challenge is to convert post-consumer carpets into new floor covering.

This is a truly daunting task given the sheer volume of discarded product. Nevertheless a group of carpet manufacturers joined forces thirteen years ago with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and government agencies to create a Memorandum of Understanding, which pledges to divert 40 per cent of post-consumer carpet that usually ends up in landfills by

2012. This is a laudable aim but we are not talking about newspapers, cans and bottles.

While tile manufacturers recycle waste materials and water to produce environmentally friendly product, what happens to old or excess tiles and bricks that are not required? SITA Australia actually provides builders and renovators with an opportunity to reduce unwanted landfill by crushing bricks, tiles and concrete for re-use in the maintenance of landfill roads (www.sita.com.au).

In fact, many recycling yards accept these hard surface products.

Primary uses for this kind of product are drainage materials or rock base for driveways.

Cradle-to-cradle manufacturing of PVC, carpet and tile is of paramount importance. Leading European tile manufacturers are in the vanguard of this charge, but what are we doing locally to promote the Life Cycle Analysis merits of tile? The aforementioned GECA Hard Standard was initially driven by the Australian Stone Advisory Association.

The Australian Tile Council needs to promote the considerable merits of the product, its prolonged life expectancy and the efforts leading manufacturers are making to produce environmentally friendly products.

We moved from a standard computer software package to ClearTile and what a difference! ClearTile’s reporting system is one of the best I’ve ever seen.

Paul Cannizzaro, Director, Designer’s Ultimate Tiles, Victoria

00 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

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trends

Taking shape New ceramic and glass tile fashions and shapes emerge on a regular basis. Some are genuine novelties like the huge 3000 x 1000mm slim panels which can be used on walls, floors, bench tops and façades (Photo 1).

1. Giant mechanically fixed 3600 x 1200mm and 3600 x 600mm slim 6mm thickness panels of Perla by Neolith feature on this façade. Neolith is available from CDK Stone.

O

ther tile fashions have a lot in common with the recent re-emergence of desert boots, paisley shirts, or vinyl LPs which were once deemed to be so inferior to CDs that everyone dumped their turntables.

The hexagons, octagons, chevrons, rhombus and provencal shapes that have suddenly emerged as popular alternatives to conventional square and rectangular products were all available back in the 70s. In fact, some of these shapes

were manufactured in Italy, England and Spain as early as the 14th century.

The products featured in Photos 2 & 3 are known by a variety of names which include lantern and provencal.

Photo 4 features Penta, a new product release by market leader Beaumont Tiles which represents a futuristic foray into tile design in the shape of a structured five– sided polygon.

In fact, if we consider the possibilities for creation of interesting designs using standard square and rectangular

5. Combinations of square and rectangular tiles. (Source How and Why. Buyer’s and user’s guide to Italian ceramic tiles. Editions Edi Cer spa)

2. A provencal glass mosaic

by Everstone.

24 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

3. Update by Ace Ceramics

formats we can see that they are almost limitless (Photo 5).

Photo 6 illustrates Mews by Urban Edge Ceramics, the 55 x 450mm full body porcelain tiles are laid in an attractive herringbone pattern.

Intricate shapes and patterns can be presented en masse on standard square tiles. Photo 7 illustrates Cementine Black & White by Colortile, which presents 12 designs on 200 x 200mm format tiles.

Tile can be laid in numerous eye-catching designs by simply changing the path of the joints from continuous in one direction to offset. This creates an entirely new aesthetic.

4. Penta by Beaumont Tiles is a structured pentagon which creates the appearance of a padded wall, the product is available in 115 x 150mm gold and white gloss finishes.

7. Cementine Black & White from ColorTile. A multitude of shapes and patterns printed on hard wearing, low maintenance porcelain tiles.

6. Mews by Urban Edge Ceramics depicts renewed interest in herringbone laying patterns.

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 25

interview

tile

advanced ceramics

resources

project

standards

review

Gift wrapped façade From the moment Trend Tile introduced 3 metre x 1 metre x 3mm slim panels of porcelain into the New South Wales market, we have promoted the existing and potential benefits of slim product in our built environment. Today, a growing number of major manufacturers produce slim panels and tiles in a variety of formats and thicknesses. Ultimately, these lightweight, durable and sustainable products will play a major role in our market.

L

arge panels can be used to clad internal and external walls, bench tops and existing furniture. Tiles that are at least 5mm-thick can be used in tile-on-tile projects, and on flat, sound new substrates.

Our featured project features Laminam Filo 3 metre x 1 metre x 3mm mechanically fixed panels of porcelain which add a remarkable aesthetic to the façade of an upmarket business centre in Seoul, South Korea.

Seoul is an ultra-modern city, sprinkled with historic buildings nestled next to shining skyscrapers.

The featured four-storey business centre is located in the Gangnam district, which has been likened to a South Korean Beverly Hills.

The glass and steel structure features contrasting shapes and interplay of gloss and matt surfaces, which are gift wrapped with a winding thread of slim, shimmering panels of porcelain that exhibit three-dimensional futuristic characteristics.

Material:

Porcelain by Laminam – Series Filo Panels:

1000 x 3000 x 3mm Colour:

Argento Prime Specifications:

• Water Absorption: 0.1 per cent • Chemical Resistance: ISO 10545-13 • Stain Resistance: ISO 10545-14 • Thermal/Shock Resistance: ISO 10545

26 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

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interview

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advanced ceramics

resources

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standards

review

Alex Njoo architect in conversation with

Edi Menegas, EVM Architects The role of architects in the Design and Construction industry has experienced dramatic changes in the past decade or so. As the industry has become more and more litigious, so has the economic environment within which architects practice. The emergence of project management is a case in point. No longer do architects occupy the leading role in major projects. With a vacillating economy, often the architects’ role is confined to design the way buildings look rather than an overarching control of their complex processes. The multidisciplinary nature of the industry requires a host of other expertise that defy conventional architectural practice. For instance, manual drafting has given way to computerised documentation, site supervisions have become in most cases, the province of project management.

N

otwithstanding these radical changes, for every major practice that turns out computer generated building images executed by armies of outsourced consultants, there are hundreds of small practices throughout the country that maintain the long-held tradition in the way buildings are designed and built.

The Melbourne practice of EVM Architects is one such company.

I recently discussed the myriad of changes in architectural practice with Edi Menegas, director and founder of EVM Architects. Australian-born

28 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Menegas’ parents arrived in the 1950s from the North of Italy, where the country borders Switzerland and Austria.

“My father,” says Menegas, “for most of his working life was a self-employed concreter and my mother worked as a laboratory technician and seamstress.

Most of our family friends were families of concreters, bricklayers, plumbers, carpenters and painters. You can imagine the amount of testosterone that was generated during family gatherings such as birthdays and anniversaries. I remember spending my free weekends tinkering on projects that involved

carpentry, patching cracks in plaster walls, ceilings, painting and tiling, getting involved in whatever renovation was required in our family home or helping out the relatives.”

Menegas believes that the environment he grew up in has nurtured his career pathway or as he says, “pointed me to the direction of architecture and the construction industry as a career.

I chose architecture studies at RMIT. I was part of that group of architects who cut our architectural teeth in the legendary Gossard Building in Franklin Street.

While exploring the theory and practice of design, my interest in carpentry led me to interact with Interior Design students who shared the building spaces.”

While studying at RMIT, Menegas obtained part-time employment with a small architectural firm that specialised in residential alterations or additions. “The opportunity to travel came in 1983,” Menegas recalls, “a European Study Tour organised by Joe Bradley, one of life’s dynamic and passionate history lecturers. We spent a total of four months travelling through England, France, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy and returning via the US. We were completely embedded into the history, culture and lifestyle of each country we visited. So much so, coming home to Melbourne was an anti-climax at the time.”

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Architile The eye-opening European trip finishes, particularly in the selection of ceramic tiles. He believed that they strengthened Menegas’ determination should reflect the architecture of the to further explore the deeper nuances of project. The versatility of tile and stone, his design and construction knowledge; used both as an internal and external the things he learned in that incubator finish, has been time-tested. We have of emerging architects, the old Gossard used them extensively in our projects.

Building at RMIT. Four years later, after painstaking conAfter his graduation from RMIT struction work that included significant in 1987, Menegas spent the following earthworks and excavations, that ineight years working in the private as cluded a new kitchen, cellar, bathroom well as public domain, where he honed and two bedrooms, we transformed an his skills in high-rise, commercial, priexisting non-descript weatherboard vate and public residential projects.

In 1995, Menegas established his own design practice, Melbrick Design Group focusing on residential and comThe versatility of tile and mercial projects, that include commerstone, used both as an cial retail design and fit outs, small industrial buildings, residential renovainternal and external finishes, tions and new small to medium multihas been time-tested. We level residential developments.

“EVM Architects was established in have used them extensively 2011,” says Menegas, “EVM not only in our projects. represents the initials of my name but I’m also resolved that the small part I play in architecture is duly recognised. I have no qualms to reveal them to my client base.

I think people should know whom they are dealing with.

The prevailing trend of branding architecture practices seems anachronistic to me.”

“EVM,” continues Menegas, “is a small multi-disciplinary practice that is underpinned by experiences and achievement gained from past projects that range from bathroom / kitchen renovations to more complex residential and commercial developments. We seek to inspire and be inspired through the built forms that we have created; to explore and implement sustainable design through diverse construction materials and building technologies.

In relation to the urban landscape, it is our practice to engage not only those that have ownership of the building, but also to inspire those that experience the building; the users.”

Menegas believes that commissions obtained through word-of-mouth are significantly more fulfilling. Particularly when his former clients recommend them. He is also acutely aware that the profession’s diversity contributes to the design culture and its end users.

“The most intense project experience came along some years ago,” he recalls. “A new client just needed a small alteration to a kitchen and garage. The initial sketches soon evolved into what was to become a substantial project.

The client, a Northern Italian, placed a great emphasis on Private residence, Manningham

“

30 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

”

house into a well crafted home almost twice the original size.”

Menegas sees the future of his industry in the kind of practice that he runs, a very personal suburban small business that provides the necessary professionalism in the making of our urban environment that is adaptable to the prevailing climate change.

To him, and others like him, “the understanding of building materials, the way the weather affects the materials we use, the interplay of light and shade on different surfaces, in other words, the visual aesthetics; they are all part of the making of a building.”

Menegas believes that his early architectural education underpins the foundation of the way he practises and introduces his commitment to design, the built forms and the development of a critical understanding of architecture.

No doubt, like all others, the design and construction industry are affected by the economic climate and confidence. But Menegas is profoundly optimistic of its future, concluding that “for as long as architects understand that people’s lives evolve, that materials can be integrated towards a sustainable application, our future is relatively assured that it will be in good hands.”

“

the understanding of building materials, the way the weather affects the materials we use, the interplay of light and shade on different surfaces, in other words, the visual aesthetics; they are all part of the making of a building.

”

TT acknowledges the assistance of EVM Architects for this Conversation. www.evmarchitects.com.au

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interview

tile

advanced ceramics

resources

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standards

review

Important new ISO Tiling Standards are under development The International Standards Organisation (ISO) has published over 50 ceramic tile Standards, another 16 are under development, including several key Standards. The Standards are published under the direct responsibility of ISO/TC 189 Secretariat.

The published Standards are: Standard and/or project

Stage

ICS

ISO 10545-1:2014

Ceramic tiles — Part 1: Sampling and basis for acceptance

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-2:1995

Ceramic tiles — Part 2: Determination of dimensions and surface quality

90.93

91.100.23

60.60

91.100.23

Ceramic tiles — Part 3: Determination of water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent relative density and bulk density

90.92

91.100.23

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-4:2014

Ceramic tiles — Part 4: Determination of modulus of rupture and breaking strength

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-5:1996

Ceramic tiles — Part 5: Determination of impact resistance by measurement of coefficient of restitution

90.20

91.100.23

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-2:1995/Cor 1:1997 ISO 10545-3:1995 ISO 10545-3:1995/Cor 1:1997

ISO 10545-5:1996/Cor 1:1997 ISO 10545-6:2010

Ceramic tiles — Part 6: Determination of resistance to deep abrasion for unglazed tiles

90.20

91.100.23

ISO 10545-7:1996

Ceramic tiles — Part 7: Determination of resistance to Ceramic tiles — Part 7: Determination of resistance to surface abrasion for glazed tiles

90.92

91.100.23

ISO 10545-8:2014

Ceramic tiles — Part 8: Determination of linear thermal expansion

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-9:2013

Ceramic tiles — Part 9: Determination of resistance to thermal shock

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-10:1995

Ceramic tiles — Part 10: Determination of moisture expansion

90.93

91.100.23

ISO 10545-11:1994

Ceramic tiles — Part 11: Determination of crazing resistance for glazed tiles

90.93

91.100.23

ISO 10545-12:1995

Ceramic tiles — Part 12: Determination of frost resistance

90.92

91.100.23

60.60

91.100.23

ISO 10545-12:1995/Cor 1:1997 ISO 10545-13:1995

Ceramic tiles — Part 13: Determination of chemical resistance

90.92

91.100.23

ISO 10545-14:1995

Ceramic tiles — Part 14: Determination of resistance to stains

90.92

91.100.23

60.60

91.100.23

Ceramic tiles — Part 15: Determination of lead and cadmium given off by glazed tiles

90.93

91.100.23

ISO 10545-14:1995/Cor 1:1997 ISO 10545-15:1995 ISO 10545-16:2010

Ceramic tiles — Part 16: Determination of small colour differences

90.92

91.100.23

ISO 13006:2012

Ceramic tiles — Definitions, classification, characteristics and marking

90.93

01.040.91 91.100.23

ISO 13007-1:2014

Ceramic tiles — Grouts and adhesives — Part 1: Terms, definitions and specifications for adhesives

60.60

83.180 91.100.23

ISO 13007-2:2013

Ceramic tiles — Grouts and adhesives — Part 2: Test methods for adhesives

60.60

83.180 91.100.23

ISO 13007-3:2010

Ceramic tiles — Grouts and adhesives — Part 3: Terms, definitions and specifications for grouts definitions and specifications for grouts

90.93

91.100.10 91.100.23

ISO 13007-4:2013

Ceramic tiles — Grouts and adhesives — Part 4: Test methods for grouts

60.60

91.100.10 91.100.23

32 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

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standards

Standards under development are: Standard and/or project

Stage

ICS

ISO/AWI 10545-3

Ceramic tiles — Part 3: Determination of water absorption, apparent porosity, apparent relative density and bulk density

20.00

91.100.23

ISO/NP 10545-7

Ceramic tiles — Part 7: Determination of resistance to surface abrasion for glazed tiles

10.99

91.100.23

ISO/NP 10545-12

Ceramic tiles — Part 12: Determination of frost resistance

10.99

91.100.23

ISO/DIS 10545-13

Ceramic tiles — Main element — Part 13: Determination of chemical resistance

40.60

91.100.23

ISO/FDIS 10545-14

Ceramic tiles — Part 14: Determination of resistance to stains

50.00

91.100.23

ISO/DIS 10545-16

Ceramic tiles — Part 16: Determination of small colour differences and light reflectance values

40.00

91.100.23

ISO/NP 13006

Ceramic tiles — Definitions, classification, characteristics and marking

10.99

01.040.91 91.100.23

ISO/DIS 13007-5

Ceramic tiles — Grouts and adhesives — Part 5: Liquid applied waterproofing membranes for use beneath ceramic tiling bonded with adhesives — Requirements, test methods, evaluation of conformity, classification and designation

40.99

91.100.10 91.100.23

ISO/WD 13007-6

Ceramic tiles — Grouts and adhesives — Part 6: sheet membranes used in ceramic tile installations

20.20

ISO/DIS 14448

Low modulus adhesives for exterior tile finishing

40.60

83.180 91.100.23

ISO/WD 17721-1

Quantitative determination of antibacterial activity of ceramic surfaces — Test methods — Part 1: Ceramic surfaces with incorporated antibacterial agents

20.20

91.100.23

ISO/NP 17721-2

Quantitative determination of antibacterial activity of ceramic surfaces — Test methods — Part 2: Ceramic surfaces with incorporated photocatalytic antibacterial agents

10.99

ISO/DTR 17870-1

Ceramic tiles — Guidelines for installation — Part 1: Installation of ceramic wall and floor tiles

30.99

91.100.23

ISO/DTR 17870-2

Ceramic tiles — Guidelines for installation — Part 2: Installation of thin ceramic wall and floor tiles

30.99

91.100.23

ISO/WD 17889

Sustainability for ceramic tiling systems

20.20

ISO/NP 18148

Test Methods for hard body impact, soft body impact and pull out resistance for large format ceramic tiles (Larger than 60 cm x 60 cm, Class B1a and A1a tile) for use in mechanically fixed ventilated facades

10.99

ISO Standards which have become Australian Standards AS ISO 13007.1 2013 AS ISO 13007.2 2013 AS ISO 13007.3 2013 AS ISO 13006 2013 AS ISO 10545 – 6 2013 AS ISO 10545-16 2013 Refer to the complete list above to determine the title of these Standards. A number of the Standards which are under development are particularly important. Local and international tiling Standards can be purchased and downloaded from the SAI Global website.

34 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

91.100.23

NO TOOLS NEEDED EASY REMOVAL The New Tuscan SeamClip The Tuscan SeamClip™ is the world’s first one-piece tool less joint levelling system that will greatly assist in the installation of porcelain, stone, ceramic, marble, granite and large format tiles on floor or wall from 3mm - 13mm in thickness.

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Lippage Free

P P The interlocking design of the Tuscan SeamClip™ essentially P eliminates lippage whilst simultaneously minimising the possibility P of warping resulting in a smooth flat surface.

P

1-Piece System that virtually eliminates lippage during tile installation No tools needed Easy to use Made in the USA* from recyclable material Designed for calibrated Tiles 300mm and above

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Tuscan Leveling System Setting Tool - Ergonomic 1 unit

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specification This paper was presented at

4

the World Congress on Ceramic Tile Quality

Building envelope solutions, considering the influence of ceramic tiles Patricia Huedo Dordá , David Fernandez-Camuñas Gallego, Ana Sos Castell Department of Mechanical Engineering and Construction Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) is an exhaustive, laborious and highly complex process, given that numerous factors need to be taken into account for its application; it is also time-consuming and requires professional skills which are normally incompatible with the conditions in which the architect works. It is precisely this scenario which has led to the use of a simplified LCA methodology for calculating the environmental impacts of buildings. The objective of this study is to estimate the environmental impacts of different building envelope solutions by applying a simplified LCA methodology. Our aim is to obtain enough data so that we can analyse and compare different alternatives for the design of the building envelope and evaluate the influence of ceramic tiles on the environmental performance of buildings.

will enable the use of central heating and air conditioning systems during its useful life to be reduced.

There are different ways of approaching this problem and all of them entail finding a way to access better information about the options available at the beginning of the design process and obtaining preliminary estimative results as soon as possible.

• Our aim is to obtain data related to

Rather than trying to achieve highly accurate results, our intention is to obtain information that will enable us to lay the groundwork and contribute to the development of an environmental rating tool, which, by means of indicators, can help the designer, during the initial phase of design, to select building solutions with good environmental performance.

