An essential combination of movement joints and uncoupling membranes were selected by leading tile distributor Armatile, to protect the tiles in their exclusive new showroom in Northern Ireland’s most lucrative commercial area.
The whole floor area of the 11,000 square foot showroom on Boucher Crescent, Belfast, was laid with 1 metre x 50 cm porcelain tiles from Spanish manufacturer Pamesa Ceramica’s Galia range. And as an underfloor heating system was installed, it was essential that the tiles were protected to counter the effects of thermal expansion and contraction.
Temperature changes within the screed mass of underfloor heating installations lead to the screed moving at a different rate from a tile or stone surface. In many installations, just flexible tile adhesive is used, which doesn’t always provide a total solution against the range of movement caused by underfloor heating.
Therefore, special precautions must be taken -- unless the tiles are protected, the rigid surface simply cannot cope with the degree of movement, and can crack or debond.
Armatile and Magma Underfloor Heating, worked with architects Cannon Design, and world market-leader in tiling solutions Schlüter-Systems, to draw up the technical specification for the tiled floor to guarantee the long-term integrity of the installation.
The first part of the protection equation was Schlüter®-DITRA, which uncouples the tiles from the substrate, neutralising differential movement, preventing stresses being transferred to the rigid surface covering. It is an orange polyethylene membrane with a grid structure of square cavities, each cut back in a dovetail configuration, and an anchoring fleece laminated to its underside. In addition, the system supports applied loads by transferring them directly to the load-bearing substrate.
The Schlüter®-DILEX-AKSN movement joint was also specified, to safeguard the tiles against surface movement. Its trapezoid perforated aluminium anchoring legs are connected to an 11 mm rubber movement zone accommodating up to 2.5 mm of movement.
Armatile Marketing Manager Peter Craven says: “It was absolutely essential to ensure that our showroom floor continues to look for many years as good as the day it was fitted. And as we recommend to our customers that they ‘Schlüter their installations,’ it was definitely practicing what we preach.”
Tiling contractors T & T Tiling, of Belfast, fixed the tiles with Mapei Keraquick high performance, rapid cementitious adhesive. The installation was completed with Ultracolour fast-setting and fast-drying high performance, water-repellent grout.
A feature wall in the reception area was tiled from Italian manufacturer FAP Ceramiche’s Vision range. The unique design was created by Cannon Design, and manufactured in Armatile’s own factory by their in-house waterjet cutting service. The edge of the wall tiles were protected by the stainless steel Schlüter®-SCHIENE.
The showroom is part of an overall £5m investment, which included another new showroom and offices in Armagh. The main building contractor was O’Neill & Brady, who have worked with Armatile on several commercial projects, including St Peter’s Cathedral, in Belfast.
For more information contact:
Carl Stokes
Telephone: 01530 813396
Fax: 01530 813376
e-mail:
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