Distinctive cladding at Building 14 a shining success thanks to TAL
 | Distinctive cladding at Building 14 a shining success thanks to TAL | 154.5 KB | Download |
 Preview | The exterior walls are clad with 400 mm by 400 mm white glazed porcelain tiles. | 6.56 MB | Download |
 Preview | The section of black tiles on the exterior posed a particular challenge in terms of the increased thermal expansion. | 6.24 MB | Download |
 Preview | TAL ancillary products were used for the exterior and internal tile installations. | 3.42 MB | Download |
 Preview | TAL ancillary products were used for the exterior and internal tile installations. | 2.51 MB | Download |
The 400 mm by 400 mm white glazed porcelain tiles specified were affixed using TAL GOLDSTAR 12. This is a quick-setting, high-strength grey cement-based adhesive designed for fixing porcelain, ceramic and dark-coloured granite, marble and natural stone tiles to walls and floors.
“The longer pot life and open time of this adhesive makes it ideal for external multi-level installations, where contractors usually have to work on scaffolding,” TAL Technical Consultant Schalk Pelzer explains. TAL GOLDSTAR 2, an ultra-fast setting adhesive, was used for tiling to the return soffits.
TAL GOLDSTAR 6 and 12 and ancillary products were also used for the internal tile installations. TAL BOND, a modified latex-based additive, was used as a water replacement in the cementitious adhesive and grout for the external tiling for enhanced bond strength, flexibility and water resistance of the installation system.
While the white tiles give the building a clean aesthetic look, M&T Development included feature panels of 600 mm by 600 mm black polished porcelain tiles. These sections of black tiles posed a particular challenge in terms of the increased thermal expansion and contraction associated with dark-coloured tiles.
“We therefore placed strong emphasis on the location of the intermediate tile panel movement joints and perimeter joints in these tile panels. When constructed correctly, movement joints create ‘separate’ panels that are able to move independently from one another,” Pelzer highlights.
These joints are constructed specifically to ensure no compressive stress build-up and subsequent unnecessary forces are projected onto the adhesive and tile. Without them, shear stress may build up, resulting in loose or hollow-sounding (delaminating) tiles, bulging of tiles, and/or cracking of tiles and grout.
“We drafted a comprehensive technical specification for the client. The project was quite a challenge due to factors such as the location of the mechanical supports and tile panel movement joints, ensuring that they were not only located at the required intervals but also accommodated the specific tile sizes and layouts.”
A resilient polyurethane joint sealant material was used for sealing the tile panel movement joints. It was also used in the joints between tiles and metal trims/profiles. Due to varying rates of thermal expansion and contraction of metal and porcelain tile, there is usually a degree of differential movement between these materials.
For enhanced resistance against the ingress of water into the tile installation, TAL Industrial Fine Epoxy Grout was specified for the joints between the tiles on the horizontal plane on the parapet walls.
The tiling contractor was JJ Pimentel Plastering & Tiling of Gauteng, a TAL Registered Tiling Contractor.
Visit www.tal.co.za to find out more about TAL products, specifications and value-added on-site service offering. Alternatively, contact the TAL Technical Advisory Service on 0860 000 TAL (825).
Ends
Connect with TAL on Social Media to receive the company’s latest news:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TALSouthAfrica
Twitter (@TALsouthafrica): twitter.com/talsouthafrica
Notes to the Editor
To download hi-res images for this release, please visit http://media.ngage.co.za and click the TAL link to view the company’s press office.
TAL is ISO 9001:2008 quality management system certified, and its products are designed, manufactured and tested to TAL standards, assuring customers that its products perform according to specification. Contact the TAL Technical Advisory Service on 0860 000 (TAL) 825 for details and information on specialist contractors who can apply TAL SuperFlow. For more information, visit www.tal.co.za.
TAL Contact Details
Gela Ohl
TAL Marketing Manager
Tel: (011) 206 9700
Web: www.tal.co.za
Media Contact
Jonathan Ducie
NGAGE Public Relations
Phone: (011) 867 7763
Fax: 086 512 3352
Cell: 084 709 0167
Email: jonathan [at] ngage [dot] co [dot] za
Web: www.ngage.co.za
Browse the NGAGE Media Zone for more client press releases and photographs at http://media.ngage.co.za