S

ince 1987, when the Brundtland report for the UN was published and the term “sustainable development”, defined as “development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1), was used for the first time, environmental protection has become a global necessity and the inclusion of sustainability principles into all our production processes is becoming increasingly urgent.

Construction is responsible for a very high percentage of environmental pollution, according to the UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programme) and the OECD (Organization For Economic Cooperation And Development), and built environments account for an energy consumption of 25 to 40 per cent, a solid waste burden of 30 to 40 per cent and a greenhouse gas emission burden of 30 to

36 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

40 per cent. It is vital for building to become sustainable and, to do this, it will be necessary to incorporate mechanisms for quantifying and preventing the impacts produced as a result of using different building solutions, taking into account their life cycle as a whole (3).

One of the key aspects in the entire building process is design. The designer or architect, the person who lays the cornerstone, as it were, for the subsequent development or construction of a building, must be able to control the choice of materials and the building solutions employed in his project effectively (4). To do this, he needs to take into consideration a series of variables, which will oblige him to make decisions during the design phase that will affect the viability of the product and the final result. To be sustainable, a building must try to achieve high energy efficiency through careful design of the building envelope, which

The Objective • Our objective is to quantify the environmental impact of different building envelope solutions in order to determine the influence of ceramic tiles on this impact.

• We

intend to analyse the environmental behaviour of different design alternatives for the building envelope, comparing conventional building solutions with other much more innovative solutions which include ceramic tiles in their composition and, in each case, to evaluate multiple variables. all the life-cycle stages so that we can compare the impacts produced during the manufacturing and construction (hereafter execution) phases with those produced during the use phase of a building, which might be linked to the building envelope solutions that were adopted.

• We would like to provide better in-

formation about the options which exist at the beginning of the design process in order to help the designer during the preliminary design phase.

Background Theoretical studies on environmental impacts based on LCA of materials or building solutions, which also include data about the reduction of the energy demands of buildings during their use phase, have been published by other authors (6), (7), (8),(9), (10), (11) and (12).

The components, materials and building systems implicated in the design process should perform optimally, in accordance with our expectations and the requirements of durability and useful life. Design should not be directly affected by building regulations but by the design criteria of the architect; thus, the final design will depend on the discretion of the designer (13).

As a result, the information required for the architectural design and building processes of a project must be derived from reliable sources and information that can be verified.

Methodology A simplified LCA methodology was applied to determine the environmental impacts of building envelopes.

Description and justification of the application of a simplified LCA methodology for buildings The application of LCA to complex products, in which the limits of the system apply to a wide range of activities, may be incompatible with reliable life cycle assessments. This is the case in building, in which the level of complexity is self-evident.

The few LCA studies which are performed on buildings in spain have had to simplify the methodology they use, as well as making adaptations and approximations with respect to the data available in information sources, most of which come from other countries.

These simplified studies are known as LCA summaries (14) and, despite their abbreviated form, in comparison with the methodology developed for complete LCA studies, they are very useful for evaluating environmental impact tendencies.

Options for simplification in the application of LCA to buildings According to the recommendations of CEN/TC 350, any system which is to be analysed should include the following stages: manufacture, execution, use and maintenance, and final disposal or demolition.

That said, it is possible to conduct a life cycle study if we use at least two stages: the manufacturing stage and the stage of use. (15). To conduct this study the following phases were selected:

• Manufacturing and execution phas-

es, in which CO2 emissions, primary energy consumption, water consumption, and the hazardous and non-hazardous waste that was produced were evaluated.

building. It was chosen because it was developed in a national context where the information it provides is accessible. It is also easy to access the program itself, as there are agreements which allow it to be used by students and researchers at little cost. The TCQGMA module of the TCQ2000 application provides environmental information about materials and building systems. This tool also enables water consumption to be estimated during the manufacturing and execution phases.

The impacts which are evaluated in the manufacturing and execution phases are as follows:

• Energy

consumption during the manufacture and execution of the building materials.

• CO2

emissions released as a result of the manufacture and execution of building materials.

• Hazardous and non-hazardous waste,

surplus materials and packaging waste

• Water consumption.

• Investment and energy costs of the manufacturing and execution phase.

With respect to the databases, ISO 14040 establishes the general quality requirements, including the weather conditions that apply, technological and geographical scope, accuracy, level of detail and representativeness. The bedec database provides environmental information which can be compared and completed using other databases, such as ecoinvent.

For the analysis of energy consumption and CO2 emissions during the use phase of the building, the lider and calener energy simulation tools were selected. Keeping certain parameters fixed and performing different

simulations, in which values related exclusively to materials and / or building envelope solutions, and / or climatic zones were changed, we obtained estimation results related to: - Energy consumption for central heating and air conditioning.

- CO2 emissions during the use phase of the building.

Calculations will be made for a building selected as a case study, combining the result of the impacts obtained for different building envelope solutions and analysing different orientations of the building and different climatic zones.

Description of the case study A real project will be used as the case study. It is a house built on a geometrically simple plot with two stories and a patio at the back. The house has two façades, one that looks out onto the street and the other opposite façade facing the patio. It is a terraced house so ventilation is only possible through the façades (Figure 2).

The interior layout is as follows:

• Ground floor: lounge / dining room, kitchen, a double bedroom and bathroom.

• First

floor: two bedrooms, a bathroom and a passage.

Application of the simplified LCA methodology to the case study According to the methodology proposed by the ISO 14040 standard, the LCA can be divided into four phases as follows:

• Definition of objectives and scope.

• Inventory analysis.

• Impact evaluation.

• Interpretation of results.

• Maintenance

phase of the building envelope during the entire useful life of the building.

• Use

phase, primarily owing to the emissions and consumption of the building installations, which may be affected by building envelope solutions.

We also performed an economic assessment of the solutions that were evaluated; this involved calculating the investment costs of the manufacturing and execution phases, and the maintenance costs during the use phase of each of the building solutions included in the analysis.

Selection and justification of the databases and analytical tools The TCQ2000 software tool and its environmental management module, TCQGMA, were used to analyse the impacts of the manufacturing, execution and maintenance phases of the study

Figure 2. Floor plans and cross section of the house used for the case study.

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 37

specification

Figure 3. Cross sections of a traditional roof.

Definition of objectives and scope Various factors which determine the limits of the system are established below, including the predicted application of the study, the hypotheses it proposes, the exclusion criteria, the economic data and limitations and the user it is intended for: The objective of the study is to quantify the environmental impact of different building envelope solutions in order to determine the influence of ceramic tiles on this impact.

The results will enable us to compare the environmental impact data for the different building envelope solutions which are analysed, taking into account the energy consumption and CO2 emissions produced during the use phase, which will be obtained by applying energy simulation programs.

In terms of its scope, the LCA will be performed using the type of building selected for the case study. It will evaluate two opposite orientations and two climatic zones for different building envelope solutions and combine various types of roof with different types of façade and joinery.

Calculation hypothesis Variables Climate zones Following the same criterion employed in other impact studies, for this study, two opposite climate zones have been selected.

• Zone B3 (warm and humid climate, for example Brisbane, Australia).

• Zone E1 (cold and dry climate, for example Ávila, Spain).

Figure 4. Cross section of an OSB roof finished with ceramic tiles.

Orientation The behaviour of the building will be calculated for the following orientations: a = 45º orientation NE a = 135º orientation SE

Building solutions The building envelope solutions in the analysis are as follows.

Conventional roofing solutions (Figure 3): • C1 warm, flat roof, continuous and accessible, and protected with ceramic tiles.

• C2 flat, ventilated roof, accessible and protected with ceramic tiles.

• C3 flat, inverted and non-accessible roof protected with gravel.

Innovative roof solution (Figure 4):

• C4 flat, partially ventilated roof with

oriented strand board insulation and

Figure 5. Face brick façade, rendered façade, ventilated façade and lightweight façade.

38 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

ceramic tile protection mounted on plots.

Conventional façade solutions (Figure 5): • F1 conventional built façade with a non-ventilated air cavity, faced with solid brick, 5cm-thick insulation.

• F2 façade with non-ventilated air cavity, 5cm-thick rendered insulation.

• F3 ventilated façade, 5cm-thick exterior insulation.

• F4 lightweight curtain-wall façade.

• Innovative façade solutions (Figure 6): • F5 façade with non-ventilated air cavity, mounted on OSB boards, natural canvas insulation, external ceramic cladding system.

• F6 ventilated façade mounted on OSB boards, natural canvas insulation, outer ceramic tile layer.

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specification and will therefore need to be entered in each case by the architect concerned.

Maintenance phase

Figure 6. Non-ventilated and ventilated faรงades, OSB supporting structure, natural insulation and ceramic cladding.

Functional unity of the system Functional unity defines the quantification of the identified functions of the product to provide a benchmark.

Its purpose is to provide a standard for data entries and output. The functional unity which is selected must be defined and measurable. As our point of reference, we used 1 square metre of usable living space and we regarded the function performed by the different building solutions to be that of an envelope or sheath designed to ensure comfortable living conditions.

Useful life period used for the analysis To establish the useful life period, we consulted the literature and used the criterion adopted in other similar studies: most of the research studies we analysed, in which consumption values and CO2 emissions were taken into account during the use phase, were based on a useful life period of 50 years.

Evaluation of impact in each phase of the analysis: data entry and use of programs Manufacturing and execution phase The TCQ2000 application was used to determine the environmental impacts

produced during the manufacturing and execution phase.

To carry out this part of the study, the four roof solutions, six blind faรงade solutions and three joinery solutions were selected. Measurements were based on the initial case study project.

When entering data into the program fields, each of the proposed solutions was treated as if it were a chapter of the building project. Results were obtained for 1 square metre of built surface for each of the elements that make up the building envelope.

The methodology that was used links each simple element in the ITeC (bedec) database to the type and quantity of constituent materials of which it is composed. So, for example, for each building element we can directly obtain the quantity of materials used, the cost of the investment or the amount of water consumed.

We later calculated the total surface area of the case study envelope and weighted each square metre of envelope, taking into account the proportional part of each building element per square metre of usable space. The resulting coefficient was included in the general table of results, bearing in mind the fact that this figure will vary for each individual building project

STREET FAร ADE Figure 7. Data input using lider and calener.

40 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

The impact of a particular material, depending on the number of times it has to be replaced during the useful life of a building, must be taken into account using the refurbishment factor (RF) concept, in accordance with the recommendations of the impro-building study (Nemry et al., 2008). To do this, each component was assigned a refurbishment factor, depending on the number of times the material would need to be replaced throughout the useful life of the case study building, in other words 50 years. So, for example, if we assign a refurbishment factor of one, it means that the building element will be replaced once during the entire useful life of the building and, if a material has a durability of 10 years, it will be assigned a refurbishment factor of 5, in other words it will be included 5 times in the impact inventory.

Using the data entered using the TCQ2000 application, the TCQGMA program analyses various environmental impacts caused by building materials: to be specific, energy consumption, CO2 emissions per unit of weight, and hazardous and non-hazardous waste generated during the manufacturing and execution phases, directly correlating technical, economic and environmental aspects of the project and, of course, building solutions.

Use phase To evaluate the energy demand of the building, the official version of the lider program for the verification of the Limitation of Energy Demand (HE1) requirement will be used.

The information obtained using LIDER will subsequently be transferred to the official building energy rating program (calener vyp), which will be used as a simulation tool to determine the energy demands of central heating and air conditioning systems, final and primary energy consumptions and CO2 emissions for the case study building.

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specification For this study the following variables were selected:

• Thermal

transmittance of materials (LIDER database)

(u-factor) program

• Cf solar correction factor for façade openings: 1

• Sf shade factor: 1.

• G┴ solar factor for glazing: 0.5 to 0.7.

• Surface temperature (3).

• Humidity grade (3).

• Hour = air flow / volume = 1.5 H-1.

• Percentage of openings in the main

façade 24.50 per cent, and in the façade facing the patio 30 per cent.

• Permeability of joinery: ≤ 27 m3/h m2.

Collection of results

It must be remembered that the LIDER and CALENER* applications employ relative values, comparing the energy demands of the building, depending on the different solutions that are adopted, and only modifying the components of the thermal envelope, the climatic zone in which it is located and its orientation.

The results obtained by applying the CALENER software application, grouped for each climatic zone and each of the orientations that were analysed, are shown below: *Given that the algorithms for ventilated roofs are not included in LIDER v1.0, We used the method proposed in regulation une-en ISO 6946 [12] to enter the data for the ventilated roof and façades. This regulation indicates that the total thermal resistance of a building element which contains a well-ventilated air cavity is calculated by ignoring

the thermal resistance of the air cavity and other layers between the layer of air and the outer atmosphere and including an external surface resistance corresponding to stationary air.

Distribution of results The program works with relative values, comparing the energy demands of the building, which will depend on the different solutions that are adopted, and only modifying the components of the thermal envelope, the climate zone in which it is located and its orientation. Data related to impacts, which will vary depending on the different building solutions defined for the envelope in each of the climate zones, must then be collated, establishing a useful life period of 50 years.

Interpretation of results Some of the results obtained in the study are interpreted below: There are impacts which are produced primarily in the initial life cycle phases, such as water consumption and the generation of waste, and they have less effect in the maintenance and use phases. These impacts primarily depend on the building solutions which are evaluated and do not vary as a result of orientation or climate zone – In terms of water consumption, the solutions that combine a lightweight or ventilated façade with a ventilated roof consume less water during the manufacturing phase.

The joinery which is selected does not influence water consumption during the manufacturing phase. In

general, combinations that include concrete or mortar in their execution phase consume less water and the same is true for combinations which include prefabricated solutions.

– In terms of the production of waste which is inert and nonhazardous, solutions that combine a lightweight façade with an inverted roof generate less waste during their manufacturing and execution phases.

Combinations which include a continuous warm roof generally generate more hazardous waste during the manufacturing and execution phase.

The difference between the solution that generates the most hazardous waste and the one that generates the least is 0.12 Kg of hazardous waste per square metre of usable space.

– As for energy consumption (kwh/ m2) and CO2 (kg CO2/m2) emissions, these are impacts which are produced during all the life-cycle phases, in other words during the manufacturing and execution phase, the maintenance phase and the use phase.

Logically, as we increase the life period being evaluated, the impacts produced during the maintenance and use phases become more important; that said, it is important to emphasize that the CO2 emissions produced during the manufacture and use phases account for approximately 29 per cent of the CO2 emissions in a 50-year period. And energy consumption generated during the manufacture and execution phase accounts for approximately 18 per cent

Figure 8 comparIson of CO2 emission and consumption percentages during different life-cycle phases.

42 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

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Figure 9. Table comparing energy consumption linked to different building solutions in zone B3 orientation NE.

of the energy consumption generated in a 50-year period (Figure 9).

Estimation of the economic cost of the building envelope solutions To be able to make decisions about the sustainability of a particular building solution, we think it is very important to compare the cost of the impacts which are generated with the cost of the initial investment and the maintenance costs of the different building solutions.

For a building to be really sustainable, it must cost the same or less than a conventional building and it must have lower maintenance costs.

Conclusions • During the initial phase of the life cy-

cle of a building, CO2 emissions and energy consumption are directly produced as a result of the effects of the manufacture and execution of building elements. During the corrective maintenance phase CO2 emissions and energy consumption are directly produced as a result of the replacement of building elements throughout the useful life of the building.

And, during the use phase, CO2 emissions and energy consumption are produced by central heating and air conditioning systems, which we can regard as being linked to building envelope solutions.

Both CO2 emissions and energy consumption will vary, depending on the building solutions that are adopted, and the climate zones and orientations; but they will also vary as a result of other variables which have not been taken into account (as explained in the scope of the system), which is why the results which are obtained are regarded as reference values.

• Based on a 50-year life cycle period, the combinations with the worst environmental performance are the ones that include a warm roof, a lightweight façade and aluminium

44 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

doors and windows, and the combinations with the best environmental performance are those with an inverted roof and a ventilated façade.

• When

we compared the different building solutions but only taking into account the type of façade, we noticed that the lightweight façade solutions (F4) generate less waste and consume less water; however, they produce more CO2 emissions and consume more energy during the manufacturing phase than other building solutions. As we continue to analyse impacts throughout the life cycle, we can see that the solutions that include a lightweight façade perform less well in the use phase, owing to the emissions produced by air conditioning, and improve their performance substantially with regard to central heating emissions, which is why they are recommended in cold climates. This is because the glass cladding in these façades transmits heat much more easily than opaque solutions.

• We

can also see that combinations that include a ventilated façade (F4 and F6) show good environmental performance in their use phase, owing to the reduction in emissions produced by air conditioning. Façade F4 behaves well in hot climates because of the protection it offers against heat, but it does not perform well with respect to heating demands in cold climates. However, in solution F6, in which the heat transfer of the supporting structure and insulation is substantially improved, the ventilated façade improves its environmental performance considerably in the use phase, even in cold climates.

Currently, in Australia the demand for energy is greatest in the summer, due to the need for air conditioning, so a building envelope with a ventilated façade is advisable; that said, the innovative solutions which are evaluated in this study behave well in hot climates and their applicability is improved in cold climates,

which makes them ideal for any climate.

• The

impacts produced during the manufacturing phase, as a result of installing one or other insulation solution, account for an increase of 0.3 per cent; The reduction in impacts will be approximately 7 per cent in 50 years.

• If

we analyse a life-cycle period of 50 years, the combination with the lowest investment and energy costs is the one that includes the inverted roof, rendered built façade and c3f3h2 wood joinery, whereas the highest investment and energy costs correspond to the combination with the hot roof, lightweight façade and c1f4h1 aluminium joinery. The final cost difference for these two combinations is 569.70 euro per square metre.

We can see that sustainable design is not just a question of selecting materials or building systems. Instead, it constitutes a process by which the architect must define environmental performance objectives, which have been previously planned and agreed with the developer and which permit the evaluation and follow-up of the targets that have been reached in the different phases of the building we have designed. It is necessary to change the current development model to ensure that the use of resources does not mean they will disappear; in other words, it is essential to develop prevention policies for the protection of the environment, without forgetting other important factors, such as improving our well-being and quality of life.

In recent years, numerous international measures have been developed to improve sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of the building process as a whole; thus, for example, in many countries energy certification processes for buildings have been introduced. In Australia NABERS, the ‘National Australian Built Environment Rating System’ measures the environmental performance of buildings. These measures are very important to ensure

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specification the improvement of the environmental performance of buildings; however, none of these certification processes take into account environmental impacts caused during the manufacturing, execution and maintenance phases of buildings, which, as we have seen, account for 30 per cent of the impacts which are caused in some cases.

Sustainability is defined by limits, in the sense that we cannot exceed the total amount of resources at our disposal.

This is why any sustainability criterion or measure must be linked to its own limits. We need to have a method, which is accepted by government bodies and by everyone involved in the building sector (scientists, technicians, developers, builders and final users), so that we can establish limits on the impacts buildings have in every phase of their life cycle.

