TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– mm) o.c. joists with an “uncou- pling system.” There was no refer- ence to the manufacturer under limitations. The term “uncoupling” was substituted for “proprietary membrane,” and a definition was added to the prologue: “Uncoupling Systems: A system that separates the finished surface from the substrate to allow the independent movement between the two and prevent the transfer of stresses to the tiled surfaces.” For those of you who attend- ed that meeting in Clemson, S.C., you will remember that this was the year that the TCNA Handbook Committee voted to approve removal of anything in the Handbook that had propri- etary names, which included the section for “Floors Sound Rated.” Then around 2006-2007, a direc- tive was issued to describe a “DITRA”-like product. This defini- tion resulted: “Uncoupling membrane: A plas- tic membrane system geometrical- ly configured to provide air space between the tile and the substrate to allow independent movement between the two and limit the transfer of the stresses.” The last detail added to the TCNA Handbook for uncoupling was in 2007 for “Young Concrete” Detail F128. The concern with young/green concrete is that the concrete slab has large amounts of residual moisture that still need to be released from the concrete. ARDEX Americas now offers a sin- gle-source, in-floor heating system, called ARDEX FLEXBONE HEAT. It is German-engineered and delivers heat faster and more efficiently than any other electric in-floor heating systems available, ARDEX claims. It is ideal for all types of tile, stone and other manu- facturer-approved floor coverings. The FLEXBONE HEAT system includes three major components. The membrane is a 3-in-1 solution for heating, uncou- pling and waterproofing. It has 81% less air space under the membrane for faster, and more efficient heating. The heating cables are manufactured to the highest safety and quality stan- dards with aluminum tubing and FEP cable insulation. The cold/hot junc- tion is self-contained in the cable and there are 34 cable sizes available in both 120V or 240V. Finally, there are three options available in the ARDEX FLEXBONE® HEAT thermostats, includ- ing a Wi-Fi enabled option. When installing the system, you can also qualify for a complete system warranty. www.ardexamericas.com TECH TALK is sponsored by 92 TileLetter | July 2019