ASK THE EXPERTS QUESTION I wanted to ask you about what you used to clean the 100% sili- cone caulking when you did the caulking demonstration at a recent workshop? Thanks! ANSWER I used water with a few drops of dishwashing liquid in a spray bottle. Install sealant, spray the bead of sealant, then strike off excess and wipe on paper towels. If you want to strike again to dress it up just spray the area again. This will keep it from sticking. Denatured alcohol, window cleaner, and a variety of other things are often used in the same way. Whatever you use make sure it is approved by the manu- facturer of the sealant. Using non approved chemicals or methods can lead to issues like incomplete curing of the sealant joint. – Robb Roderick, NTCA Technical Trainer QUESTION We were awarded a large office building project in California. The lobby floor tile is 5,000 sq. ft. of 24” x 48” porcelain over a mortarbed. The architect is call- ing for a 1/16” grout joint. During your seminar last summer, you educated me about how this is not a good thing, since there is expan- sion within the tile itself. Do you have some literature or could you tell me where I can get some stat- ing this, so I can submit it to the architect and get them to change it to a 1/8” joint? ANSWER Minimum grout joint size is addressed in both the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass and Sponsored by Ask the Experts Q&As are culled from member inqui- ries to NTCA’s Technical Support staff. To become a member and make use of personal, targeted answers from Technical Support staff to your installation ques- tions, contact Jim Olson at jim@tile-assn.com. e-Learning Program Industry and product information in short, easy segments Train from the comfort of your home or office anytime Fast and easy to access, listen, and complete A-8650-0119 ©2019 LATICRETE International, Inc. All trademarks shown are the intellectual properties of their respective owners. Register today at laticrete.com/university Globally Proven Construction Solutions 24 TileLetter | February 2019