To do this, we need indicators that will enable us to make an objective appraisal of the environmental impacts produced by buildings throughout their useful life.

References [1] Brundtland, G. “Our common future”. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development.

Transmitted to the General Assembly as an Annex to document A/42/427 – Development and International Cooperation: Environment, 1987.

[2] Oteiza, I., Alonso, C. “Análisis y revisión de herramientas para evaluación de la sostenibilidad de la construcción”. Actas de las II Jornadas de Investigación en Construcción, pp. 1149-1166. Madrid, 24 May 2008.

[3] Huedo, P., Lopez-mesa, C., (2012).

“Revisión de herramientas de asistencia en la selección de soluciones constructiva sostenibles en edificación” IC-11048. Informes de la Construcción ISBN 0020-0883.

[4] López-Mesa, B., Gallego, T., Mulet, E., Pitarch, A., Tomás, A. (2007) Exploring the need for an evaluation model to assist in the eco-efficient selection of building systems. Proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Engineering Design 2007 (ICED07).

Paris, 28-31 August 2007.

[5] Acosta, D., Cilento, A. (2005) Edificaciones sostenibles. Estrategias de investigación y desarrollo. Tecnología y Construcción 21(1): 15-30.

[6] Erlandsson, M., Borg, M., (2003) Generic LCA-methodology applicable for buildings, constructions and operation services- today practice and development needs.

Building and Environment 38: 919-938.

[7] Alonso, C. Oteiza, I. García, J. (2010) Criterios para la reducción de emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero en el proyecto de fachadas de edificios de Viviendas. Instituto de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja.

Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

[8] Gonzalo G, Ledesma S, Nota V, Martinez C, Cisterna S, Quiñónez g, Márquez G, Tortonese A, Garay A. (2000A). Determinación y análisis de los requerimientos energéticos para el acondicionamiento térmico de un prototipo de vivienda ubicada en San Miguel de

Tucumán. Revista Avances en Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente Vol. 4. pp.

05.19-05.24. ISSN 0329-5184. Ed. Milor.

Salta, Argentina [9] Oteiza, I., Alonso, C. Analisis y revisión de herramientas para evaluación de la sostenibilidad de la construcción. Actas de las ii Jornadas de Investigación en Construcción, pp. 1149-1166. Madrid, 24 May 2008.

[10] N. Mithraratne and B. Vale, “Life cycle analysis model for New Zealand houses,” Building and Environment, vol. 39, pp. 483-492, Apr 2004.

[11] Ortiz, O., Bonnet, C., Bruno J., Castells, F. (2009) Sustainability based on LCM of residential dwellings: A case study in Catalonia, Spain. Building and Environment 44: 584-594.

[12] Rua, M.J., Vives, L., Civera, V., LopezMesa, B. Aproximación al cálculo de la eficiencia energética de fachadas ventiladas y su impacto ambiental, Proceedings of the XIth World Congress on Ceramic Tile Quality QUALICER 2010, Castellón, 15-16 February 2010.

[13] Acosta, D., Cilento, A. (2005) Edificaciones sostenibles. Estrategias de investigación y desarrollo. Tecnología y Construcción 21(1): 15-30.

[14] Joan Rieradevall, Ecofanal, ecodisseny d’elements urbans 2005-2006, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona/ Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, 2007.

[15] Royal Decree 314/2006, of 17 March, by which the CTE (Spanish Technical Building Code) is approved [16] Enslic-circe-wp3-100331. Directrices para los cálculos de ACV. Original text by KTH in English, translated by CIRCE. Guidelines Spanish 31/3/2010, 2010.

DIAREX ULTRA ELEcTRopLATEd coRE dRiLLs ®

THE PROVEN PERFORMERS Diarex ULTRA, VIPER, LEGEND & BLACK LABEL Thin Turbo Blades cut fast and cut clean.

Like the ULTRA & VIPER our new LEGEND & BLACK MAGIC have been specifically developed for the latest innovations for porcelain tiles.

00 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

For your nearest stockist Phone 03 8552 6000

Wet and Dry use. For Porcelain, Ceramic, Marble and Limestone with straight or hexagonal shank plus removable pilot drill.

Design

Bristol The new Bristol series demonstrates that digitally printed glazed porcelain tiles can be effectively produced to convincingly replicate the appearance of practically any alternative surface finish. This eye-catching imitation of brick is produced in two formats; 340 x 340mm and 60 x 250mm, in three colourways – cream, red and rust. The formats can be laid in a variety of laying patterns including herringbone, on walls and floors in internal and external settings. Bristol is the latest addition to Colortile’s ‘tile technology series’ which combines the appeal of various surface finishes with the durability, stain resistance and easy maintenance of ceramic tile.

Cream

red

colortile 1300 265 678 www.colortile.com.au

rust

Terre Nostre The Terre Nostre series by leading Italian tile manufacturer Tagina is distributed locally by Everstone. The subtle, textured relief patterns are available in appealing anthracite colour tones (Cascia Antracite Chiaro). The 450 x 450mm and large 450 x 900mm graffito pattern tiles are supported by a 450 x 900mm plain tile which can be used to frame inset panels of decoration. These durable products can be used in private residences and commercial environments.

Everstone Pty Ltd 02 9795 2000 www.everstone.com.au

Starstile Starstile has launched Absolute, an impressive rendition of Carrara marble, which is especially white. The precisely calibrated 300 x 600 and 600 x 600mm tiles are available in attractive polished and satin surface finishes for use on walls and floors.

Starstile info@starstile.it www.starstile.it

Tufa A contemporary porcelain product which combines three of the surface finishes that are prominent in our built environment; cement, wood and natural stone. Tufa is available in 3 colours – bianco, grigio and ash grey, which are manufactured in 300 x 600, 600 x 600 and 450 x 900mm formats.

Matt and lappato surface finishes are designed for use on walls and floors in residential and commercial environments.

Impact Ceramic 03 9336 2668 anna@impactceramic.com.au

48 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Venato Blanco Series This elegant glazed porcelain product is an accurate replication of Statuario, one of Italy’s classic marbles. Like the real thing, each piece is entirely different, courtesy of advanced inkjet printing technologies. The large 375 x 750mm format can be laid with minimal grout joints to further enhance the product’s authenticity. No sealing or special maintenance is required.

Ace Ceramics 02 9584 4000 www.aceceramics.com.au

Back to Basics The basic series by RAK resembles the natural appearance of hard wearing, textured natural stone, infused with the texture of earthy rock. The rustic fused colour tones and random veining create a stunning aesthetic designed to enhance residential and commercial settings. The series is available in two large formats, 600 x 1200mm and 295 x 1200mm, in four contemporary colours and two finishes, lappato and matt.

Prestige TileS 02 8717 9044 www.prestigetiles.com

20mm Thick Porcelain Tiles Leading supplier Amber Tiles has released a series of 20mm thick porcelain tiles which are designed for use in residential and commercial environments, including pool surrounds. Innovative manufacturing techniques faithfully reproduce the appearance of natural stone. These durable products will withstand heavy foot traffic, while maintaining their original appearance. The tiles are available in a variety of colours and surface finishes which include the featured Seastone Greige.

Amber Tiles 1300 362 241 www.ambertiles.com.au

Astra Stars

Beige

Black

Grey

White

Basic series is a stunning tile resembles the natural appearance and texture of earthy rock, etched onto the surface to create a realistic earthy rock effect. The rustic fused tones and scattered veins create a stunning effortless naturalistic effect which enhances the appearance of any room setting.

The Astra series of glazed porcelain tiles is available from DW Tiles in three colourways; beige, pearl and grey. Astra is manufactured in • 2 tile sizes • 4 colours 300 x 300, 300 x 600 and 600 x 600mm and • Natural stone look a new 800 x 800mm format. This attractive • Lappato and matt finish Rectified porcelain floor tile and affordable product is manufactured• in matt, • Suitable for internal & external floor and wall applications lappato and external finishes which provide • Suitable for commercial and residential tiling applications users with a variety of opportunities to use this • PRESTIGE TILES +61 2 8717 9044 • MASSA IMPORTS appealing product. www.prestigetiles.com

60x120

29.5x120

+61 3 9282 1600 www.massaimports.com.au

DW Tiles 02 9743 8122 www.dwtiles.com.au

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 49

Design

Penny and Hex The PENNY AND HEX series consists of penny round and hexagon sheeted mosaics. Available in black and white, in gloss and matt finishes, these classic mosaics are suitable for residential and commercial applications. The Penny series is available in 305 x 305mm sheets while the Hex series is available in 328 x 299mm sheets.

For more information or to find your nearest Tile Retailer please contact: Ace Ceramics 02 9584 4000 www.aceceramics.com.au

Latest Ezarri Mix – “Bali” ‘Bali’ is an Ezarri mosaic mix with a difference, it was created by Europe Imports, the exclusive distributor of these award-winning products. The bold colour mix is influenced by the vivid colours which dominate the verdant hillsides, and the volcanic rock-pools which are prominent in so many Bali resorts. This exciting new product is available exstock, call now for samples.

EUROPE IMPORTS 1300 EZARRI (392-774) www.europeimports.com.au

Cementine Black & White Made in Italy, our Cementine Black and White range is contemporary in nature whilst recapturing the spirit of previous times. These glazed porcelain tiles are a mix of twelve designs in a 200 x 200mm format suitable for both residential and commercial environments. The beauty of this range’s design is perfect for creating a striking feature either by contrasting or blending the tiles with their surroundings. colortile 1300 265 678 www.colortile.com.au

Evolution The new “Evolution’ series by DW Tiles (NSW) is available in hard-wearing 300 x 600 and 600 x 600mm wall and floor tiles for use in internal and external environments. The product features excellent low water absorption characteristics (1 per cent), coupled with full resistance to thermal shock and frost. Chemical resistance accords with UNI EN ISO 10545-13. Evolution is manufactured with rectified edges in four popular colourways: beige, pearl, grey and forest. Samples are available.

DW Tiles 02 9743 8122 www.dwtiles.com.au

50 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

INstallation

Laticrete launches game-changing grout One of the prime challenges facing tile retailers relates to choosing the right grout colour for a particular tile.

A resurgence of interest in colour, and the growing prominence of the cement-look, only serves to complicate matters. Leading adhesive manufacturers frequently market 40 to 50 grout colours. Carrying them all is a luxury few companies can afford in financial and logistical terms.

L

aticrete’s new Permacolor® Select provides retailers with a great opportunity to offer their clients a wider variety of grout colours, coupled with reduced expenditure on stock and storage.

How does it work?

Tile merchants and contractors stock a base Permacolor® grout in 5.6kg or 11.3kg bags. Simply add one colour packet to a 5.3kg bag or two colour packets to an 11.3kg bag to produce the grout colour of your choice. All of Laticrete’s 40 regular colours are available in colour packets, plus top-selling colours produced by competitors. Simply mix the chosen colour packets in clean water, add the base powder and mix.

Permacolor® Select is ideal for residential and commercial tiling

projects, in joint widths that vary from 1.5mm to 12mm on walls and floors.

Enhanced stain resistance, produced by Stonetech Sealer Technology, ensures that no sealing is required.

This advanced grout resists efflorescence, cracking and shrinkage. This fast-setting product can be walked on in three hours.

Critically, grout storage space requirements are reduced by 80 per cent, and the inventory value is reduced significantly.

PERMACOLOR Select – You’ll Never Look at Grout the Same Again! ®

^

ReduceLogistics A Business and Innovation to Improve Grout Breakage Your Financials

PERMACOLOR® Select^ is a paradigm shift in both grout performance and in the business/logistics aspect of grout. Offering the industry’s first dispersible dry pigment solution, PERMACOLOR Select e inseparates the coloured pigment from the highly engineered Availabl Colour Kits are can Greatly Colours PERMACOLOR Select Base. Now you and your customers Select your size, colour and eliminate excess inventory cost, reduceSelect groutyour breakag e through less handling 40 Vibrant LATICRETE and moving inventory space and hassle traditionally associated with grout. PERMACOLOR® Select^ requires less space and can be picked of inventory as ® colours high performance cement and handled easier. ® Select† is an advanced Plus the top competitor ROOM OLOR 39 MUSH PERMAC le dry pigment solution.

MUSHROOM 18 SAUTERNE industry’s first dispersib 39 al SAUTE39RNE MUSHROOM Until now, innovations in grout have only been with the actual product itself. PERMACOLOR® Select^ offers 18 REDUCE GROUT residenti of grout that offers the all types PERMACOLOR Select is available in either a 11.3 kgRNEor 5.6 kg bag “Base” which excludes any colour pigment in the bag – think of it INVENTORY VALUE is designed for virtually 18 SAUTE industry leading performance, but is also the first to innovate the business and logistics of grout – for you nce on the PERMACOLOR Select performa optimum E as a neutral base ready to accept pigment. ons, and offers 34 SAND and your customers.

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SANDSTONE and sold –eliminate inKits” your business more efficiently and much more profitably. timeshown most demanding exterior and costsrunning and is suitable joints NUM associate having to restack on 42 PLATI Select is fast setting your shelf, plus no more d with unpacking grout bags from pallets and clean, PERMACOLOR then having to rotate inventor 18 SAUTERNE on floors or walls.

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Base Powder System: Colour Kit Contents: 39 MUSHROOM92 SALTI 1.5 mm to 12 mm wide 18 SAUTERNE BLUE Carry only theLLOinventory you need, when you need it. Think of the value of your current cement grout 92 SALTI 53 TWILIGHT BLUE TWILIGHT 92 53 SALTILLO GHT BLUE inventory, all of those bags and cartons just sitting on a shelf – dollars that can be saved or directed 53 TWILI INCREASE IN TURNS 42 PLATINUM 34 SANDSTONE towards marketing and selling efforts to increase your sales and profits – eliminate grout obsolescence!

34 SANDSTONE 42 PLATINUM Many of the logistics and financial with resistance – equipped benefits you will n Enhanced stain 201GROUT realised by your custome Required 5 rs. Inexpensive PERMAC gain from PERMACOLOR Select willREDUCE ® Technology – No Sealing 11.3 kg also PALLET be SPACE OLOR Only two pallet spaces arewarehou neededseforproviding the PERMACOLOR Select GroutnBase and one shelf for the STONETECH Sealer Select 53 TWILIGHT Colour BLUE flexibility and Kits can be 92 SALTILLO ence BY options No sea lingrs while in their 92 SALTILLO costs BLUE req TWILIGHT t colour – resists effloresc space devoted PERMACOLOR Select53Colour Kitand pigment.

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Cemento This series consists of a fashionable cement-look and 6 variable patterns which can be combined and arranged by customers to project their own personalities into their living spaces.

Impact ceramIc pty Ltd 18 Commercial Place, Keilor East Vic 3033 Phone: 03 9336 2668 00 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications Email: anna@impactceramic.com.au

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Snap for more information.

Globally Proven Construction Solutions

Industry Leading Performance PERMACOLOR® Select† is an advanced high performance cement grout that offers the industry’s first dispersible dry pigment solution.

PERMACOLOR Select is designed for virtually all types of residential and commercial installations, and offers optimum performance on the most demanding exterior or interior applications. Easy to mix, grout and clean, PERMACOLOR Select is fast setting and is suitable for joints 1.5 mm to 12 mm wide on floors or walls.

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PERMACOLOR® Select^ is a paradigm shift in both grout performance and in the business/logistics aspect of grout. Offering the industry’s first dispersible dry pigment solution, PERMACOLOR Select separates the coloured pigment from the highly engineered PERMACOLOR Select Base. Now you and your customers can Select your size, Select your colour and eliminate excess inventory cost, inventory space and hassle traditionally associated with grout.

Here’s How It Works: PERMACOLOR Select is available in either a 11.3 kg or 5.6 kg bag “Base” which excludes any colour pigment in the bag – think of it as a neutral base ready to accept pigment.

All 40 LATICRETE colours, plus top selling competitor colours, are offered in “Colour Kits” shown here.

Base Powder System:

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+ 11.3 kg

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Drop packs into water

Add base powder

www.laticrete.com.au

Mix and then grout

A Business and Logistics Innovation to Improve Your Financials REDUCE GROUT INVENTORY VALUE

50%

Until now, innovations in grout have only been with the actual product itself. PERMACOLOR® Select^ offers industry leading performance, but is also the first to innovate the business and logistics of grout – for you and your customers. The true paradigm shift PERMACOLOR Select offers is how grout is ordered, inventoried and sold – resulting in your business running more efficiently and much more profitably.

100%

Carry only the inventory you need, when you need it. Think of the value of your current cement grout inventory, all of those bags and cartons just sitting on a shelf – dollars that can be saved or directed INCREASE IN TURNS towards marketing and selling efforts to increase your sales and profits – eliminate grout obsolescence!

Only two pallet spaces are needed for the PERMACOLOR Select Grout Base and one shelf for the PERMACOLOR Select Colour Kit pigment. Save dozens of pallet spaces in your warehouse by eliminating inventory of individual bags per each colour you stock.

Expanded Colour Availability and Options

REDUCE GROUT PALLET SPACE REQUIREMENTS BY

80%

With PERMACOLOR Select Colour Kits, you can stock all 40 LATICRETE colours, plus the top selling competitor colours – all without the inventory dollar investment or space requirements. Never miss out on a specification or request from a contractor for a colour you didn’t have before!

Improve Order Pick Time and Accuracy Picking and packing orders for your warehouse personnel will be easier – no need to waste time searching for colours or moving of bags and pallets.

Order Fulfilment

If you run out of a particular colour, the Colour Kits can be directly expedited to you or your customer with minimal shipping cost from our Rapid Fulfilment Centre.

www.laticrete.com.au

Reduce Grout Breakage Greatly reduce grout breakage through less handling and moving of inventory as PERMACOLORÂŽ Select^ requires less space and can be picked and handled easier.

Save Labour Handling Costs Virtually eliminate the time and costs associated with unpacking grout bags from pallets then having to restack on your shelf, plus no more having to rotate inventory!

Provide Unmatched Value to Your Customers

Many of the logistics and financial benefits you will gain from PERMACOLOR Select will also be realised by your customers. Inexpensive PERMACOLOR Select Colour Kits can be stored in their warehouse providing flexibility and options to their customers while avoiding excess inventory costs and space devoted to hundreds of bags of grout.

Your business financials and operations improve and your customer’s business improves. PERMACOLOR Select is a paradigm shift in grout with industry leading innovation!

www.laticrete.com.au

The Grout Game is Changing on 2015

n

n

n

n

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No sealing required Extremely consistent colour Reduce grout inventory value by 50% 80% less pallet space required 100% increase in turns

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LATICRETE Pty Ltd 29 Telford Street, Virginia, QLD 4014 1800 331 012 www.laticrete.com.au ©2015 LATICRETE Pty Ltd. All trademarks shown are the intellectu ■

■

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d Street, Virginia, QLD 4014 1800 331 012 www.laticrete.com.au ©2015 LATICRETE Pty Ltd. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners.

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United States Invention Patent No.: 6,784,229 (and other Patents). ^When mixed with PERMACOLOR® Select Base.*Contact LATICRETE Australia for complete warranty information.

