b'A&D CORNER A&D CORNER Manyofherremodelingclients is sponsored by including those in mid-projectput the brakes on when COVID-19 hit. But lately, half a dozen clients have signed on for projects. People have beenquarantiningandtheyare looking around, wanting to spruce The installation of large-format tilethings up, she said. presents a unique set of challengesRobinWilson,theinterior forinstallers.Demandsuponthedesigner, wellness expert and CEO setting mortar require a product thatofRobin WilsonHome,basedin wetsoutthebackoftheporcelainNew York City, sees an evolution of tile or stone as well as the substrate.consciousnessduetotheCOVID The mortar needs to produce supe- crisis.Thereisarealizationthat riorbondstrengthswhiledeliveringthe big commuteand running all the deformability to accommodate athoseerrandsonSaturdaysjust higher degree of expansion and con- is not necessary. The other evolu-traction resulting from larger tile sizes. tion she is seeing is a demand for MAPEIs Thixo Technology LHT mor-tarsexceedtheselarge-and-heavy- virtualdesign.Yougetthefloor tileinstallationrequirementswithplans, and walk through the space productsthatperformmultiplefunc- virtually,thendesignthehome, tions. Thixotropic formulations allowshesaid.Youarecreatingfrom MAPEIsUltraorPlus,Ultraexafar, and working with contractors LFTand Ultraex LHT to be used asbothstandardthin-setmortars and large-and-heavy-tile mortars with nonslump performance. Ultraex LFT and Ultraex LHT mortars also meet ISOnonsagperformancerequire-mentsforverticalapplications.All three LHT mortars hold ridges when larger-sized trowels are used, provid-ing maximum support and coverage. www.mapei.com.Robin Wilson, Robin Wilson Home, says the concept of virtual design is growing.78TileLetter | August 2020'