34 2018 | TECH CONTRACTOR PERSPECTIVE ––––– Lee Callewaert, Dragonfly Tile & Stone Works, Inc. Grafton, Wis. The various mem- branes now available have been a positive contribution to our industry. That being said, I caution my younger setters and apprentices to not lose sight of the big picture in any successful installation. Membranes are only as good as the substrate. In my experience, you have to consider the whole package, recog- nizing that the substrate, weight load, traffic and use, and tile or stone mate- rial will dictate the required prep, including proper membrane selection. Back in the day, we were dealing with drop floors with double joists to support the weight of mud and tile. Rarely is this the case today. Modern construction in the residential market seldom takes all the finishing veneers into account. This is one reason we find anti-fracture membranes to be standard for floors. But it’s not all about the membrane. A quality installation requires you consider “everything.” The mem- branes are not the cure-all. I’m hoping the younger generation of tile-setters are not counting on the membranes as the key to a successful installation. The appropriate product and applica- tion, based on extensive understand- ing of your particular situation, is the key to a high-quality installation. And that’s on you, not any product manu- facturer. We’ve come a long way in the indus- try and, of course, new advances are in the works. Hopefully, thicker liq- uid membranes will be developed to reduce the number of coats (and be easy to spread). If there were wider rolls of sheet membranes for larger spaces, that could be helpful. I would love to see an uncoupling membrane adhered to 4’ x 8’ sheets of a rigid back- er to eliminate that two-step process.” Here in the upper Midwest metro- politan area, we face the same chal- lenges with regard to the availability of qualified labor. The rise in the num- ber of “independents” who may avoid workers compensation insurance (and perhaps misclassify helpers) contrib- utes to confusing pricing for consum- ers. Some of the independents are not qualified, have very limited overhead (and cannot offer the resulting service), and are not offering a quality product or service. This has degraded the repu- tation of the professional trade. Business is booming. We are booked out six months. We could respond to more requests for our service if we had more skilled employees. Our set- ter labor billing rate is $70 per hr. As tile sizes have shrunk to 1” x 1” mosaics and expanded to 5’ x 10’ gauged porcelain panels over the years, so has underlay- ment technology had to keep up with these changes, said Amanda Henke, Marketing Manager for Blanke Corp. “No matter the material or size, all tile installations need to be protected and reinforced against deflection and other damage,” she said. “Modern underlayment technology has had to find new solutions beyond outdated thick-bed instal- lation methods, cement board, and plastic rolled uncoupling products to provide versatile and multifunctional underlay- ments that support every type of tile installation.” As Arthur Mintie, Senior Technical Services Director for LATICRETE, said, “With new technological advancements, it will be harder to find membrane products that serve a single purpose. New products will focus on including a variety of benefits to suit the overall project; for example, sound reduction products that also offer crack isolation and waterproofing properties.” He pointed out that “although the addition of a mem- brane could save valuable time and money down the line – and may mean the difference between a 5-year installa- tion and a lifetime installation – these products are often not seen as a top priority. This is why membranes that address several areas of concern will continue to increase in popularity and desirability on the job site.” Progress Profiles’ membrane offerings also reflect this multi-use trend, said Dennis Bordin, company president. “Made with high quality and resistance materials, they provide several and different functionalities.” They address needs for waterproofing, uncoupling and neutralizing vapor pressure, supporting load distribution, etc. – all with a single membrane. In addition, he said, they are “designed to allow higher adhesion to the support and anchoring of the floor, and to optimize their performance.” – Louis Iannoco Multi-function underlayment technology supports range of tile sizes Membranes This section begins our analysis of product and technology trends according to category, with accompanying con- tractor comments and product entries.