b'Mortars and GroutsCONTRACTOR PERSPECTIVEAshley Andrews amount of time, and that has excellent workability in vary-MacTown Tile Company ing temperatures. There are mortars specifically designed to Macon, Ga. handle any installation scenario. As a tile contractor, I am alwaysTodays mortars are so predictable in their performance looking for the best setting materi- that manufacturers are giving great warranties on them. als for the task at hand. For me,The only thing an installer has to do is to use the right mortaristhemostimportantofmortar for the job and to mix it according to the instruc-Ashley Andrews thosematerials.Insearchofthetions. Often times when I hear contractors complaining bestproductsItryasmanyasIabout products not working as advertised I ask them if can, and there are a lot to choose from.they followed the instructions and the answer I usually Like most tile contractors I have my workhorse mortarget is that they eyeballed it. Put the guesswork away, that I use for many applications but there are situations thatget out the measuring bucket and set the timer and the arise that a specific mortar is the best choice. When dealingproduct will perform as expected. with glass tile I prefer a mortar formulated for glass that IAs for the future of thin-set mortars, I hope to see more know will cure properly. If I have a large-and-heavy tile on asilica-free products readily available on the market. For vertical surface I prefer a mortar with thixotropic propertiestoo long we have been lax about the effects of silica in our to help hold the weight of the tile. If Im working outdoorsindustry and many contractors have paid for it with their in an unpredictable environment, I go for a mortar that ishealth. Its time we as an industry get with the program rapid setting and can withstand a driving rain after a shortand start working smarter.Photo courtesy of MacTown Tile Company.622019|TECH'