tiles are exhibiting cracks and/or chipping (see pictures on page 28). Any thoughts or ideas will be gladly welcomed. ANSWER It appears the failures in this installation may be caused by less than the standard requirement for bond coat coverage (80% in a dry area), and/or the tiles may not have been tested to or meet the ANSI A137.1 requirement for breaking strength, or something else that is not possible to determine from these photographs. As a trade association represent- ing tile contractors, NTCA is able to provide pre-installation techni- cal assistance based on recognized American tile industry standards, methods and best practices. We are not able to provide detailed analysis or consultations for post- installation failures. Given that this installation is already in place and is failing and the apparent high-profile setting of the installation I suggest that an on-site analysis and failure deter- mination be conducted by one of NTCA’s Recognized Consultants, all of which can be located at this link: https://www.tile-assn.com/page/ recconsultants. These consultants can perform a third party analysis and determine the cause(s) of failure. I hope this helps. – Mark Heinlein, NTCA Technical Director LATICRETE has added MULTIMAX™ LITE, a one-step, polymer-fortified mortar intended for interior and exterior installa- tions of ceramic tile, porcelain tile, stone, quarry tile, pavers and brick, to its portfolio of Large and Heavy Tile Mortars. Thanks to this prod- uct’s lightweight and easy-to-trowel composition, a 25 lb (11.3kg) bag provides the same coverage as a 50 lb (22.7 kg) bag of standard mortar. Formulated with KevlarⓇ rein- forcement, MULTIMAX LITE boasts maximum strength and durabil- ity. Additionally, MULTIMAX LITE features HYDROMATIC CURE TECHNOLOGY™ , which acceler- ates the hydration process to rapidly consume the water in the system, allowing the material to cure in a predictable manner for easier use. MULTIMAX LITE is backed by the LATICRETEⓇ Lifetime System Warranty for peace of mind for trouble-free installations. www.laticrete.com. ASK THE EXPERTS –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 30 TileLetter | December 2018