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 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– As the popularity of large and heavy tile (LHT) continues trending upward, mortar coverage and bond- ing challenges may be encountered. The new TEC® PermaFlex® 300 LHT Mortar is a dependable mortar for installing large and heavy floor tile. Ideal for interior and exterior use, it can be used for bedding thick- nesses of 3/32”–3/4” so large tiles stay in place with the proper cover- age needed. It offers good workability, helps overcome irregularities in tile thick- ness and may be used for the instal- lation of porcelain tile, ceramic tile, quarry tile, cement tile, pavers, high- bottom lugged tile, and non-mois- ture sensitive natural stone*. It meets ANSI A118.4 and ISO 13007 C2. Rely on TEC® PermaFlex® 300 LHT Mortar for your next large and heavy tile floor installation. Tecspecialty.com *All natural stone should be tested to be sure discoloration does not occur. (LHT), to install large-format tile. For large-format tile installations, don’t settle for trying to build a standard modified mortar up to 1/2” thick. Standard mortar, unlike a LHT mortar, is not designed to maintain a 1/2” thickness after the tile is embedded. For that reason, it may shrink and cause lippage when used with large-format tile. Use a LHT mortar when your tile job meets the below requirements, provided by the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass and Stone Tile Installation. 1. You’re installing a “large” tile that’s at least one side 15” or greater. 2. You’re installing “heavy” tile that weighs over five pounds per square foot. 3. The bond coat thickness after the tile is embedded is intended to be 3/32” to 1/2”. 4. You intend to use the LHT mor- tar to directly bond adhesives and don’t intend to use it for truing or leveling underlying substrates. 3. Control the climate Outdoor installations in four- season regions present a particular set of installation challenges. If left under the hot summer sun, thin- set mortar will set up too fast – as if you had mixed it with warm water. Direct sunlight on hot, dry days can cause mortar to lose its moisture to the atmosphere. The result is a weakened mortar that 74 TileLetter | January 2017