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 8464 2016 | TECH CONTRACTOR PERSPECTIVE–––––––– THIN-SET MORTAR Ryan Willoughby Hawthorne Tile, Portland, Ore. www.hawthornetile.com As someone who is regularly found in the field with a trowel in his hand, I have to say that the advancement in thinset technology over the past 15 years has been phenomenal. As we’ve seen the industry move to more direct bond and other topical waterproofing for showers, we’ve also seen porcelain choices grow in both appearance and size. This com- bination can create challenges for the installer. Being asked to install 24”x24” porcelain, or larger, on the lid of a steam shower is just another day at the office. There are a few thinsets out there that almost feel like I’m cheating when using their non-sag properties both in heavy large-format applications, and those times I would find myself spending far too long wedging and shimming loosely- backed sheets of mosaics. This is one area where I absolutely tip my cap to the manufacturers. Mortars Grouts Tony Pasquarelli, marketing services manager Custom Building Products www.custombuildingproducts.com Stain-proof, easy-to-use, color-con- sistent and efflorescence-free grouts are quickly becoming the standard for the industry as grout technology con- tinues to make a major shift. High- performance options appeal to the end user, who must live with cleaning and maintaining the grout for years to come. Sean Boyle, senior director of marketing and product management LATICRETE www.laticrete.com Color choice in grouts has become a key issue for customers and install- ers. Architects, designers, specifiers, and project owners are beginning to demand selections that go beyond the set of standard colors, and increasing- ly demand specific colors that match other elements of a project’s design. This development, however, places pressure on distribu- tors that must stock additional pallets of grout colors to meet market demand. Technological developments in the area of dispersible pigment packets provide a unique and cost-effective solution to this dilemma. When added to neutrally-colored base powder, these packets can cre- ate thousands of grout colors without creating the need to order expensive color-specific grout runs. Furthermore, these small packets help distributors avoid excess inventory costs and space devoted to hundreds of bags of grout. David Mowery, business manager, Tile & Stone Installation Products MAPEI www.mapei.com The movement in tile setting materi- als, specifically with grouts, is occurring on two fronts. For portland cement powdered grouts, more installers are opting to upgrade their grout selec- tion to a rapid setting, CAC-Calcium Aluminate Cement which offers higher performance specifications and typical- ly adheres to ANSI A 118.7. Traditional portland cement grouts typically only subscribe to ANSI A 118.6. Given the trend to larger-format tile and gap widths averages in the 3/8” range, less grout is being required per square foot. This allows the installer to justify the price-point bump with the higher- performance grout. The other movement we are see- ing in the industry is the use of RTU (Ready-to-Use) grouts moving from the DIY arena into the commercial contrac- tor/installer playing field, driven by the improvement in the overall per- formance in this grout category. The RTU grout chemistry includes acrylics, urethanes and hybrid versions. When cost is a consideration, and it always is, the product cost of RTU grouts vs. traditional cement grouts is higher. Yet, when you factor in the reduction in labor time for installation and the “no sealing” required advantage, RTU grouts are a bargain. As the “framing” of your tile project, grout extends the ele- ment of design with color, shimmer and sparkle, depending on what grout you choose. Grout continues to provide those colors, but much about the delivery and the color selection has changed over the years, from stainproof grout, to ready-to-use products that can be resealed and stored for future use, to new dispersible- pigment products that reduce inventory space needed in the warehouse, to grouts that incorporate glass beads or metallic pigments to enhance glass or decorative tiles. Color palettes are growing all the time, some aligned with other finishing or paint suppliers or grouped into color families to make selection easier. Explore some of the new directions in grout in the comments below and accompanying product listings. – Lesley Goddin