Tile Today Issue 112 | March 2022

112

FULLY ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL

INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ADHESIVES DIRECTORY CRYPTOCURRENCIES IN THE TILE INDUSTRY CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS

TRENDS

|

F E AT U R E D P R O D U C T S

|

TRADE FAIRS

|

INDUSTRY NEWS

112 CONTENTS

CRYPTOCURRENCIES 6

International MTC introduces cryptocurrencies to the tile industry.

ADHESIVES GUIDE 8

The Adhesives Guide has been revamped and upgraded to feature an interactive directory. Using Tile Today’s digital capacities, we have made it more user friendly for professional end-users in the tile industry by categorising the adhesives based on applications, then providing live links to manufacturer’s products pages and external data sheets or company home pages. This section has its own table of contents with links that take you directly to tile applications and brand pages.

AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL 29 Gary Jones has a long history with the council and is

known for reviving the use of ceramic tiles externally on buildings.

PROFILE 30 Colin Morrow from ATC Australia remains passionate

about local manufacturing and backs it up with his own money.

COMMERCIAL TILING 37 Crack Isolation P/L has helped to popularise the seamless

look in hard surface tiled floors.

STATISTICS 40 Ceramic tile import volumes showed stability during

2021, writes Peter Halliday.

INSTALLATION 47 Tile shade variation is an issue faced by most tilers. This

article is an edited extract from the Tiles and Tiling Guide produced and updated by the Australian Tile Council.

Find Tile Today on social media @tiletodaymagazine @tiletodaymagazine tile-today-magazine

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

FO REWO R D

TILE TODAY At Tile Today, the year starts off with the annual Digital Adhesives Guide which has been upgraded to include an interactive directory with live links. In its second year, it includes listings from SIKA, RLA Polymers, ACT Australia, Laticrete and ARDEX. You can start using it starting on page 10.

This issue, we speak to a number of industry stalwarts including Gary Jones from Canberra. He remains active in the industry through his family’s ownership of two Beaumont Tile franchises.

Colin Morrow from adhesives company, ACT Australia personifies the “little engine that could”. He continues to invest in local manufacturing and not even the recent floods can stop him.

As part of Colin’s story, we chat to some of the store owners and managers who stock his products. Gold Coast Tile Market and Tile Factory Outlet Maroochydore are featured.

We also speak to Noel Murphy from Crack Isolation P/L. The work he does using NAC Products can be seen in a long list of commercial projects all over the country.

Another person very familiar to Tile Today and sister publication Discovering Stone is former publisher Tony Stock. He told us that he has published his first novel called “The Evil Gift”. (Front cover image is shown here.)

It will initially be accessible as an e-book on Amazon.com.

Tony describes it as a “fast paced story in the mystery and suspense genre”. It will be available for purchase from March 31.

Proudly produced and printed in Australia ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD ABN: 27 006 876 419 PO BOX 800, Templestowe, Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au www.elitepublishing.com.au PUBLISHER Vicky Cammiade vicky.cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au EDITOR Betty Tanddo betty.tanddo@elitepublishing.com.au INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT Joe Simpson joe.simpson@elitepublishing.com.au TECHNICAL SPECIALIST Tim Christopher info@consultile.com.au GENERAL MANAGER Georgia Gilmour Georgia.Gilmour@elitepublishing.com.au

To be remain informed about the tile industry, just click here to subscribe or go to the ad at the bottom of this page: https://bit.ly/3dJ5EBc

CIRCULATION For circulation enquiries please email: info@elitepublishing.com.au GRAPHIC DESIGN Plum Publishing Pty Ltd dave@plumpublishing.com.au

Until next time,

112

FULLY ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL

Betty Tanddo Editor

PRODUCTION For artwork and production enquiries please email: dave@plumpublishing.com.au ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD PUBLISHERS OF: Flooring Magazine, Discovering Stone Magazine, Finishes & Surfaces Magazine, TileToday Magazine, Supplier Magazine and FB Magazine.

FRONT COVER IMAGE The Sardinia collection by Cerasarda encompasses freshness, harmony of shapes and colours inspired by the island traditions of Sardinia, Italy. They are expressed in the ceramic tile sizes, elegant decorations and mosaics in the range designed for contemporary spaces.‎

INTERACTIVE DIGITAL ADHESIVES DIRECTORY

Leading the Industry

CRYPTOCURRENCIES IN THE TILE INDUSTRY

Endorsed by Australian Tile Council www.australiantilecouncil.com.au

CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS

TRENDS

|

F E AT U R E D P R O D U C T S

|

TRADE FAIRS

|

INDUSTRY NEWS

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd. Viewpoints, opinions, claims, etc expressed in articles appearing in this publication are those of the authors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the information supplied or for claims made by companies or their representatives regarding product performance, etc or for any errors, omissions, misplacement, alterations, or any subsequent changes, or for any consequences of reliance on this information or this publication.

