TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– so water in the adhesive is not taken into the tile back as occurs with twice-fired tiles. These large tiles are usually laid with narrow joints, usually between 1/16” to 1/8.” This means that moisture in the adhesive is very slow to move to the evapora- tion point at the joints. This results in slower drying times and slower curing times for the adhesive. Increased use of latex/polymer additives More latex and polymer addi- tives are being used because they are necessary for adequate bond strengths to be attained when dense tiles are used. On top of this, the range of adhesive additives has been changing to include water entrainers and retarders, which can slow the cure of the adhesive. Thicker adhesive layers While “thin tiles” (aka gauged thin porcelain tiles or slabs) are installed using smaller notched trowels, it is general for tiles great- er than about 24” x 12” to be laid using 1/2” notched trowels, with adhesive manufacturers usually calling for a minimum 1/8” depth of adhesive and 100% contact coverage. Most manufacturers of adhesives also call for large tiles to be “back-buttered” with adhe- sive, and this adds to the depth of adhesive coverage. Some contribution to thicker adhesive layers also comes from H.B. Fuller Construction Products intro- duces TEC® Ultimate 6 Plus Polymer Modified Mortar specifically designed for installing gauged porcelain tile panels/ slabs and large heavy tiles (LHT). TEC has developed Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar to meet the particular challenges of install- ing exceptionally large thin tile panels and LHT on floors or walls. The new mortar offers extreme versatility. TEC Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar has a unique set of features that allows grouting in six hours – even when installed over the most impervious substrates such as uncoupling membranes. Easy-to-use Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar has an extended pot life of two to three hours and open time of 50-60 minutes, allow- ing installers much-needed time to get full coverage and make adjustments. While this TEC mortar is formulated for gauged porce- lain tile panels/slabs and LHT, it also works well on traditional tile for both floor and wall applications. TEC Ultimate 6 Plus Mortar exceeds ANSI A118.4TE and A118.11. www.tecspe- cialty.com. 82 TileLetter | 2018