†

trends

Cotto D’este Kerlite Forest series Noce | 5,5mm | 33 x 300cm

�taly

Time-honoured trendsetters

By David Stock

The recent history of ceramic tile production has been largely defined by the quantitative supremacy of China and the heightened capabilities of developing countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

However, the reputation and progress of ceramic tiles ultimately rests on the technological advancement and manufacturing distinction which can only be achieved through a steadfast commitment to excellence.

In this respect, the venerable production hubs of southern Europe continue to capture hearts and minds and receive deserved praise.

T

here are numerous parallels between the Italian and Spanish tile industries such as the formation of extraordinarily compact and highly integrated manufacturing clusters which boast an unrivalled capacity for aesthetic expression and technical innovation. Both nations are struggling to escape from the economic and social malaise the European and global financial crises have engendered. Their distinguished tile industries have suffered from reduced domestic consumption, which has plummeted as a consequence of doubledigit unemployment and dwindling construction activity.

The admirable approach of either country continues to imbue the industry with an otherwise unobtainable degree of eminence which elevates its standing across the globe. This article focuses on the Italian tile and machinery sectors whilst the estimable achievements and deeds of companies in Spain will take centre stage in Issue 88.

Italian production is concentrated in the prosperous Emilia-Romagna region which also enjoys tremendous prominence in the footwear, food and automobile industries. Hundreds of enterprises

58 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

are involved in ceramic tile production and the various supporting sectors which supply enamels and glazes and manufacturing equipment.

Humble beginnings An abundance of exceptional red and white clays and ease of access to substantial methane reserves in the Po River basin enabled then impoverished Sassuolo to emerge as the focal point of ceramic tile production from the late 1950s onwards. Earthenware and crockery emanated from the town in the thirteenth century and this rich tradition returned to the fore following the nation’s protracted defeat to Allied forces in the Second World War. In 1955 there were fourteen tile manufacturers in the Sassuolo region.

That figure had leapt above one hundred by 1962. The post-war economic miracle provided those fledgling concerns with wonderful opportunities as transformative public housing and infrastructure projects revitalised the dilapidated urban landscape. Millions of southern migrants flocked to northern cities and gross domestic product doubled within twelve momentous years.

In addition to surging demand the number of enterprises was spurred on by the low cost of establishing ceramic tile businesses. An intense rivalry fomented between these cheek by jowl manufacturers who had to compete vigorously to secure access to a domestic market composed of consumers and retailers prioritising attractive and reasonably priced products capable of adding a dash of colour and touch of class to homes and offices and public spaces across the country. This remarkable growth also reflected the longstanding prominence of ceramic tile and natural stone materials in Italian architecture with timber and carpet often deemed to be incongruous in Mediterranean environments.

Firms continuously strived to gain an edge in technology, design and distribution with the smallest advances quickly spotted and adopted by derivative rivals desperate to keep pace with their contemporaries in a notoriously congested market. Tile producers seeking a leadership position were required to commit to a perpetual cycle of overhaul and refurbishment, which saw once fashionable processes and product lines discarded in favour of essential upgrades and radical manufacturing techniques.

Tunnel kilns were imported from the United States and Europe in the 1960s when Italian companies were better able to afford the most advanced technologies from abroad which had been prohibitively expensive throughout the preceding decade. The transfer of engineering and technical expertise would soon flow overwhelmingly in the opposite direction when gifted technicians set out from local tile factories to found nascent ventures entirely devoted to

the design and construction of sophisticated machinery, and processing equipment such as kilns and presses and glazing devices. These bastions of originality and precision showed artistic and entrepreneurial daring to produce a host of apparatuses which sparked the modern evolution of ceramic tile manufacturing, from the earliest stages of production to the finished articles.

The number of enterprises supplying ceramic tile manufacturers with machinery and related technologies in the Sassuolo area had surpassed 120 by the mid-1980s. These companies functioned in a densely crowded environment where the patronage of current and prospective clients was fiercely contested.

Success rested on the effectiveness with which those firms could upgrade their goods whilst driving down their own production costs. Failure to do so would undermine the machinery and ceramic tile sectors as the aptitude and providence exhibited by the former had (and continues to have) a direct and immediate bearing on the latter’s adeptness and prosperity.

The monocottura method which brought about the development of single-fired tiles in the late 1970s epitomised this rewarding collaboration with fuel and labour costs declining as product standards soared. The widespread adoption of single-firing techniques preceded the unveiling of one-layer roller kilns and the automated technologies which made annual twofold increases in production possible between 1985 and 1995. These quantum leaps in volume and value testified above all else to the human capital which has been nurtured within the industry since its formation. Such talent, knowledge and skill can be presupposed and even undervalued when attention is conferred on the products and equipment that materialise in Italian plants without due appreciation being shown to the adroit and practised employees entrusted with their design and manufacture behind closed doors.

Modernisation and globalisation Local machinery producers that cultivate and respond to overseas demand can encounter significant criticism from a parochial and clamorous minority that accuse such companies of diminishing the nation’s competitive advantage, which the industry as a whole has strived to attain and should safeguard at all costs: even at the expense of a lucrative export sector.

Those voices of disapproval became especially strident in the 1990s when the foremost recipients of exported Italian machinery and ancillary goods – Spanish tile manufacturers – trebled their output to 600 million square metres and overhauled outmoded production practices which virtually consigned the traditional twice-fired Valencian wall tile to history. Italian firms made twice as many tiles in 1989 as Spanish enterprises but were unceremoniously displaced within a decade by their emboldened rivals who could not have dreamt of such prolificacy without the wholesale acquisition of coveted and costly equipment from Italy.

The same sentiments have resurfaced when high-end manufacturers in Turkey, Brazil and China have purchased Italian machinery and duly reaped the rewards that come with modernised production practices and much improved quality. Despite these concerns the spread of engineering expertise has been a constant throughout the industrial age since British machinery was first exported to Wallonia to mine the region’s rich coalfields in the 1820s. This inescapable trend has accelerated in recent decades and Italian producers of ceramic tile machinery and technologies have embraced their central role on the world stage by acknowledging the finite nature of domestic demand and looking upon the proficiency of overseas tile manufacturers as an unparalleled opportunity to further demonstrate their capabilities.

Zao Keramin St Petersburg modernises its factory with System SpA’s Multigecko sorting machine with two rows which was presented at Tecnargilla 2014.

This willingness to accept and smooth the progress of distant challengers is a laudable and matter-of-fact response to the intercontinental drift that has occurred in the manufacturing sector since the late nineties. The much lower expenditure of companies in developing economies has seen prestigious Italian concerns open production and warehouse facilities in markets such as Germany, France and Russia and the United States where their ceramic tiles are much admired and consumed readily. Internationalisation has been somewhat contentious with the local workforce shedding skilled personnel by the thousands. The policy has left some painful scars but has reduced production and transportation costs and empowered those firms targeting sales overseas by allowing them to respond to foreign market trends with greater ease.

Today, we are witnessing the final phase of globalisation in the Italian district, the transfer of ceramic tile production to foreign ownership.

Fincuoghi was acquired by the Turkish group Kale in July 2011. The company was established in the Sassuolo area in 1968 and garnered acclaim for its Campani, Edilgres and Edilcuoghi lines. Approximately eighteen months later, the Marazzi Group was purchased for €1.17 billion by Mohawk Industries of Georgia, USA. The pragmatic and unsentimental handing over of such a truly colossal firm suggests that other companies will almost certainly find themselves in foreign hands. Should this evolution concern a limited number of enterprises – and be counterbalanced

by Italian manufacturers obtaining overseas operations – then conceivably little harm will be done. However, there are those who construe such happenings as irrefutable confirmation of deepseated failure and irreversible decline.

This doom-laden perspective is disregarded by others who stress the importance of external partnerships and the resultant exposure to meritorious

Imported SACMI presses at National Ceramic Industries Australia.

Exports of Italian machinery and technology are booming.

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 59

trends

GEA presses are manufactured in Italy by System SpA, which also owns Laminam, the first slim porcelain panels which were first produced 10 years ago.

attitudes and approaches encountered elsewhere. They are seeking to integrate the district and its companies into universal chains and consider this almost physiological evolution as necessary and unavoidable. Both factions are nevertheless in agreeance that the Sassuolo region must survive as a focal point of distribution and innovation and not forfeit the culture and capital that are its lifeblood.

Sassuolo’s innovative streak has survived into the present century as evidenced by the spectacular diversification of ceramic tiles in both form and function. Italian technology has made possible the production of exceedingly slim and lightweight panels that are often adorned with digital decoration by means of equipment designed and assembled in highly industrious Italian workshops. Rotocolor and digital printing technologies have allowed manufacturers to enliven ceramic tiles by pressing, scanning and spraying colourful and vivid patterns which have belatedly countered the drab and characterless minimalism that has permeated exhibition and retail spaces over the past ten to fifteen years.

Alongside conspicuous floral and grid patterns and Pop Art designs are lifelike products that emulate the appearance and touch of other surface finishes such as timber, concrete and natural stone. Timber-look porcelain tiles have evolved from unconvincing, one-dimensional products to charming, evocative creations which combine the naturalness and warmth often attributed to floorboards with the longevity and mechanical strength that only ceramic tiles are known to provide. The environmental benefits that arise from not having to fell and replant swathes of trees are matched by the numerous eco-friendly characteristics of stonelook products which do not damage the countryside nearly as much as the natural equivalent due to an absence of quarrying and the use of salvaged and recycled content in the manufacturing process.

The dimensions of ceramic tiles have fluctuated and varied with celebrated producers such as Sassuolo-based Cotto D’Este spanning the entire thickness 60 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

gamut. Three millimetre-thick slabs which measured 300 x 100 centimetres were displayed at Cersaie 2014 as were 20mm-thick porcelain floor collections designed for outdoor settings where natural stone predominates. The most frequented cities in Emilia-Romagna are firmly established as exposition

“

Sassuolo’s innovative streak has survived into the present century as evidenced by the spectacular diversification of ceramic tiles in both form and function.

”

centres with Bologna’s Cersaie and Rimini’s Tecnargilla attracting exhibitors and visitors from around the globe on an annual and biennial basis to view the latest ceramic tile formats and designs, as well as the machinery and ancillary products that facilitate their creation.

The ceramics machinery sector continues to receive signs of encouragement from the market with annual turnover almost approaching the precrisis level recorded in 2008 when its revenue amounted to 1.8 billion euro.

Foreign demand accounted for eighty per cent of sales in 2013 when earnings climbed to 1.7 billion euro. Figures pertaining to the last twelve months are to be released shortly and doubledigit growth is predicted. Expectations have soared following the circulation of astonishingly cheerful statistics which confirmed that turnover across the Italian machinery sector had escalated by 17 per cent from January to September 2014.

Be thankful I don’t take it all...

Industry experts such as Romano Prodi and Vittorio Borelli have identified several aspects of Italian ceramic tile and machinery production which need to be attended to and strengthened in the

immediate future. The extremely high and much lamented energy costs that oblige local householders to refrain from switching on too many lights and heating every room during the winter months are an equally abiding source of concern in highly energy intensive industries such as the ceramic tile sector. Little progress has been achieved in this decisive area but the trend towards a more diversified and liberalised energy market offers hope to those bemoaning their substandard profit margins. The adoption of energy efficient technologies and the promotion of additional study and research in this sphere are necessities which must be prioritised by the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that still comprise the largest part of each industry.

Taxation and transport costs are lingering obstacles with Italian manufacturers blighted by adverse economic measures which serve as disincentives to local business and detract from the competitiveness of such firms in foreign markets. The decision to impose an excessive tax on self-produced and self-consumed energy, derived from cogeneration methods which create two types of energy from a single source, deter companies from acquiring or developing such systems which are intended to bring about significant cost savings and not supplementary duties.

Confindustria Ceramica believes that the cogeneration tax punishes those endeavouring to enhance their own productivity and effectiveness which also helps the nation to economise by curtailing its energy expenditure. The equally oppressive Imposta Municipale Propria (IMU) tax which applies to both industrial buildings and “plants bolted to the ground” also encumbers the competitiveness of ceramic tile and machinery firms. This propertybased measure has attracted derision and scorn from reputable individuals such as Giorgio Squinzi who have astutely observed that the fundamental factors of production (capital goods and human resources) are not confined to a specific location and can always be disassembled and moved to less exorbitant surrounds.

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A numbers game Italian tile production peaked in quantitative terms in the late 1990s when the nation still possessed the world’s sixth largest economy. Brazil and India and fast-approaching China were yet to realise their gigantic potential. Although foreign demand has always bolstered Italian manufacturing, tile firms in Emilia-Romagna must surely regret the ongoing deterioration of domestic sales which have contracted to less than 1.5 square metres per capita. This has placed untold pressure on those engaged in production to forge ahead in highly competitive markets that are worryingly susceptible to the more affordable but routinely mediocre products sourced from innumerable Chinese suppliers.

Italian manufacturers gradually scaled down their output during the 2000s but continued to preserve their enviable reputation as the most accomplished and ambitious tile producers in the world. These esteemed companies were nonetheless unsettled by the economic challenges encountered during the worst global recession since World War II. In 2009 production plunged by almost 30 per cent, regressing from 513 million to 368 million square metres: the lowest annual figure recorded by Italian firms since the early 1980s when overseas consumption began to eclipse the domestic market.

Tentative steps were taken by those manufacturers that survived the acute slowdown with modest growth in consecutive years elevating the output of chastened enterprises to 400 million square metres by 2011.

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This much-needed renewal petered out disappointingly, with an ever-decreasing number of ceramic tile firms descending to once unimaginable depths not even experienced when the GFC began to take hold. Italian companies were the leading tile producers in Europe and the third largest around the world only seven years ago. The aforementioned downturn and unconvincing response saw the country lose ground to its historical counterparts as well as budding, more populous nations such as India and Indonesia. In 2014 production enlarged by 4.5 per cent to 380 million square metres. The process of selling off excess stock had freed up considerable amounts of space in previously cluttered warehouses which encouraged manufacturers to focus more intently on the development of contemporary lines.

Despite the enervative conditions that endure locally, Italian producers can always turn to Central and Western European markets and the Americas for enrichment, and confirmation of their outstanding qualities and undiminished appeal. Eight-three per cent

“

Italian producers can always turn to Central and Western European markets and the Americas for enrichment, and confirmation of their outstanding qualities and undiminished appeal.

”

of ceramic tiles fashioned on Italian premises in 2013 were destined for consumption overseas with 303 million square metres transported to buyers in established markets such as Germany, France and the United States. Middle Eastern countries are increasingly enamoured of exported Italian product and demand has soared in parts of Asia owing to the continent’s economic expansion and unbridled urbanisation.

In 2014 overseas demand rose by three per cent, and growth is forecast, most notably in the North American market, due to a favourable rate of exchange for eurozone exporters.

Italy dominates the export sector on the basis of average price which serves to highlight the consummate standards to which the nation’s tile manufacturers aspire and are frequently able to reach regardless of external factors such as parliamentary strife or economic feebleness.

As a result of a shift to high addedvalue products the median cost of one square metre of exported Italian tile currently exceeds twelve euro. One of the key findings of Acimac’s 2013 analysis was the growth in local investment in capital goods and production equipment during

the present decade. This was reflected in the increase in the ratio of assets per employee – about 360,000 euro – and in the unmatched production efficiency of companies in the sector. The ceramic tile industry’s added value margin, the ratio between added value and turnover, rose to 30.1 per cent in 2013 and is the highest in the world. Its overall financial structure is also satisfactory, with an increase in equity ratio since 2011.

Reformist tendencies No recent Italian prime minister has swept into office with as much youthful dynamism and commitment to reform as Matteo Renzi. However, only fifteen months after he snatched power from his Democratic Party predecessor, the 40 year old Florentine is mired in the bureaucratic obstructionism and parliamentary cantankerousness that exasperated Italians often refer to as il pantano – The Swamp.

Renzi believes that the country can decisively overcome its well-documented economic woes when its administrative sluggishness and torturous legislative process are addressed via political and constitutional reform.

The latter can only be passed after being bounced between Parliament’s two chambers until an identical text has been twice approved by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic – which have the same duties and powers – in votes at least three months apart. The prime minister and his supporters contend that no Italian leader can solve the nation’s endemic shortcomings without a parliamentary majority. Their proposed solution is to turn the upper-house senate into a regional assembly with drastically reduced powers and to implement a new electoral law for the lower-house chamber aimed at producing clearer outcomes. If no party wins more than 40 per cent of the vote, a run-off would be staged between the top two with the winner afforded an unambiguous mandate to govern.

At present, the political system seems incapable of delivering what the country needs and Italy appears frozen in its current state. There are few privatisation and product-market liberalisation plans and despite promises to cut the 2015 budget by €20 billion, the nation will not reach its budget deficit target. Italy’s public debt stands at approximately 132 per cent of gross domestic product, and the economy shrivelled by 7.3 per cent between early 2008 and the third quarter of 2014.

During the same period the Chinese economy expanded by 70 per cent.

Italy appears to be emerging from a recession that has lasted for more than three years with falling oil prices and the European Central Bank’s quantitative easing encouraging economic analysts to pencil in growth of 0.7 per cent for 2015 and 1.4 per cent for 2016.

Continued on page 106

Sassuolo’s manufacturers were nevertheless heartened by the overdue rubberstamping of documents pertaining to the construction and management of seventeen kilometres of essential link road from Campogalliano, which will connect the ceramic tile industry’s production and logistics centre with the Autostrada del Sole. The nation’s longest thoroughfare extends from Milan to Naples and has channelled high-speed traffic through Emilia-Romagna since the 1960s thus sidestepping the provincial manufacturing strongholds such as Sassuolo and Scandiano which are to be found in the adjoining hinterland. This undertaking owes much to the efforts of Confindustria Ceramica which has lobbied tirelessly for the long-awaited extension.

Senior figures within the industry are equally convinced that the training and specialisation of human resources in technical secondary schools and universities should be reinforced.

Italian universities have made efforts to improve their teaching and research skills and it is imperative that local graduates in technology and design compare favourably to those studying around the globe.

Clay

Water

Colour

Unfired body

Elena Del Prete e Guglielmo Gennari UniversitĂ degli Studi della Repubblica di San Marino UniversitĂ IUAV di Venezia / Industrial and Communication Design

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trends

1: Internal and external pool tiling projects may feature 80 square metres of glass mosaic and a larger quantity of tile or stone. This fabulous pool features Ezarri Deco Mix by Europe Imports, NSW.

Glass mosaic – the prime pool surface finish Glass mosaic has always been regarded as the premier swimming pool surface finish. Leading mosaic manufacturers market attractive blends containing vivid colour combinations which shimmer and sparkle on bright summer days.

L

ocal suppliers such as Bisazza Australia, Europe Imports (Ezarri) and the Trend-Group promote a wide variety of popular colour blends, however, designers and homeowners can create their own compositions which can be pre-sheeted to produce stunning, and quite unique designs. Concepts can be enhanced by the inclusion of emblems or other decorations which add a personal impetus to the overall design concept.

