Feature: CUSTOM System selected in Orange County Setting large-format tile and stone Two long-time, family-owned, Southern California firms execut- ed the tile and stone work at the Spectrum Towers. A team from NTCA member company Charles McCandless Tile of Santa Ana set 30,000 sq. ft. of porcelain and Carnevale and Lohr of Bell Gardens installed 20,000 sq. ft. of 3/4” thick quartzite pavers. Prior to beginning work, samples of the very dense natural stone were submitted to CUSTOM’s laboratory for product testing. Based on their findings, the technicians recom- mended using ProLite® Premium Large Format Tile Mortar, which was then selected to install all tile and stone materials throughout the project. ProLite is a versatile, poly- mer-modified, dry-set mortar for large-and-heavy tiles that provides excellent bond strength. This mor- tar exceeds ANSI A118.15 TE and will not slump on floors or sag on walls. ProLite is formulated with lightweight, recycled aggregate, so it weighs 40% less than other mor- tars. Environmentally sustainable content delivers superior handling characteristics and also makes ProLite easier to carry and mix on the jobsite. A 30 lb. bag of ProLite typically covers the same area as 50 lbs. of traditional mortar. “ProLite is a game changer,” said Mark McCandless, president of Charles McCandless Tile. “The guys really like the way it comes out of the bucket on the trowel. It spreads easy, the non-sag is extremely good and its consis- tency is light and fluffy with very good workability. ProLite pays for itself in increased production,” he offered. Craftsmen from Carnevale and Lohr fabricated and set 30” x 30” Taj Mahal quartzite pavers in the ground floor lobby using a dry- pack method including ProLite® as the bonding mortar. Matching The porcelain tile installed on all restroom walls and in showers was 12” x 24” Pure White matte supplied by Emser. Two coats of RedGard® Waterproofing and Crack Prevention Membrane were applied in showers and on bathroom floors for full ANSI A118.10 protection. 42 TileLetter | June 2018