The finish materials selected by the designers on the project – KWK Architects and associate architect Lawrence Group – reinforce the concept menu and character for each venue, and tile was the first choice for the flooring and walls surfaces. “Tile provided a wide range of design possibilities, durability and ease of maintenance unmatched by other materials. Tile also con- tributed to the sustainable goals of the project, which is anticipated to achieve a LEED Silver certifi- cation,” said Sara Koester, AIA, Principal at KWK Architects. More than 42,000 sq. ft. of tile costing an estimated $200,000 were installed at The Restaurants at Southwest, said Project Manager Derek Kutz of tile con- tractor Richardet Floor Covering, Perryville, Mo. A team of up to 12 installers had just 10 weeks to complete the intricate tile project, which included 20,000 sq. ft. of floor tile; 22,000 sq. ft. of wall tile; 20 different styles of Schluter metal edging; 48 different tile styles; 620 50-lb. bags of mortar; 268 units of epoxy grout and 100 units of grout. The main tile manufacturers used on the project included: Crossville, American Olean, Marazzi USA and Daltile. Floor tile formats included 6” x 6”, 12” x 12”, 12” x 24”, 6” x 24”, 24” x 24” and 6” x 36”. “This was by far one of the most tedious tile jobs, with the most tile patterns and selections, that we The installation of large-format tile presents a unique set of challenges for installers. Demands upon the set- ting mortar require a product that wets out the back of the porcelain tile or stone as well as the substrate. The mortar needs to produce superior bond strengths while delivering the deform- ability to accommodate a higher degree of expansion and contraction resulting from larger tile sizes. MAPEI’s Thixo Technology LHT mor- tars exceed these large-and-heavy-tile installation requirements with prod- ucts that perform multiple functions. Thixotropic formulations allow MAPEI’s Ultraflor™ Plus, Ultraflex™ LFT ™ and Ultraflex LHT to be used as both stan- dard thin-set mortars and large-and- heavy-tile mortars with non-slump per- formance. Ultraflex LFT and Ultraflex LHT mortars also meet ISO non-sag performance requirements for vertical applications. All three LHT mortars hold ridges when larger-sized trowels are used, providing maximum support and coverage. www.mapei.com. LARGE-FORMAT TILE ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 88 TileLetter | July 2018