According to industry estimates one in four homes in Australia has a pool, and a reasonable percentage of those pools feature glass or ceramic mosaic.

64 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Ceramic mosaic is less expensive and it is specified more frequently, but glass is the optimum product.

Old problems Back in 2000 renowned building diagnostics expert Peter Hartog investigated a number of swimming pool failures which occurred in hotel and public swimming pools in Australia and Southeast Asia.

Peter established that in some instances pool mosaics were installed without reference to the technique described in Clause 5.6 2(d) of AS 3958.1,

which refers to the combined method that requires adhesive to be trowelled onto the substrate, and evenly buttered on the entire back of each sheet, before the two surfaces are carefully merged, and the mosaic is beaten into place.

Peter also discovered that some failures could be attributed to the use of inappropriate glues to bond tesserae to backing mesh. Unfortunately, the applied thin-set tile adhesive was prevented from making contact with the back of the sheet of mosaic due to the presence of an excess of water-soluble glue used to position the mosaics. The glue often covered the entire back of the sheet.

The problem was exacerbated when the backing mesh became wet, which resulted in swelling, and caused individual tessera to come away from the sheet.

Hartog’s findings prompted mosaic importers, large and small, to investigate production processes, and things have decidedly changed for the better.

At one point, the article in question sat by our fax machine and we constantly sent copies far and wide.

Seminars were held on the subject at DesignBUILD and Glennon Ceramics actually invited a party of specifiers to examine the content of the article and the related images in detail.

Those days are gone I cannot recall the last time anyone reported a similar problem. The featured mosaics are produced using a high content of recycled materials and responsible manufacturers have developed sheeting systems which are designed to largely leave the back of the tile free to make direct contact with the trowelled adhesive.

According to AS 3958.1, ‘The contact coverage of the adhesive should be maximized – minimum contact coverage for swimming pools should be 90 per cent’ which can be successfully achieved by using the double-stick technique described earlier.

It is wise to recall that the problem Peter Hartog identified first occurred in the 1950s in the United States. A solution was found, but time passes and industry protagonists are prone to forgetting past failings, which sometimes allows them to re-appear.

Let’s take a look at some of the sheeting systems that have been utilised to resolve past problems and provide pool builders, pool tilers, and consumers with peace of mind.

Bisazza Australia Like many manufacturers of mosaic, tile and stone, Bisazza issued its own installation guide, which was specifically designed for its product. In situations where a manufacturer issues specific instructions they are deemed to supersede advice given in the Standard. This is not unusual, although problems can occur when installers stray from the manufacturer’s instruction and adopt alternative techniques.

In 2014, Bisazza Australia launched a new cartella of pool mosaics which has a variety of price points. The company combined the release of new products and prices with the introduction of a new sheeting system, specifically designed for our market.

Bisazza Australia states that the new Hotmelt system relies on a very small contact point, located between

individual tessera, which provides more space than the requirement of the Standard for direct contact between the back of the mosaic sheet and the spread adhesive.

We asked Antonietta Trungadi, the company’s New South Wales Business Development Manager, about related benefits and the response of clients to the new cartella and the Hotmelt system.

Antonietta replied, ‘Our customers have responded enthusiastically to the products and the Hotmelt system.

They like the fact that the joints are very straight and even, and they particularly like the fact that the Hotmelt joint does not protrude into the space between the tesserae, which removes any possibility of it showing through the grout joint. We lost some business because of the old mesh backing, but

2: Bisazza’s new PVA Hotmelt system exceeds the requirements of the current Australian Standard.

3: Bisazza’s Paola glass mosaic blend installed in a private residence in Victoria using the popular Hotmelt sheeting system.

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 65

trends old clients are returning and we are gaining new ones.’

Mesh-backed mosaics have been installed successfully around the world but failures can occur when installers do not follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Mesh was introduced as an alternative to paper-faced fixing techniques which typically involve fixing the smooth, flat surface of the glass tesserae to brown paper, leaving the uneven surface totally free to make direct contact with the adhesive. Despite the fact that one side was smooth, and the other was uneven, the colour was the same, so it was relatively easy to place the right colour tesserae in the correct place.

Once the adhesive set, the paper was wetted sufficiently, so that it could be peeled away, revealing the bright side of the mosaic ready for grouting.

While this was a sound technique, problems arose when too much adhesive protruded through the narrow joints.

Excess glue had to be removed with a Stanley knife before grouting could commence. Occasionally, misaligned tesserA9R657082.pdf 1 12:24 PM ae, or tesserae of19/02/15 the wrong colour, had to be cut out and replaced. Mesh mosaic fixing removed these problems.

Clear film face-mounted mosaic provided another distinct advance. The face of each tessera was fixed to the plastic, providing the installer with a

clear view of the alignment and development of the installed pattern. Like paper-faced product, the back of the sheeted mosaic is free to make contact with the adhesive. However, care is required to avoid pressing the sheets into position with too much force, causing adhesive to squeeze through the joints.

After 24 hours the clear film can be carefully removed, after wetting with warm water. The surface will require scrubbing with a nylon pad or brush to remove residual glue or adhesive traces before grouting can commence.

Ezarri provides a lifetime guarantee with every order.’

The Joint Point® system provides precision and accuracy courtesy of the placement of the Joint Point.

A growing number of domestic mosaic importers are focused on pool mosaics. This is hardly surprising, given that we are the largest per capita owners of private pools in the world, and the average tiled pool utilises approximately 80 square metres of product. This figure can be eclipsed by the volume of ceramic or natural stone tiles which are laid around the pool. External tiling products

Europe Imports (Ezarri) Ezarri glass mosaic – marketed in Australia by Europe Imports – pioneered a major advance when it launched the acclaimed Joint Point® system, which leaves 92 per cent of the back of the mosaic free to make direct contact with the adhesive.

Europe Imports principal Paula Cowell-Yench said, ‘Countless projects have been successfully completed using our 25mm, 36mm and 50mm glass mosaics which are manufactured from recycled glass.

The Joint Point® system allows easy alignment and quick accurate installation. If the mosaic is correctly installed by a qualified tiler,

4: Ezarri’s Joint Point® system set new standards in mosaic sheet assembly which encourage accurate joint alignment, and swift fixing.

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trends frequently exceed internal tiling concepts in terms of volume and value.

The growing availability of high quality, environmentally friendly glass mosaics which can be effectively installed in accordance with prevailing standards should ensure that specifiers and consumers can use these advanced products with absolute confidence.

Companies like Everstone, Living Tiles and the Trend-Group, which designed and released the Trend-Plus system for environments such as pools and steam baths, where direct contact with water can be expected, all market glass mosaics designed to perform in our environment.

However, the onus is on the pool builder and pool tiler when it comes to adhering the products correctly. High quality adhesives and grouts are available to complete the task.

For a complete guide to ‘Glass Mosaic Tiling in Pools’ access Pool Tiling in the Tile Archive, located under the Advice / News button at www. infotile.com

5: The Harbour design from Ezarri’s Iris Mix collection perfectly illustrates why glass mosaic is the prime choice in pools. (Image courtesy of Europe Imports Pty Ltd)

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interview

Construction Technologies Australia headquarters in Seven Hills, NSW.

Interview with Troy Hogan, Managing Director CTA™ CTA™ Managing Director, Troy Hogan, talks about the recent acquisition of the company by Sika® and the exciting new opportunities that exist for both brands.

TT: The big news relates to the recent purchase of Construction Technologies Australia Pty Ltd (CTA™) by Sika®, a company which commenced operations over 100 years ago and is largely known for its role as a specialty chemical supplier. How will CTA™ function in the future?

TH: This is a very exciting time for CTA and our staff. Sika is arguably the largest producer of adhesives and construction chemicals in the world. With over 17,000 employees, operations in 90 countries and approximately $7 billion in revenue, Sika is a real powerhouse of technology and innovation.

CTA has enjoyed a good relationship with Sika Australia for some years and we have been very impressed with their professionalism and integrity throughout negotiations of the sale. The acquisition is positive for both Sika and CTA. CTA will continue to be a standalone company for the foreseeable future and retain all its existing staff and management team. I will continue to run the business and continue to be supported by the most experienced management team in Australia. This, combined with Sika’s global technology, financial resources and vision for growth, will see some exciting times ahead for the business.

TT: Sika currently manufactures the Sika Crème collection of adhesives and grouts. Will these products be marketed as part of the CTA product portfolio, or will they retain their current brand name?

TH: The Sika Crème range will be discontinued (in Australia only) over the 70 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

next few months and established clients will be offered one of CTA’s existing brands. This will allow a wider choice to Sika clients and greater support.

We are also investigating the other Sika subsidiaries worldwide. For example, Sika Germany recently acquired the Schonox business. Schonox is an extremely high quality manufacturer of adhesives and levelling products and the addition of this range/technology would offer our clients a whole new level of products to sell.

TT: CTA markets 11 adhesives under the Prohesive™ brand name and 11 adhesives under the MCB™ label. Remind our readers of the differences between Prohesive™ and MCB™ which are both CTA brands?

TH: The implementation of our Dual Brand Strategy in 2009 was a first for a large-scale adhesives manufacturer and has proven to be successful. The launching, maintaining and support of both the Prohesive™ and MCB™ brands can at times be challenging, but it gives our clients a real point of difference in the market.

Our clients basically understand this strategy and appreciate having the opportunity to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. They also appreciate having these key adhesive lines fully supported by our Polyblend™ grout range, Aqua Blok™ waterproofing range and Eco Systems™ accessories lines.

Both the MCB™ and Prohesive™ brands will continue to operate in the market and continue to be fully supported by Sika/CTA. In fact, we will be announcing some new developments

and range extensions in the second half of 2015.

TT: Sika is engaged in a variety of activities, including concrete technology, joint sealants, roofing, waterproofing, and various reinforcing solutions, and obviously counts on broadening its product offering. However, the CTA arm of the business could also flourish in an environment where the product is bundled with other materials.

Are you excited by this challenge?

TH: Yes, the Sika product offering is quite broad. The company has a huge basket of products both locally and internationally, and the brand is well known and strong. However, the tile merchant is a new distribution channel for them, and because surprisingly few clients deal with both Sika and CTA, the opportunity to “Cross Sell” is very exciting.

The first thing we are doing is training and educating our sales technical team (both Sika and CTA) on the new products they have at their disposal.

Once we have identified the products our clients will be interested in, and have confidence in the technical support of our sales team, we will roll these products out to the market.

TT: How has the industry reacted to the sale of CTA? TH: The overwhelming sentiment has been positive! Once our clients understand that there will be no changes to our day-to-day operations and points of contact, they are comfortable. The next question we are asked is “What products does Sika have that we can now sell?”

To be honest, we are still getting our head around the broad range in the Sika portfolio but from initial investigations I can see the opportunity for a steady pipeline of new and improved products that we can bring to market to add value to our clients’ businesses.

The next question we receive is about branding. The CTA packaging and product names will not change, the only modification to the packaging will be the addition of the Sika logo to the

front and rear of all packaging. CTA is now a subsidiary of Sika and operates to its high level of quality and support.

TT: Is CTA still an agent for Custom Building Products (CBP) and will you still liaise with Custom?

TH: The Custom Building Products (CBP) relationship has been a good one for CTA for almost 5 years. It has enabled us to remain at the forefront of new technologies and bring products to market faster and more efficiently.

However, CBP has recently been purchased by Quikrete, a large-scale prebagged concrete producer in the US which has a limited view on high technology tile adhesives. So, the timing is right for both CBP and CTA to move on. Sika provides the perfect opportunity to supply world-class technologies that can be localised for Australian / NZ conditions. Sika also has a very strict

the capacity and logistics for a modern tile adhesives plant. Sika has committed to invest in expanding capacity throughout the CTA network and a project team has been formed to design and construct a new plant, which we hope will be operational by March 2016. The plant will have approximately 20,000 tons of capacity and will make the full range of powdered adhesives and floor levellers.

Plans are also underway for CTA to build a plant in Perth. This market is developing nicely for CTA and Sika, and Sika is on track to open its new site later this year. The site will have ample room for a powders plant to manufacture CTA’s adhesives and Sika’s construction products.

So, as you can see, it’s a busy time for the team. With investments in new plants, and access to new products and technologies, Sika is right behind CTA and shares our vision for growth.

We also have various Epoxy technologies in our range that can be used to install larger tiles and panels to internal and external facades.

TT: Import and local tile production figures are rising, but so is the number of adhesive manufacturers. Will the sale of CTA to Sika help you to realise your goal of making the CTA brand one of the most significant in Australia?

TH: It certainly is becoming a crowded market. It seems like every time I open your magazine there is another tile adhesive manufacturer.

However, the more recent entrants to the market are smaller, more regional companies that have limited ranges and distribution opportunities.

We are not seeing the larger multinational companies coming to Australia and investing in plants with plans

Troy Hogan (left) shakes hands with Miljan Gutovic, the General Manager of Sika Australia. The Sika Crème product range will gradually be replaced with CTA’s Prohesive™ and MCB™ brands. New packaging features a small Sika logo.

quality control regime that we will be implementing. This, with an innovative digital media presence, will see us raise the bar again.

As I mentioned before, Sika has the Schonox business in Germany and the Technokolla business in Italy, to name a few. These guys are well ahead of the game and have some interesting products and ideas we can bring to the market.

TT: The majority of CTA products are manufactured in New South Wales and Queensland. Will there be any change in that area?

TH: Both our NSW and Queensland factories have been running at double / long shifts for the past few years. These plants have been servicing Australia, New Zealand and export markets. We had plans to build a plant in Victoria in late 2016 but this will now be brought forward.

Sika has a manufacturing facility in Keysborough, Melbourne which has both

TT: We have an article in this edition which focuses on fixing large format wall tiles, particularly 600 x 600 x 10mm product and larger.

This presents a challenge for adhesive manufacturers. Does CTA have products suited to installing heavy, large format tiles?

TH: This trend is really starting to catch on in Australia and New Zealand.

We have seen it for some years in the US and, to a lesser extent, in Asia. We have been operating in this market for some time and are having some very good results with our Lite Weight products for larger format tiles. The replacement of sand with various lightweight fillers greatly enhances the slip / slump properties of adhesives and grouts, this has obvious benefits.

We are planning a further expansion of our offering with this technology which will provide our clients with a clear and simple full system solution for large format tiles, both walls and floors.

to grow organically (well, not yet, anyway).

Competition is always good for a market, and the tile market is no different. CTA has always been in a good position to take advantage of market changes and developments; this will only be enhanced with the involvement of Sika.

CTA has done a lot over a sevenyear period, progressing from a small start-up in Brisbane to the third largest tile adhesive manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand. With the support and experience of Sika, CTA will continue to expand geographically, add new products, further develop our dedicated team, and continue to support our clients by adding value to their businesses.

All the above may, or may not, make us the biggest adhesive company in Australia, however, we will most certainly be the best!

Thank you for talking to Tile Today. www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 71

interview

Metro Tiles imports product from a wide variety of leading European and Asian manufacturers of tile. The featured Pietrasanta series of polished Italian porcelain tiles are also produced in a natural finish.

The product can be applied to walls and floors in a variety of formats: 600 x 1200, 600 x 600, 300 x 600 and 100 x 300mm.

Lorenzo Colussa, Metro Tiles, Queensland The Metro Tile group (QLD) markets high quality European and Asian products to consumers, tile retailers and design and construction professionals. We talk with company director Lorenzo Colussa.

TT: When did Metro Tiles establish itself and how has it evolved?

LC: Metro Tiles has grown since 1959 from a single showroom near Brisbane City with just a handful of staff and tiles from Italy, UK and Japan, to a network of franchises and resellers throughout Queensland who enjoys the vast collection of exquisite products only found at Metro Tiles.

Our ability to adapt to the everchanging market, combined with a depth of knowledge across a broad range of portfolio areas enables us to thrive in several niche areas of activity such as retail, franchise and wholesale distribution and commercial projects.

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Metro Tiles has been internationally-renowned for many years now and continues to set trends with a diverse array of products accessed from across the globe.

TT: What is Metro Tiles’ philosophy?

LC: Listening and working with our clients to fulfil their dreams and objectives with quality, sustainably sourced products. Offering all clients outstanding service with expert advice and inspiration no matter how big or small their projects are and always aspiring to exceed their expectations.

Introduction and education of new technologies is also a very important attribute of Metro Tiles.

TT: You currently have a network of eight franchisees located in Queensland. Do they source product from a central warehouse?

LC: Our two acre distribution centre located in Geebung, just north of Brisbane City, ensures good stock holdings which provides same or next day dispatch for franchisees and resellers in Queensland and our associates, including supply to our associates throughout Australia and the broad Pacific region.

Clever and strategic stock turnover avoids the necessity for an otherwise much larger facility than may be required as we also use it to store orders of all dimensions, from the little splash back to the 100,000 square metre commercial projects throughout Australia.

Logistically we have everything covered for our clients depending on their requirements, from utility to B-Double trucks delivering each working day.

interview TT: Do you principally buy from Europe?

LC: Yes, mainly specialised products for residential and commercial projects.

With several containers arriving from Italy, Spain and France each week, we continue to be at the forefront of European product representation throughout Queensland with brands such as Saime, Del Conca, CE.SI., Winckelmans, Iris, Panaria and Marazzi, to name a few.

Products from these manufacturers are imported on an exclusivity basis only. In relation to strategic projects, the volumes imported from our suppliers in Asia increase fourfold. However, our quality control team ensures that we never compromise in any regard.

TT: With more than 50 years’ experience, the company must have developed strong relationships with various manufacturers, providing access to some exclusive products.

LC: Absolutely. One element of our enduring success is the maintenance of strong relationships with our manufacturers, so much so, that we class them as family. Respect for each other is just one reason that allows us to supply exclusive products from Europe, some for over 30 years.

TT: Talk about your commercial division.

LC: Our commercial division which is also based at Geebung has worked very hard to build positive, longstanding relationships with a vast array of architects, designers and government

The two acre central warehouse in Geebung is ideally positioned to service the group’s requirements.

agencies. With our incredible range of tiles and materials to choose from, the skills and knowledge we possess, combined with our ability to interpret their briefs, allows us to successfully specify our products and supply thousands of fantastic projects each year. Our portfolio shows a glimpse of previous works and is testament to the wonderful collaboration between our team and industry professionals.

LC: We will only allow new franchisees to come on board that accord with our DNA. They must be dedicated to, and passionate about the industry with strong business sense. Metro Tiles collection of impressive quality products and our experienced team on hand are just two aspects that ensure our franchisees flourish successfully in all regards.

TT: We note that slim products are gaining more credibility in the market. Do you import slim materials?

LC: We are associated with key organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand sharing strategic knowledge and ideas and assisting with product supply whenever required.

LC: Metro Tiles was one of the first to promote the 1000 x 3000 x 3mm slim line products in Queensland several years ago and we have seen the volumes continue to increase ever since.

We have a vast collection of these products in stock, with sales of our larger 1500 x 3000 x 6mm porcelain slabs also growing significantly.

