Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 8438 2016 | TECH CRACK ISOLATION ––––––––––––– Tony Pasquarelli, marketing services manager Custom Building Products www.custombuildingproducts.com Beautiful tile installations are the result of attractive tile, a skilled tile installer, and a system of instal- lation materials that address the needs of jobsite conditions. Crack isolation must always be taken seriously with a range of highly- engineered solutions that range from liquid-applied membranes to sheet- applied membranes to cementitious backer board options. Uncoupling mats play an important role because they reduce weight compared to traditional backer board alternatives and today’s new products can be installed with polymer modified mortars, making them meet and exceed industry standards. Breakthrough technol- ogy in waterproofing is now saving days off shower installation time- lines with the advancement of rapid cure liquid-applied waterproofing solutions. Faster and easier to use than fabric-applied alternatives, they cure very quickly even in cold and damp environments. Sean Boyle, senior director of marketing and product management LATICRETE www.laticrete.com Uncoupling mats are becoming more and more popu- lar in the tile and stone industry. Traditionally these products have been used to separate the stresses in the substrate from the finished tile or stone installation. As new and advanced products come on the market, installers should look for products designed to replace traditional underlayment materials such as cement backer board and, in some instances, plywood. Installers should also look for options that may be installed on the greatest variety of substrates including: concrete mortar beds, oriented strand board, exterior glue plywood, cement backer board, cement terrazzo, resilient flooring, existing tile or stone, gypsum under- layment and lightweight concrete. BACKER BOARDS –––––––––––––– Craig Swiatek, GoBoard Product manager Johns Manville www.jm.com/goboard Professionals and DIY-ers alike demand lighter, smarter, faster and less labor-intensive products – for all home improvement and construc- tion projects. The tile industry, and specifically the tile backer board category, is working to create less work for customers and cost them less money. Instead of working with products just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it,” contrac- tors increasingly want something new and different, enabling them to do more jobs in a day and boost their business revenue. Homeowners who want a quick weekend project are able to achieve speed and effi- ciency with products that are easy to use, don’t make a mess and have fewer steps to completion. The full benefits of this type of innovation within the industry still remains to be seen, but the future is without a doubt bright. Rich Willett, director Tile & Flooring, USG www.usg.com Choosing the prop- er backer board is critical for a successful tile installa- tion. Tile bond is important to pro- vide durability; for a wet area the backer board should be water resis- tant. Failure to use a proper backer board can shorten the lifespan of the finished flooring system. A sound tile installation starts with a firm foundation that is flat, level, and treated for crack isolation and if need be, waterproofing. Expert attention to the underlying needs of the installationsetsthestagefornotonlyabeautifulresult,butone that will perform beautifully for years to come. With the emer- gence and proliferation of large thin porcelain gauged panels, the proper support for the tile system is essential. Manufacturers have put a tremendous amount of energy and investment into developing high-tech substrate prep solutions to fit nearly every situation and every way that contractors like to work: membranes, roller-applied, light- weight foam-core units, uncoupling membranes – you name it. In this section share their views of how today’s finishing products demand more technologically-advanced prepara- tion, underlayment, waterproofing and backing solutions. – Lesley Goddin Substrate preparation: underlayments, backing and waterproofing products Substrates This section begins our analysis of product trends according to category, with accompanying product entries and contractor comments. – Lesley Goddin