TT: Your stores are strategically located in key areas around the state. Does this present a problem in terms of sourcing stock that is right for the group? How do you decide which products are right for your franchisees and their customers?

LC: A combination of experience, being well involved in all market areas and continually liaising with key sales professionals ensures that we get the products right every time in all market sectors.

Another addition to Metro Tiles’ impressive European collection is the Nuances Sandalo. This product is available in 225 x 900, 150 x 900 and 225 x 900mm with a R11 slip rating.

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TT: I assume you are seeking new franchisees?

What are the key benefits associated with joining Metro Tiles?

TT: Do you have any affiliations with any other local companies?

TT: Tile imports reached record levels last year, including a significant one million square metre rise in Queensland. Total imports in Queensland exceeded 8 million square metres: the best figure since 2010. Are you confident that better times lie ahead?

LC: Metro Tiles is happy to be a large part of that. With interest rates at record lows, which will continue for some time, ongoing work and projects in the pipeline all provide a boost to our confidence. We perform consistently well irrespective of market conditions, political scenes or seasonal periods.

TT: During a quick visit to your website, I noticed the Kilim Patchwork collection which looks stunning. Are you experiencing greater interest in colourful designs?

LC: Metro Tiles is renowned for colour, style and design with the Kilim Patchwork range being just one element of our vastly diverse collection.

With unrestricted access to an array of products from manufacturers all over the world, we enjoy the opportunity to select and supply the best products possible for our valued clientele. Products currently presented on our website provide a glimpse of those we stock and our marketing team are working hard to include many more we have available over the coming months.

Thank you for talking to Tile Today.

interview

The popular Southampton series of timber-look tiles.

Italian flair for design with Chinese manufacturing prowess and affordability Tile Today interviews Starstile personnel Stefano De Rienzo (SDR) and Tracy Wu (TW) TT: The Starstile website (www. starstile.it) describes the company as ‘a team of Italian and Chinese people with many years of experience in the ceramic tile business all around the world’. It sounds like Starstile co-ordinates Italian flair for design with Chinese manufacturing prowess and affordability. Is this correct?

clear idea of what we want to achieve.

Starstile branding manages the rest of the tailoring.

SDR: It is correct. When we founded the company our main aim was to create an innovative way to design material produced in China, not merely copies of ceramic tiles produced in Italy by some other manufacturer, but original and new designs. Markets and life are our inspiration, we have our own ideas regarding tile design; we don’t just follow the mob. When we step inside our graphic studio in Italy to start to design, we have already a

TW: This is exactly the way we do.

We always keep in mind that a new idea can be very simple. We just need to be able to put together colours, graphics and, of course, prices. There is not a book or recipe that can teach you how to do this, so the only way is to visit customers, showrooms and art galleries and places of interest. We try to do as much as we can to assess trends: we keep the mind open, looking at the world which surrounds us.

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TT: So in effect you are able to talk to customers worldwide, discover their requirements, create the design they want, using your team in Italy, and then manufacture at favourable rates in China?

TT: Do you only create exclusive collections for specific customers or do you also produce collections that any importer can buy?

SDR: We very rarely get specific suggestions on design from our customers.

As previously stated we have our own idea on tiles, but many of our best customers are spending a lot of time with us to discuss colours, graphics and the characteristics of the market. But none of them have asked us to copy something, as they know we would never do it.

TT: Do you have customers in a variety of markets?

TW: Twenty-seven countries and counting. When we begin to design, we have to consider the differences in taste from market to market. For example, if we design with the Australian market in mind, we discover that what sells in Australia can sell in many countries, with the exception of the United States.

TT: In 2014, Australia imported 25.7 million square metres of ceramic tile from China. Do you

already have customers in our market?

SDR: In all states and territories.

While we have many agents actively promoting Starstile around the world, in Australia we promote our brand. We keep our mind fresh, driving around your very beautiful country, visiting customers and promoting our material as agents. Only agents can really catch the trend of a market, we will never cease our quest for inspiration. As Tracy just said: keep the mind open.

TT: Do your clients have to order substantial quantities of one product, if they order something exclusive, or is there a degree of flexibility?

TW: We provide full exclusivity range by range to our importers / distributors in their business area.

However, we don’t make targets the main issue. The most important thing for us is to see our customer putting all their best efforts to promote our range and to share our mentality regarding brand promotion. Branding is a difficult process, it needs patience and correct steps. You cannot be greedy. Rome wasn’t built in a day.

TT: We have noticed a gradual resurgence of interest in colour and bold design. We note that one

of your designers named Etnik creates some fairly wild designs. Does Starstile use a variety of Chinese manufacturers to produce product according to the complexity of the design, or do you have one contracted manufacturer that can handle any concept?

SDR: We are working with different manufacturers, which we select according to their skills and the kind of material we are going to produce with them. Talking about Etnik, he is one of our sources of inspiration. As mentioned, everything can give us a new idea and we love street art very much. The colours and contrasts of a wall painting can be amazing. We adore Melbourne for this! We spend many hours in Hosier Lane and AC/DC Lane.

TT: Finally, what kind of support do you provide for customers in term of catalogues and images?

SDR: In this we are particularly Italian. For every range we have a digital catalogue, a marketing tool like a sample book or an architectural box.

Furthermore, we have our APP on App Store and Google Play, and we frequently update our website. Branding is following a vision, we give a common trait to all our production.

Thank you for talking to Tile Today.

TT: Does Starstile only produce tiles?

TW: We have a wide range of mosaics, which includes glass mosaics, mix marble and hexagons in different sizes which are a relatively new trend in the market. Most of our customers are also importing Starstile branded mosaics.

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The Piccadilly Marfil range is also available in 300 x 300, 300 x 600, and 600 x 600mm formats for external use.

Vojimir Jesic, Sales Manager, Trade Port International Trade Port International is launching new products and consolidating its position in the market. We talk with Sales Manager Vojimir Jesic about its progress.

TT: How long has Trade Port International (TPI) been in business and who founded the company?

VJ: Trade Port International commenced trading in 1991. The company was founded by Mr Kie Lee who migrated from Korea more than 30 years ago.

While operating as an agent he started importing mosaics from various countries in East Asia. He then opened a tile wholesale business in Smithfield, NSW. As the business expanded he began importing ceramic wall and floor tiles from Italy, Spain, Indonesia and Korea.

In 2002 the company moved to larger premises in Wetherill Park, which is our current location.

TT: How long have you been with TPI and what is your background in the tile industry?

VJ: I joined the company in 2014 and took up the role of Sales Manager. Prior to this I spent nine years at Brickworks Limited, where I worked as a business graduate for Austral Bricks and was involved in promoting terracotta tiles.

Ultimately, I moved across to Eureka Tiles as NSW Sales Manager. I left the company when Brickworks sold Eureka Tiles in 2009.

TT: What tiles do you import?

VJ: We import several ranges from Korea, including porcelain products which are designed for external use. We market a number of products from China which include a variety of wall and floor tiles and mosaics. We supply product 78 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

for residential and commercial projects.

We are in the process of bringing in new ranges from Italy and some great new products from CINCA, Portugal. Most of the product we import is purchased with the residential market in mind.

TT: The Piccadilly Series is particularly impressive. Where are they principally used?

VJ: Trade Port is the original importer of these hard-wearing products, which are manufactured by Viewgres in China. The Piccadilly series is produced in three popular formats: 300 x 300, 300 x 600 and 600 x 600mm in five colourways. The colour of these durable porcelain tiles runs right through the body of the tile. The CSIRO recently conducted slip resistance testing which rates the matt finish as R10 and the external finish as R11, so this series is ideal for use in residential and commercial settings. We carry all the available formats, colours and finishes in stock, so we have made a major commitment to this high quality product which is ideal for internal and external use.

TT: TPI has been in business for over 20 years, how would you describe your prime goals? Are you trying to focus on supplying tile retailers in NSW or do you have wider ambitions in other states?

VJ: Our prime goal is to supply good quality products for use in all elements of the market, backed by good service and sound advice. We are expanding

our services by bringing in a broad range of new products from a variety of leading manufacturers of tiles and mosaics.

Currently, we supply product to stores in New South Wales and our distributors in various states, which include DIY in Queensland and Western Distributors in Victoria. We are seeking distributors in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and New Zealand.

TT: Are you consciously trying to develop a product portfolio which is designed to cater for the day-today requirements of typical tile retailers, or are you more interested in products that are principally used in major projects?

VJ: We are confident that we can find the right product mix that will provide our clients with an opportunity to satisfy the needs of the architectural community and retail shoppers in tile stores. We have to continue to develop sound relations with our suppliers and our customers.

TT: New products are the lifeblood of every wholesaler and retailer. What else is new?

VJ: We are always looking at new products. As a wholesaler in today’s market it is hard to identify and bring in something that it is different, but it can be done. We are on the brink of launching two exciting new series. The Stone Cut range of large format 490 x 990mm porcelain tiles is designed to provide a distinctive, elegant finish. The range is produced in three finishes: lappato, matt (R10), and external (R11) with fifteen graphic variations, in four popular colourways.

Our new Factory series evokes images of old, worn cement floors.

This product is ideal for urban and

Piccadilly is distributed by: NSW Trade Port International 11-12 Hexham Place, Wetherill Park NSW 2164 (02) 9757 1822 QLD/NT DIY tiles 105 Rivergate Place, Murarrie QLD 4172 (07) 3390 6888

WA/TAS/NZ/SA Please contact us for expressions of interest to become our distributor (02) 9757 1822

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interview

The new Factory series is available in a 500 x 500mm format in matt (R10) and external (R11) finishes which are ideal for high traffic areas. The range is characterised by a similarity to old, well-worn screeded surfaces.

industrial environments, and the 500 x 500mm format should appeal to specifiers. Matt (R10) and external (R11) finishes are available and we also market a large hexagonal feature tile.

TT: Who is responsible for buying?

VJ: Both myself and Mr Lee are responsible for the buying and sourcing of products. As a business going forward, we are developing new relationships with local and international

The Stone Cut series is available from Trade Port International in 3 popular finishes, in a contemporary 490 x 990mm format.

80 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

manufacturers. Our aim at Trade Port is to increase our product portfolio for retailers and special commercial projects.

TT: Are you confident that you can achieve your goals and do you have the infrastructure required to service retailers and other wholesalers in Australia?

VJ: Yes, I am more than confident that, working as a team, we will

develop the right product mix and strong relationships with our customers. As business increases we will consider moving to larger premises.

Key relations developed interstate are providing us with an appreciation of developing trends in the marketplace. Our experience with the distribution of the Piccadilly series has allowed us to develop reliable services which will facilitate our future growth.

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Fixing heavy, large format wall tiles In the not too distant past a 300 x 300mm tile was deemed to be a large format product, nowadays use of 300 x 600mm ceramic wall tiles is commonplace – particularly in private residences.

The popularity of large format surface finishes amongst specifiers is one of the reasons why large slim panels and tiles have been introduced.

1 – Mechanical fixing techniques are generally employed in Australia when tiling exceeds heights greater than 3 metres, this is particularly important when large format panels of tile or stone are employed. However, in some countries tile and stone are fixed with adhesive at heights which are much greater than 3 metres. The Al Hamra Tower (412.6 metres) in Kuwait is the tallest building in the world. The façade is clad in 258,000 square metres of limestone, with tiles on the lower levels and lightweight, mesh mounted limestone mosaic above. SOM Architects (New York) specified Laticrete 254 Platinum polymer fortified adhesive to complete this challenging project. As tile formats increase in size we look at the fixing techniques which can be employed. (Courtesy of Laticrete Australia).

82 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

I

n spite of this major advance, many leading Asian and European manufacturers continue to produce regular 10 and 11mm thick tiles in large formats such as 300 x 900, 400 x 800 and 1000 x 1000mm. Most of these really large format products are laid on floors, but a growing percentage of regular thickness 300 x 600 and 600 x 600mm tiles are adhered to walls. This presents a series of challenges to those responsible for surface preparation and tile installation.

Adhesive manufacturers face their own challenge in regards to producing adhesives which remain deformable while providing appropriate initial grab, extended open time, suitable bond strength and no vertical slip.

The latter is particularly important when one considers that a typical 300 x 600 x 10mm tile weighs between 3.8 and 4 kilograms whilst a 600 x 600 x 10mm tile weighs approximately twice as much. Nevertheless, several adhesives available in Australia meet the required EN 12004 classification of C (cement), 2 (improved), T (slip resistant), E (extended open time), S1 (deformable) – C2TES1 (Photo 2).

The letter ‘T’ denotes a ‘slip resistant’ adhesive which limits the extent to which tiles might slip down a wall. Some of these products possess high grab. For example, Mapei’s Keraflex Maxi S1 can be applied on a vertical surface without slumping, or letting large, heavy tiles slip.

Of course the safe, traditional way of fixing large heavy tiles, relies on securely fixing a timber batten to the walls at an appropriate height and tiling all the wall areas above the batten.

Once the tiles have bonded the battens are removed and the courses below the battens are cut and fixed. Alternatively if an appropriate ‘slip resistant’ adhesive is used the tiler can strike a level line around the room, spread adhesive above that line, and confidently fix the first course(s) of heavy tiles to the line,

2 – Keraflex Maxi S1 adhesive will grab and hold heavy, large format wall tiles. (Image courtesy of Mapei Australia)

Raimondi RAI-FIX Mechanical System

1

2

for fixing Large Format Tiles to the Wall

before quickly cutting and fixing the lower course(s). This saves time, and remarkably it can often be achieved without the use of spacer pegs.

In spite of this there are other factors which have to be considered before tiling commences, in particular the background surface preparation, the physical properties of the tile, and the finished height of the tiling.

Background preparation and tile characteristics Fixing 300 x 600mm and larger sizes is fine if the existing walls can withstand the weight of the tile. Although no published standards cover the maximum weight, 32 kilograms per square metre is frequently quoted as the maximum load bearing capacity of the most common backgrounds that are tiled in Australia and elsewhere. Given that a square metre of 300 x 600 x 10mm tiles weighs approximately 21.66 kilograms – and a square metre of 600 x 600 x 10mm weighs roughly 24 kilograms – we can see that these sizes are manageable providing the shear strength of the chosen adhesive is greater than the quoted figure of 32 kilograms.

Critically the background needs to be flat, smooth, plumb and free of any contaminants that might retard adhesion.

Weight considerations should recognise the fact that certain materials can increase in weight when they become wet. This is particularly true of absorbent stone materials like sandstone.

When products like sandstone become saturated the composition of the stone can actually weaken and delaminate.

Furthermore, certain backgrounds lose strength when wet, which can reduce the capacity of the background to bear the weight of the tiles. The installed materials can be affected by radical changes in temperature.

Fixing methods In previous editions we have illustrated a wide variety of projects which feature ceramic tiles fixed with adhesive to heights exceeding 3 metres – the highest applications deemed to be safe when fixing tiles with conventional adhesives.

Adhering 152 x 152mm tiles or mosaic to a building façade at heights greater than 3 metres poses less of a risk to the general public than adhering heavy porcelain or natural stone tiles. Each case has to be considered on its merits.

The 3 metre height should also be generally adopted for internal tiling projects.

Adhesive fixing can be successfully combined with some mechanical systems to allow tiling to extend beyond 3 metres. Mechanical fixing systems provide an opportunity to fix the heaviest modules of tile and stone at virtually

3

3 – The Raimondi Rai-Fix system effectively combines mechanical support and use of an appropriate adhesive to fix ceramic tiles. (Image courtesy of B.A.T. Trims Australia)

any height, providing the building can bear the load.

Adhesive Fixing According to AS 3958.1 – 2007 large format products like 300 x 300mm should be adhered using a 12mm notched trowel. Larger formats (e.g. 400 x 400 and 300 x 600mm) must be fixed by first applying adhesive to the background and then adding a thin skim of adhesive, using the flat side of the trowel, to the back of the tile. When the two surfaces are pressed together and the tile is moved at least the width of one of the parallel ribs of adhesive, created by spreading adhesive with the notched trowel , the minimum required adhesive coverage should be achieved.

The appropriate contact coverage figures quoted in the Standard are:

• Internal

residential walls: 65 per

cent

• Commercial and industrial walls: 80 per cent

• Wet areas: 90 per cent • External 1. Batwalls: trims90 per cent • Swimming pools: 90 per cent

Our major adhesive manufacturers all provide guidance in relation to use of their products. Architectural engineers should consult with the adhesive supplier before conclusively deciding on a fixing system.

Whichever fixing method is employed the substrate should be allowed to cure fully, and the possibility of shrinkage should be carefully evaluated before tiling commences. At all times the potential risk to the public should be evaluated.

Ardex Technical Bulletin TB001.008 makes the point that when selecting the weight limit (kg/m2) for the nominated background, in comparison to the maximum tile weight, the lowest value must be selected.

For example a 12.5 kg/m2 rated background would not be suitable for to support a 400 x 400mm tile of 26 kg/ m2, but would be suited to a larger, but lighter product which only weighed 11.1 kg/m2. In those circumstances the 400 x 400mm tile would require a combination of mechanical and adhesive fixing.

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B.A.T Trims is proud to introduce the raimondi Optimus Non-Porous Primer is a specially Mechanical Fixing system be for spread the wall application formulated primer designed Large ashlar units of natural stone for enhancin Onrai-Fix walls mechanical adhesive should of ceramic and marble slabs. It is a precise fixing adhesion to non-porous have been successfully fixed over aand smooth surf horizontally to prevent water travelling device for large format products (exceedinggreat 40 x many years Optimus Non-Porous Primer provides sup in Australia.

David downwards along the serrations created 40cm) that are at least 8mm thick. This mechanical bonding properties to metals, plastics an West, a former structural engineer by thesystem trowelled is notadhesive. a replacement for adhesive but an surfaces. Optimus Non-Porous Primer is s with Ove Arup, advises that hundreds additional aid. Grind a slot into the tile and fit a free and non-hazardous, it eliminates the of façade projects been installed Combining Adhesive and stainless steel Rai-Fix hook before mounting both for have solvent etching or mechanical grindin in the Sydney CBD alone.

In recent to be compa Mechanical Fixing to the wall. primer is specially designed times a numberallofNovatex projects have fea- membranes, a In situations where the completed waterproofing B.A.Tis Trims tured Buchtal ceramic tilestowhich heightcontact: of the tiling scheduled to finish and renders enableposreliable adhesion t 9797 7900 sess proven hydrophilic above03 a height of 3 www.battrims.com metres, adhesive can surfaces. air cleaning capabilities. Many mechanical systems be used in conjunction with a variety Products have been tried. contact: Buchtal Novatex manufactures of mechanical supports. This provides (02) 9757 3525 www.novatexproducts.co a state-of-the-art system which comadded assurance and allows specifiers bines horizontal support rails fixed to to use heavy units of tile or stone withperpendicular posts. The tiles are swiftout adopting full scale mechanical fixly slid into position and secured at an ing procedures (Photo 3).

94 tile+ stone showcase

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 83

INstallation

4 – Over 20,000 square metres of Agrob Buchtal products have been mechanically fixed in Australia using a variety of systems, without a single system failure. These advanced products are available with ‘HT’ Titanium Dioxide fired into the surface, which makes them self-washing and cleaning. They are particularly effective in rain screen cladding projects. The HT system acts like a deciduous tree, purifying the atmosphere as sunlight produces a photocatalytic reaction, breaking down vehicular pollutants like nitrous oxides. (Image courtesy of Ceramic Eco Façade Systems Australia)

appropriate distance from the actual façade of the building.

The horizontal rails are fixed at the height of the tiles.

If the building owner wants to give the premises a facelift, in situ products can be removed and replaced with different tiles of the same dimension.

Mechanical fixing permits the integration of louvered panels and tiling systems which assist in the process of establishing appropriate ventilated facades and effective climate control. While several of these projects have been completed in Australia, the tendency is to aluminium, CFC sheeting or stainless steel. Tile consumption is rising, but the sky would be the literal limit if industry practitioners can persuade specifiers that tiles adhered or mechanically fixed to building facades are both aesthetically appealing and entirely functional (Photo 4).

5 – Neolith is an exceedingly light, large format, slim product that can be used internally and externally on almost any suitably prepared substrate. Plain and decorative designs are available. (Image courtesy of CDK Stone)

The future The key to achieving industry goals in relation to expanding the use of tile on building facades is already here in the shape of large, slim panels of remarkable lightweight products like Laminam porcelain, Dekton and

Neolith ultra-compact surfaces, and the aforementioned Buchtal products.

These frost-proof, impervious materials can resist just about anything nature or man can throw at them, and they will literally last the lifetime of the building (Photo 5).

A-1095-0215 Š2015 LATICRETE Pty Ltd. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners.

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INstallation

A look at 25 years of issues in waterproofing shower recesses

by Barry Schafer The first edition of AS 3740 for the waterproofing of internal wet areas was published in 1989 but there are still some ongoing issues related to damage from leaking, particularly from showers. With the current edition — published in 2010 — due for a review, it is time to reflect on where we are in regard to these problems.

W

hen the first Standard was published most showers were constructed with what is classified as an external tray, as shown in Figure 1.

These trays were usually constructed from metal, although some were formed from plastic. As the vertical upstands were commonly located behind the wall sheeting, no protection was provided to the bottom of any wall sheeting that extended into the tray. While some sheeting materials are resistant to breakdown from being imbedded into a saturated tile bed, the majority wick up water through capillary action, which has the potential to introduce dampness into the framing behind the wall sheeting. As most timber frames are constructed with pine framing, the decay appeared in the framing behind the wall sheeting. Consequently, this has resulted in this type of waterproofing not being used as commonly as it was in the late 1980s.

In the mid-eighties liquid applied membranes were introduced which are applied over the front of the wall sheeting, making what is classified as an internal tray as depicted in Figure 2.

With internal trays it has become more common in recent times for the membrane to be installed on top of the floor screed and not on the substrate as shown in Figure 2. This results in the screed not being subjected to continual wetting and drying, which significantly

Figure 1 – External tray.

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Figure 3 – Damaged bottom plate with water leakage.

reduces levels of calcification on the surface of the tile. The main issue with placing the waterproofing on top of the screed is that at wall / floor junctions the waterproofing is applied with a smooth surface across the junction to enable fixing of the tiles. If there is any sort of bulge present, the tiler might cut the piece of waterproofing out that is in the way of the tiling, resulting in leakage at the wall / floor junction and subsequent

Figure 2 – Internal tray.

damage to the bottom plate as shown in Figure 3. The water flow that appeared from flooding the shower floor after a few seconds is also shown in this image.

The prime issue with these new liquid membranes, especially the water-based type, is that while some worked satisfactorily, others failed within a few months service. The manufacturers’ specification sheets showed no difference in the composition of those working well and those

INstallation 250

Bleach Elongation

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Water Tensile Water Elongation 0

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Time (days)

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Figure 4 – Durability results for a membrane that passed.

Figure 5 – Durability results for a membrane that failed.

which failed. This was a major concern within the building industry. A durability testing protocol was developed to determine which membranes provide a suitable service life. This testing involves exposure to immersion in water, and solutions of bleach and detergent.

This protocol was incorporated into AS/ NZS 4858 – 2004 ‘Wet area membranes’.

Examples of the results for a membrane that passes this Standard are shown in Figure 4 and one that failed badly is shown in Figure 5.

The poorly-performing membrane lost both strength and elasticity which shows that it is totally breaking down.

The membrane that passed, while losing some tensile strength, gained in its elasticity, which confirms that it softened without loosing its waterproofing properties. The loss of tensile strength is not of concern as the role of the membrane is to act as a water barrier — it is not meant to play a structural role as it is fully supported by structurally sound substrates. The bleach and detergent solutions used in this testing are quite strong, much stronger than would be expected to be left on a membrane for long periods of time in service.

The strong solutions are used to give a result in a realistic time frame for testing of 56 days. If the membrane passes this test it is estimated that at least a 25-year service life would be expected.

This 25-year life is based on the expectation that within this time frame most showers would be retiled, and any stripping of the tiling will result in the need to re-waterproof, as the internal tray

waterproofing will be damaged in the process of removing the tiling.

The other issue that has developed since the first edition of the Standard in 1989 is the more common use of showers without a vertical separation at the opening (step down or hob) with the development of frameless glass screens.

This type of design is especially common in smaller bathrooms / ensuites where the space used by the shower is made to look less imposing in the overall space of the wet area. The big problem with frameless screens is the door.

Water draining down the door tracks across the bottom of the door by surface tension and drips off the outside edge as shown in Figure 6.

This usually results in it draining away from the shower as shown in Figure 7. The extent of the water spread is shown with the white line.

There are many of these screens on the market that have fittings on the bottom of the door to direct the water flow back into the shower area.

Hopefully, with time this type of door detail will become the norm as it overcomes this type of leakage.

The other shower design that is becoming more frequent is one which has no doors, just a side screen, as shown in Figure 8.

With this type of shower the waterproofing needs to extend to the extremity of the shower splash area. The extent of splash from a shower was extensively covered in my article in Issue 82 of Tile Today. The limit of the splash discovered in the testing was 1500mm from

where the shower rose fitting comes out from the shower wall. It is essential that the shower floor drainage extends to this limit, so water falling within the splash zone drains back into the shower drain.

With most of the current problems with leaking showers being the result of leaking from the shower screen itself, it might be time to have some testing or design requirements made on shower screens. With knowledge that the shower screen will contain water within the screened area, where to terminate the shower waterproofing is much clearer.

A combination of shower screen design and competent waterproofing is needed to restrict the high cost of water damage in bathrooms.

Figure 8 – Open shower.

Figure 6 – Water dripping from outside edge of frameless screen door.

88 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Figure 7 – Water spread from a frameless screen door.

Modelled on the Marble Institute of America Dimension Stone Design Manual, the ASAA Natural Stone Design Manual comprehensively covers geology, stone selection, installation, care, maintenance and restoration. Contains references to applicable standards and test methods, an extensive glossary, list of quarries, prime suppliers of stone and related allied products.

Order your copy of the ASAA Natural Stone Design Manual

Design Manual ACROBAT READER REQUIRED VERSION

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© This copyrighted work is jointly owned by the Marble Institute of America Inc. and the Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd and may not be reproduced, transmitted and otherwise disseminated without the express written consent of the Marble Institute of America Inc. and the Australian Stone Advisory Association Ltd.

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Contents of the ASAA Manual

The manual exceeds 380 pages. Each section has been carefully peer reviewed.

Geology of Stone Standards & Specifications Stone Selection Stone Testing Granite Limestone Marble & Onyx Sandstone Travertine Slate Basalt Installation Horizontal Surfaces Vertical Surfaces Wet Areas Natural Stone Tiles – fixing methods Residential Stone Countertops Capping & Sills Stone Furniture Stone Faced Veneer/Pre-cast Concrete Cleaning & Maintenance Restoration/Refinishing Slip Resistance of Stone Active Australian Quarries Images of Natural Stones of Australia Glossary of Stone Industry Terms Appendix (Production Table, MOHS Scale, Applicable ASTM Standards & Tests)

1.0 STO NE

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“I believe the ASAA manual will be the de-facto Australian standard for the design, selection, installation and maintenance of stone. The manual provides guidance on the selection of stone, the design of the system, installation details as well as maintenance.

The people who worked on the ASAA manual have a wealth of knowledge and experience and the document has been reviewed by respected industry professionals. I am sure that there will be a few glitches, but continuing peer review will see this manual become the essential guide for the stone industry.”

Colin Cass, techtile consulting

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ALTERNATIVELY ORDER THE CD VERSION Allow $22 for registered mail and handling

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actualities

Sticking together at PappaRich The PappaRich chain of Malaysian restaurants continues to grow at a rapid rate. The restaurant opened in Melbourne in 2012. Today, there are 16 franchises located in four states. The Northbridge restaurant in Perth, Western Australia opened last August.

T

he large interior, capable of seating 110 diners, features extensive use of glass mosaics in the kitchen and 100 x 300mm ceramic wall tiles throughout the premises. Terracotta tiles were laid on the floor.

The tiling contractor, Warehouse Direct Tiles, used a variety of RLA Polymers products to complete all aspects of the tiling. Whenever possible specifiers favour using installation materials sourced from one manufacturer, as this removes the possibility of materials being incompatible, for example, waterproofing membranes and tile adhesives.

In this instance, the conveniences were waterproofed with RLA’s Dryflex

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Pump, a Class 111 waterproofing membrane. The main floor surface was levelled using RLA’s Self-Leveller 88.

The company’s Just 2 Ezy premium grade, non-slip wall and floor tile adhesive – which is classified C2S1T – was used to install the glass mosaics and the wall tiles. Techbond 14, a premium grade, non-slump rubber-modified flexible adhesive designed to install heavy floor tiles was used to lay the terracotta product.

The grouting was completed using RLA products, including Hydragrout.

Ceramic tile was specified to withstand expected levels of foot traffic and to provide low maintenance, hard wearing surfaces.

tech forum

Cracking down on cracks The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus states that the word ‘suppress’ describes putting an end to a particular activity or the existence of an undesirable problem. Interestingly, this action is colloquially described as cracking down.

I

n relatively recent times local and international tiling contractors have developed a strong interest in cracking down on cracks. As a result a number of crack suppression membranes have appeared on the market.

These products are designed for use on flat, sound, dry substrates which are free from any contaminants.

GreenSkin Flooring is a heavy duty, watertight, crack suppression / isolation membrane which is manufactured in the United States by Devcom Manufacturing. The product is distributed in Australia by CDK Stone Pty Ltd. GreenSkin meets and surpasses the ANSI 118.12 crack strength, high performance rating by TCA’s internationally accepted standards.

The GreenSkin GS-4000CSI is a 100 per cent clean and green membrane (zero VOC/solvents) comprised of a high-tech 5-layer state-of-the-art constructed membrane coated with a super aggressive, crystal clear, peel-n-stick PSA (glue) that provides crack strength resistance up to 12mm.

Cracks can appear in new screeds for a variety of reasons, including the presence of tensile stresses induced by shrinkage of mortars with high cement content during the curing process.

Ultimately these stresses can be transmitted to the surface of the tile, because

The whole floor or wall can be protected or individual cracks can be targeted and isolated.

(Image courtesy of CDK Stone).

92 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

they prove to be greater than the mechanical resistance of the tile.

Sometimes these cracks are evident in existing cement surfaces before tiling commences and other times they develop after the tiles have been laid.

Either way the possibility of cracks appearing on the surface of the tiling is undesirable.

GreenSkin can be used to cover the entire floor prior to tiling to prevent the onset of cracking. It can also be used as an extremely effective localised solution when applied directly over existing cracks before tiling commences. One band of GreenSkin is sufficient to keep an existing crack from transmitting through to the tile directly above. It is also ideal for vertical and specialty moisture management installations such as showers (walls and ceilings only), bathroom and laundry floors and walls, kitchen benchtops, splashbacks and fireplaces.

The growing popularity of large and increasingly slim ceramic tile and natural stone products increases the necessity of providing added protection against cracking, particularly in situations where narrow grout joints are specified. At a mere 1mm thick, GreenSkin is the ideal product for use with these slim materials or in any situation where minimal build-up is required.

The downside is that the addition of any crack suppression membrane does add to the installation cost. Tile already

takes longer and costs more to lay than other floor coverings and it is difficult to remove. However, international studies confirm that a well laid tile or natural stone installation will last longer with less requirement for remedial work and lower ongoing maintenance costs than soft and resilient floor coverings like carpet and vinyl, which will wear out in a fraction of the time. This advantage is quickly negated if cracks appear in the tiles, so a little extra investment in crack suppression is not hard to justify against the cost of removing and relaying the tiles when cracking occurs.

GreenSkin can be applied to any cement surface, ceramic tile underlay and clean timber substrates; it is ideal for installation over floor levelling compounds and sound existing tiles (free of contaminants like heavy waxes / silicone sealants).

Significantly, surfaces do not require priming (unless they are determined to be suspect due to contamination like excessive dirt, grease, oils, silicones, or dusting / blooming cement board surfaces), and the aggressive green surface texture of the membrane encourages any cement-based or epoxy adhesive to form a strong bond.

The non-wicking nature of the durable surface helps to isolate any water that reaches its surface in one spot while its anti-microbial attributes prevents the development of dangerous moulds.

The product has achieved LEED Accreditation in the United States.

A standard 21 square metre roll of GreenSkin weighs a mere 8kg versus the 24kg associated with asphalt-based membranes.

This fully sustainable product contains 40 per cent reclaimed or recycled contents by weight.

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INstallation

Brushing up on bond coats

By Fred Grey

Ceramic tile adhesives and grouts are tested against AS ISO13007 in its various parts to meet certain performance requirements that can then be used when designing a tiling system. The industry places a lot of emphasis on the abilities of these adhesives to provide a long-term and problem-free installation. But tile adhesives are only one part of the overall tiling system and other components within the system need measurable standards to help determine the overall performance level of a complete system. Like the adhesives and grouts, screed beds and slurry bond coats are another regular part of a tiling system that should have local standards to be able to gauge performance requirements.

Currently, they don’t.

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the slurry bond coat in the overall system, particularly in external and high traffic environments with such guidance? Perhaps.

So what about slurry bond coats – most of the current handbooks or standard documents I have explored recently, have large appendices on the subject of screed beds and the various issues surrounding their installation, but all generally seem to lack the finer details on

1. Depicts surface contamination not removed prior to the application of the bond coat. The screed subsequently became drummy.

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have also noticed, in all the standards and guidelines I have referenced regarding screed / mortar beds, the subject of the slurry bond coat generally appears to be deficient, in not only the aforementioned performance requirements but, what I regard as adequate execution statements for their application. This is a notable deficiency given they perform a similar role to tile adhesives as a bonding medium. These documents tend to present us with information that has a relatively broad range of interpretation about the make-up and application of slurry bond coats. So, can we rely on being able to consistently achieve the required performance level expected of

slurry bond coats mixes and methods of applications. For instance, in terms of a non-proprietary slurry bond coat composition, they all discuss the use of Portland cement mixed with water, but give no real recommendation of the mix proportions. A definitive indication of the required application thickness is also conspicuously absent, with imprecise recommendations such as: spread a very thin, continuous coating of cement paste, or dust a thin layer of cement and wet it, then broom it, to completely coat the concrete surface with a thin and uniform coating. Without wanting to be too critical, perhaps this needs to be tightened up if we are going to be demanding performance from the whole system.

One of the most common causes of poor quality concrete and Portland cement mixes is the use of too much water. Excess mixing water causes problems such as low strength, poor durability and bonding qualities, segregation, and laitance formation, to name but a few. Therefore, the water-to-cement ratio is an important design consideration when mixing concrete, screed beds, adhesives and slurry bond coats.

Slurry bond coats with excessively high water-to-cement ratios are therefore not likely to perform as expected in a tiling system. Just as too little water, although sufficient for hydration, may be the cause of premature drying and skinning. This ratio specifies the volume of water required for the hydration and workability of a given amount of Portland cement, to promote the correct hydration and surface wetting that delivers optimal strength for its intended purpose. So it would

2. Depicts a bond coat that has been trowelled and keyed into the substrate and is now ready for the sides of the cut out to be stiff brushed.

INstallation

appear to make sense that documents promoting the use of ordinary Portland cement slurry bond coats would give a correct ratio.

Once mixed, the slurry bond coat is applied to the prepared and cleaned surface, where it should be immediately covered with the screed bed in the normal course of the installation.

Ensure the surfaces are clean, Photo 1 shows the unwelcome results of a contaminated slab. The slurry coat is then vigorously applied and keyed into the prepared and hydrated surface with a stiff broom or steel trowel. They should be forcefully applied and worked into

more retarded and a better choice for warm dryer conditions. Or you may even need an epoxy bond coat for certain projects depending on the substrate – like steel.

• Read

all the manufacturers’ guidelines and instructions on mixing and preparing the product for use.

This is important, not all bond coats are the same and differences exist.

Photo 3 shows one component of a two-part bond coat being applied to the surface and allowed to dry, not in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

3. Depicts thick application of neat latex that has formed a heavy film on the surface prior to the screed being applied.

the surface like any tile adhesive should be. Final thickness of the slurry bond coat should be nominally 2mm before the application of the screed bed. Only as much bond coat should be applied, as can be covered whilst the slurry bond coat is still wet and tacky. See Photo 2 for an appropriately thick bond coat that has been worked into the surface.

Proprietary slurry bond coats from the various manufacturers tend to come with more complete guidelines on mixing and use. These slurry bond coats generally tend to be a combination of latex and low-end modified adhesive or just higher quality modified adhesive.

These proprietary products are better than the Portland cement and water (or non-proprietary types) because they deliver greater strength, better workability and water retaining abilities. Used correctly, they will deliver the required performance.

Irrespective of whether you use a non-proprietary or proprietary slurry bond coat, some of the dos and don’ts for installing a slurry bond coat should include the following considerations:

• Choose

the materials for the bond coat to suit the application – some of the proprietary bond coats are more suited to varying or different climatic conditions. For instance, some are

96 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

• Immediately

prior to applying the screed mix, only pour sufficient bond coat onto the surface that can be immediately covered by the screed mix. With a stiff broom or a notch trowel, work and key the bond coat into the prepared surface. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation for slurry bond coat thickness which generally should be nominally 2mm.

Thickness gauges can be used to ensure correct application. See Photo 4 which depicts insufficient bond coat and ensuing delamination.

• Whilst the bond coat is still wet and tacky, cover the complete area of ap-

4. Depicts insufficient bond coat thickness and in part no application at all.

• Have all the right tools and equip-

ment for mixing the product at hand, including clean mixing pails, low speed mixers, medium stiff or stiff bristle yard brooms, stiff bristle hand-held slurry brushes, notch trowels, margin trowels, pails of water and sponges.

• Ensure the surface to be covered has

been prepared correctly, cleaned and hydrated, and that any freestanding water has been removed.

• Protect the work area from adverse

weather conditions during the course of the installation and for the required period after the work has been completed. In particular, hot, dry and windy conditions can be very damaging both during and after application.

• When the floor is prepared and the

screed is ready to be mixed, only then should the slurry bond coat be mixed. Mix to the proportions specified by the manufacturer and allow slaking. They are generally mixed to a thick, cream-like consistency that will require light pushing with a trowel or broom to spread over the surface. Leave in the pail and do not apply till the screed is correctly mixed.

plication with the screed mix. Tamp and compact the screed mix over the bond coat and finish as desired.

• Do not let the bond coat dry or skin over before the application of the screed bed.

• Do not apply the bond coat in large areas ahead of screed mixing.

• Do not expose the application to extreme or undesirable weather.

• Do not mix components of the bond coat on the surface to be covered.

Slurry bond coats are not difficult to install. All that is needed is a basic understanding of and rigorous adherence to the application guidelines to ensure a desirable outcome – a component of the tiling system that meets performance expectation of the system. The time is drawing close when performance requirements will have to be met for bond coats. The use of proprietary bond coats is a good way of achieving this.

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98 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

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news

Tile Power’s conference: the talk of the town With 20 members largely based in New South Wales, Tile Power is regarded as one of the prime groups in the state which regularly consumes the highest volumes of tile and stone. The decision to stage the company’s Annual Conference at Crown Casino in Melbourne reflects the board’s determination to emphasise that the benefits of being a part of a well-established buying group are just as applicable and viable in other states and territories.

D

elegates arrived at the venue on Friday, 27 February, having been invited to a welcoming function at the 28 Sky Bar, which offers panoramic views of Melbourne from the 28th floor of the Crown Metropol.

On Saturday, the delegates welcomed a number of guest speakers who addressed a variety of aspects related to new products, technologies and marketing strategies.

In the evening, Tile Power presented its first formal awards to members in recognition of their outstanding performance. Highly valued suppliers were also rewarded.

The emcee for the evening was the precocious Denise Drysdale.

Tile Power Sales & Product Manager, Adam Er said, “The event was a great success which will enhance relations with key suppliers.”

Vince Stoneman, National Sales Manager of DTA Australia, summed up the feelings of many: “DTA Australia appreciated the time we had with the Tile Power team. A fantastic awards night and an opportunity to have a great time mixing with a really enthusiastic group of retailers that are passionate about their industry.”

Rob Luc of Platinum Sponsor Parex Davco said, “The conference was a total success and shows that Tile Power have clear industry partners moving into the future.” Aldo Sustar the Ardex NSW State Manager observed, “The Tile Power conference was a great

opportunity to present elements of our 2015/16 strategic plan to the group collective. By all accounts the Tile Power directors and Ardex staff involved found the event extremely beneficial.”

All of the awards were presented by Tile Power Chairman Gordon Redman.

Tile Power extends its thanks to the following sponsors: Platinum Sponsor: Parex Group Gold Sponsors: Ardex Australia DTA Australia GNS Ceramics Kai Ming Kimgres Nekeema Grates Silver Sponsors: CDK Stone Del Conca DMT White Horse Ceramics Bronze Sponsors: Aqua Mix Australia Designer Stone Solutions Australia GND Creative Images of member and supplier awards night were captured by Bernie Phelan Photography.

Member Award

Member Award

Member Award

‘Most Improved Store’ and ‘best supporting staff awards

Most Improved Sales – Proudly Sponsored By DTA

Modern Tiles Erina

Vince Stoveman, DTA accepts on behalf of

Chairman & Treasurer’s – Member of the year award also awarded ‘Life membership’

Nelson Bay Tile House

Wayne Stiles – Tile Power Dubbo

Member Award

Member Award

Best Merchandising & Marketing – Proudly Sponsored by Kai Ming

Best Showroom / High Population – Proudly sponsored by Designer Stone Solutions Australia

KI Tiles Forster & Taree

Rivoland Tiles

100 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

Member Award

Member Award

Best Showroom / Low Population

Outstanding Service Award – Proudly Sponsored by Davco – ParexGroup

South East Tile & Bathroom Centre

Ashley Tucker

– Sutherland Shire Tiles

Gordon Redman – KI Tiles Forster & Taree with Adam Er

supplier Award

supplier Award

supplier Award

supplier Award

Best Service & Support – Tiles / Stone.

Best Service and Support – Fixing Materials

Best Product Range – Fixing Materials

Best Product Range – Accessory Products

Kai Ming

Ardex Australia

ParexGroup / Davco

DTA Australia

supplier Award

supplier Award

Best Service and Support – Accessory Products

Aqua Mix Australia

Best Supplier Representative - (2 x Awards)

Joe Bazzo

– ParexGroup/Davco

Ralf Sablowski – Ardex

Andrew Crampton of Kai Ming performed ‘Hey, Hey Paula’ with emcee Denise Drysdale. Ernie had no objections.

attending members of the Tile Power Group.

www.infotile.com/publications | Tile Today #87 | 101

news

Esagono Decoro Hexagon Lifestyle Image Mixed with Plain, Beaumont Tiles Trends

By David Stock

LOCAL Beaumont Tiles sets the trends On 12 March, Australia’s biggest tile retailer, Beaumont Tiles held its Trending event in the George Room at the QT Hotel, Market Street, Sydney. The objective was to provide a special insight into “what’s hot, what’s new and what to look out for in 2015”.

Managing Director Bob Beaumont, Head of Buying Dean Booker, and the company’s strategic designers Rachel Gilding and Nick Gentile were on hand to meet, greet and discuss the very latest tile trends.

Bob Beaumont expressed his satisfaction with the event, praising his team’s amazing presentation. With more than 100 outlets in almost every state and territory, Beaumont Tiles is ideally positioned to monitor developing trends and establish new ones.

Antico White Lifestyle Floor, Beaumont Tiles Trends Some of the exciting new products revealed at the recent ‘Trending’ event staged by market leader Beaumont Tiles.

New home sales at fouryear high The latest HIA New Home Sales Report shows that welcome growth occurred in March 2015 and sales volumes have climbed to their highest level since early 2010.

“The residential construction sector continues to be the main bright spot in the broader domestic economy, with updates to the sector showing its ongoing strength,” commented HIA Economist, Diwa Hopkins. “Following Monday’s (4 May) positive update to ABS residential building approvals, today’s results (6 May) show total seasonally-adjusted

Axis Brick Mocha, Beaumont Tiles Trends

new home sales increased by 4.4 per cent in the month of March.”

The March figures for total new home sales consist of an 11.3 per cent rise in multi-unit sales and a 2.6 per cent rise in detached house sales.

“The monthly rise in both the detached and multi-unit segments of

Italia Ceramics – unforgettable night of inspiration Italia Ceramics has unveiled its new showroom at 55 Glynburn Road, Glynde with the cream of Adelaide’s building, architecture and interior design industries and local business identities in attendance. Valued local clients and suppliers attended the event, as well as special guests from interstate and representatives from exclusive tile manufacturers in Italy, Spain, Malaysia and China.

Director of Marketing Rob Vozzo enthused: “The event was an overwhelming success. I’m sure we’ll see the benefits for months and years to come as our strong relationships with our partners across the industry become even stronger.”

The new showroom was designed by renowned architect Francesco Bonato and fit-out work was completed by Mazzone Constructions. A series of concept rooms illustrate how the best quality tiles and stone can be used to stunning effect. Spacious selection areas include innovative product displays as well as European tile and stone collections which are exclusive to Italia Ceramics in South Australia.

The company is celebrating 42 years of supplying Adelaide’s construction and interior design communities with tile and stone for domestic and commercial projects.

102 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

the market is an encouraging result.

However, the broader trend is that growth over the past year has been driven by multi-unit sales, while detached house sales have tracked sideways. Lower lending rates will provide added support to residential construction activity, which is emerging as a key

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news area of growth mitigating the effects of the downturn in mining investment and construction,” Ms Hopkins added.

In March, private detached house sales rose by 5.9 per cent in Victoria and by 4.2 per cent in New South Wales and Western Australia. Private detached house sales simultaneously declined in Queensland and South Australia by 2.3 per cent and 5.8 per cent.

In the opening quarter, detached house sales heightened in Victoria and Queensland whilst decreasing in New South Wales and South Australia. The biggest dip was noticed in Western Australia where sales regressed by 6.4 per cent.

Australian Master Tilers Association joins the ATC in New South Wales Nathaniel Forster, a director of the Australian Master Tilers Association (AMTA), recently announced that AMTA had become members of the New South Wales division of the Australian Tile Council (ATC). The AMTA engages in regular discussions with ATC State President Barry Bulmer and Treasurer Fred Gray (Laticrete).

Nathaniel said, “We are working with the ATC on specific training for wall and floor tilers and waterproofers which we feel our industry has been lacking for some time. Working with the ATC NSW we hope in the near future to implement courses where Performance Demonstrated points are gained by the contractor so that they may become Master Tradesmen. It is a 5 to 10 year plan, but we hope it is a step in the right direction for our industry.”

Over 760 subscribers access the AMTA newsletter from www.mastertilers.org.

GLOBAL China experiences rare export drop Whilst continuing to tower over other tile exporting countries in quantitative

terms, China suffered its first setback in 2014. After a decade of uninterrupted growth – culminating in record exports of 1.095 billion square metres in 2013 – volumes dropped by 2.9 per cent, to 1.063 billion square metres last year.

The breakdown of Chinese exports into large geographical regions illustrates that sales increased to Africa and Oceania by 5.7 per cent and 12.7 per cent, respectively.

China suffered a decline in exports to all other areas of the world – including Asia – where shipments slumped by three per cent, having contracted by 2.6 per cent during the preceding twelve months. Asian consumption of Chinese exports amounted to 552.6 million square metres in 2014.

South American sales decreased by 22.8 per cent to 99.8 million square metres. This was largely due to the 46 per cent slowdown in the lucrative Brazilian market. Exports to North America were practically unchanged at 82.1 million square metres but sales to the United States dropped by almost three per cent.

Chinese exports to the European Union regressed for the fourth consecutive year, and also experienced an unprecedented dip in non-EU markets.

Imports to the politico-economic union totalled 24.5 million square metres and those countries without membership consumed 22.1 million square metres.

Chinese tiled pavilion illuminates Milan expo This dragon-inspired pavilion clad in three-dimensional ceramic tiles is one of the highlights of Milan Expo 2015 and marks the first time in Universal Exposition history that a private company has its own pavilion. The spiralling structure features staircases wrapping around its perimeter and a ‘forest of bamboo’ contained inside.

Designed by Daniel Libeskind, and clad in three-dimensional red ceramic tiles fashioned with help from Casalgrande Padana, the Vanke pavilion has a twisted form that culminates

in a rooftop garden and symbolises a traditional Shitang, or dining hall.

The twelve metre high pavilion was created for China’s largest real estate company, and highlights the importance of food and socialisation in the nation’s rich culture. It features replicated custom-made tiles that create a reptilian effect, like the scales of a lizard or snake in motion. Those tiles feature a metallic surface and appear to change colour from red and pink to gold and white.

The installed product also possesses self-cleaning properties which remove the pollution from the surrounding environment, which would otherwise damage the structure’s facade.

“For one of China’s leading economic organisations, the choice to be in Milan for six months, in the heart of Europe, is also strong evidence of another of the aims of the Universal Exposition: the creation of contacts and business networks, an exchange of innovative technologies, the possibility for mutual investments that will form one of the most important legacies of the Expo – for Milan, for Italy and for an increasingly influential China in the international economic landscape,” said Giuliano Pisapia, the Mayor of Milan.

Mohawk Industries granted regulatory approval to buy Bulgarian enterprise Two years since the acquisition of Marazzi, the American flooring materials giant Mohawk Industries has enlarged its presence in the European ceramic tile industry, with its sights set on the Balkans. On 8 April, the Bulgarian regulatory watchdog granted its approval for the acquisition of KAI Group by Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions from the investment fund Advent International. According to KAI Group’s CEO, Spas Shopov, the €195 million acquisition will be finalised after gaining approval from regulatory bodies in a number of other countries.

Designed by Daniel Libeskind, and clad in three-dimensional red ceramic tiles fashioned with help from Casalgrande Padana, the Vanke pavilion has a twisted form that culminates in a rooftop garden and symbolises a traditional Shitang, or dining hall.

104 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

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concrete Project – The project is to turn concrete into a tile with a clear contemporary mood, designed to inspire. Use it as a natural look ideal not only for high traffic public spaces, but also in the application of ventilated facades. The Concrete Project series is an Italian made porcelain material, with the most up-todate environmentally friendly production methods used for its manufacture. Available in 60 x 120cm, and in three colours – White, Marron and Dark Grey.

Suitable for: interior and exterior tiling concepts contact: Trend Tile marketing@trendtile.com.au www.trendtile.com.au

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Grange by Ocean+ Merchant is an absolutely convincing replication of a much loved, finely aged European timber. The large boards (1300 x 250mm) of durable porcelain may look suitably worn but this robust, highly slip resistive product (R10 & R11) will require minimal care and maintenance. Grange will last considerably longer and cost considerably less than any timber product.

tex is an abbreviation of the word textile.

This enticing product was inspired by the repetitious rows of stitches which are found in a knitted textile. Mutina have produced Tex in an unusual format – a rhombus which is 20 x 11.5cm from edge to edge. When installed they produce interesting aesthetic results by forming various 3-dimensional patterns. Available in five different surfaces (fabrics) in eight colours creating interesting effects on walls and floors. Tex is exclusive to Urban Edge Ceramics, Victoria.

Suitable for: ideal for a wide range of interior applications contact: Ocean+ Merchant (02) 9310 4088 www.oceanandmerchant.com

Suitable for: interior use on walls and floor contact: Urban Edge Ceramics (03) 9429 2122 www.urbanedgeceramics.com.au

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Showcased products are automatically added to the Products section of Infotile.com and many feature in our monthly Tile+Stone eNews to over 7000 industry recipients. The magazine is published on 31st October.

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news

87

advertiser

index

Page

Ace Ceramics

21

Amber Group

17

Aqua-Seal STC

7

Ardex Australia

45

Australasian Tiling Adhesives

97

Australian Stone Advisory Association

89

Australian Tile Council Australian Tile Publications B.A.T. Trims Beaumont Tiles

95 105 87 103

Bisazza Australia

69

CDK Greenskin

93

Cersaie

63

Cinajus

107

Clear Software ColorTile Construction Technologies Australia

20 33 22, 23

Diarex

46

Distinctive Tile Imports

68

DW Tiles

31

Efflock

84

Europe Imports Everstone

67 11, 27

Impact Ceramic

51

Johnson Tiles

43

Lev Tec System Laticrete

66 52–57, 85

Lithofin

77

Mapei Australia

99

Metro Tiles

73

National Ceramic Industries Australia

9

Neolith

39

Novatex Products

81

Prestige Tiles/RAK Ceramics

41

Qualicer

50

RLA Polymers

91

Romax Tiles Southern Cross Ceramics Starstile Tile Power Trade Port International Trend Tile Tuscan

47 108 75 2, 3 79 4, 29, 61 35

Listed by each company’s name are page numbers on which their advertisements appear. Product information can be obtained by contacting the advertiser directly or by emailing your request to atp@infotile.com.au stating advertiser’s name, issue and page numbers or by faxing your enquiry to (03) 9888 2256. The index is supplied as a service to our readers. No liability is created by or accepted for inadvertent errors or omissions.

106 | Tile Today #87 | www.infotile.com/publications

KAI Group is the largest floor and wall tile producer anywhere in the region, with consolidated 2014 revenues of approximately 80 million euro and an annual capacity of around 20 million square metres at two factories in Razgrad and Shumen provinces.

The group has operations in Romania (KAI Ceramics) and Greece and exports product to 25 countries such as Germany, Italy, France and Britain. Consumers in Scandinavia and the Low Countries are also admiring of ceramic tiles made by the KAI Group.

In 2014, Mohawk Industries reported net sales of $7.8 billion and net earnings of $532 million.

ASEAN Ceramics 2015 ASEAN Ceramics 2015 will be held from 9 to 11 September at the International BITEC Exhibition Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. AES/ TH and supporting organisations – such as the Ministry of Industry, Department of Industrial Promotion, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau and the Thai Ceramic Society – will be hosting the biennial trade event.

This exhibition is staged in conjunction with the ICTA International Conference on traditional and advanced ceramics which covers the entire spectrum of commercial and technical issues. Following the successful 2013 event, ASEAN Ceramics 2015 is set to double in size and attract thousands of prospective buyers from markets in Southeast Asia and further afield.

Russian tile production stable but consumption and imports tumble Ceramic tile manufacturers in the world’s largest country suffered a slight downturn in 2014 as the impressive growth recorded in the previous two years was followed by a 0.6 per cent decline to 165 million square metres.

Russian floor and wall tile production are heading in opposite directions with the former estimated to have fallen by two per cent whilst the latter has risen by roughly 2.3 per cent. More than 90 per cent of the nation’s output continues to be consumed locally and exports remained stable at 16 million square metres.

The economic slowdown, uncertain financial and international outlook, and resultant currency crash are all factors that contributed to the precipitous dip in ceramic tile shipments to Russia, which dropped by 9.7 per cent, from 80 million square metres in 2013 (a record) to 73 million square metres in 2014.

This contraction affected leading suppliers such as Ukraine and China although Belarus and Germany actually enlarged their exports to the country. Domestic consumption slumped by 3.9 per cent to 222 million square metres with local firms accounting for two-thirds of yearly sales.

�taly

Continued from page 62. Time-honoured trendsetters: Italy

Unemployment climbed to 13 per cent two months ago and the youth unemployment statistics make for even more depressing reading, with 43.1 per cent of economically active 15 to 24 year olds unable to find work.

Matteo Renzi’s preliminary economic alterations include assisting small firms in accessing credit and cutting a much-criticised regional tax on company turnover. A monthly tax break of 80 euro has been promised to low-paid workers and employers have been offered fiscal bonuses as part of controversial labour reforms that provide greater job security to those on short-term contracts – making them entitled to permanent employment after three years – whilst abolishing the right to reinstatement of workers judged to have been unfairly dismissed.

The unions deplore such a policy from a centre-left government as it nullifies a clause in the 1970 Workers’ Charter that they deem to be inviolable. The reform has obvious limitations as it does not affect the public sector, which is almost impossible to pare down.

Despite these imperfections and differences of opinion one can only hope that the initiatives enacted and promulgated by the Italian political elite bear fruit and that the nation’s ceramic tile and machinery sectors have the economic platform they require and deserve to thrive at home and abroad.

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DISPLAY, SALES & WAREHOUSE – –SYDNEY DISPLAY, SALES & WAREHOUSE SYDNEY 32 Bryant Street, Padstow NSW 2211 32 Bryant Street, Padstow NSW 2211 Ph: Ph: 02 9773 5677 Fax: 02 9773 5644 02 9773 5677 Fax: 02 9773 5644 Email: info@cinajus.com Email: info@cinajus.comOnline OnlineCatalogue: Catalogue:www.cinajus.com www.cinajus.com

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