Please note: Shade variation is an inherent feature of tile production. The Publisher is not liable for any discrepancy between images published in Tile Today and actual products.

LOOKING AHEAD TO CRYPTOCURRENCY WITH INTERNATIONAL MTC F

or over 25 years, International MTC has established itself as a leading agency representing ceramic tile products. It has developed a reputation for moving ahead of market changes.

In 2000, the company understood the tile industry in Australia was undergoing a major evolution and so began working with Chinese companies to bring in products for the Australian and New Zealand markets.

In the same year, it started to market Chinese products in Italy. By taking a stand at Cersaie, the world’s largest ceramic tile event, it signalled the start of a period of strong growth for International MTC. During this time, the company began exporting to Canada and opened a logistics office and show room in China.

“

The benefits [of cryptocurrencies] to businesses are twofold: the costs are decreased and the speed of transactions can become near instantaneous.

”

Australian base Managing director Stefano Mammi is based in Sydney, and business partner Roberto Alzari is based in Melbourne. They are available for constant contact with Australian clients. Stefano entered the business in 2014 after almost two decades in the tile industry, and opened the first local office. He has been managing director since 2019.

His first major challenge has been to guide the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and its significant supply chain challenges.

As Stefano explains: “We sell into our markets using around 1,500 containers. The last two years have been a big challenge for us, as they have been for everyone. International MTC was able to navigate in this rough sea, to use a metaphor, thanks to our very experienced staff and an organisation with [clearly defined] tasks and responsibilities.

“I’d like to say that I haven’t seen all my employees for more than two years. Despite this, everything has worked very well. We also 6 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

Stefano Mammi, managing director, International MTC

applied big changes to the company during this time and I have been able to lead from distance. This is largely because very good internal [processes] in the organisation.”

Stefano also said International MTC manages to keep ahead of market trends because of its “very strong work ethic, constantly looking forward, no matter the difficulties or obstacles we have to encounter. We also have the advantage of being Italians — that gives us the natural skills necessary to pick the right [tile] designs and colours!”

Its decision to remain headquartered in Sassuolo, Italy means there is consistency in its long term staff, who have accumulated a depth of knowledge and experience they can make available to their customers.

Stefano believes maintaining staff and continuous improvement have been key factors in the company’s point of difference. He said: “Our staff have been working in MTC for an average of 15-20 years, gaining important experience on how to deal with clients, but more importantly with our suppliers in China.

“We work on our weaknesses and on our strengths constantly, the tasks and responsibilities shared by the team allow us to deal with clients. This makes their buying experience as smooth as possible, especially given the big difficulties we all have to face now.

“We deal with ‘people’ then with clients. We build a relationship with the people first...As part of this, our staff from Italy will travel to Australia just to meet the people we deal with as clients.

Stefano’s experience in the field has allowed him to build strong relationships with the many Italian and Chinese factories that allow MTC to offer a wide range of products. The company also represents Indian tile products in Australia — a high growth sector. He said: “Around two years ago, thanks to my personal connections, we started bringing in products from one of the biggest manufacturers in India...We can now say that International MTC is bringing in 80% of the total tile imports from India to Australia.”

Rather than emphasising costs, the company focuses on high levels of customer service, research into products that suit each market, an international network of manufacturers, and technology that can drive the business ahead of its competitors.

This has led them to be the first company in the tile industry that accepts Cryptocurrencies as payments from clients.

USD Coin (USDC) is a type of cryptocurrency that is referred to as a stablecoin. You can always redeem 1 USD Coin for USD1.00, giving it a stable price. USDC is an Ethereum token.

Cryptocurrencies The world of “cryptocurrencies” can be split in two. Most people are somewhat familiar with the flashy world of high-risk speculative investment, where the value of Bitcoin — for example — surges up and down.

Less noticeable, but much more important in the longer term, is a non-speculative use of Cryptocurrencies, where crypto is used to speed transactions and reduce transaction costs.

Put simply, much of the world’s banking systems remains based on 20th Century principles. It’s a system built to manage money that is represented by physical objects, such as banknotes, and tracked by rows of pencilled numbers in accounting journals.

Cryptocurrencies are modern 21st Century money, based on money as it is used today, stored and transacted in computerised systems.

The benefits to businesses are twofold: the costs are decreased and the speed of transactions can become near instantaneous.

However, there is a learning curve in developing the skill to use cryptocurrency for maximum benefit.

This is where International MTC can really help tile companies in Australia. International MTC, based in Italy, is the first global tile company to accept payment in cryptocurrency. First of all, International MTC transacts in what are known as “stablecoins”. As Stefano explains: “I’d like to highlight that we’ll accept payments in a stablecoin, the USDC. Stablecoin is a digital asset backed by another asset, in this case the US dollar, eliminating the volatility typical of the cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin or others that we may use in the future.

One USDC is exchanged for one US dollar.”

Transaction speed For International MTC, the transaction speed of cryptocurrency works both for them and their clients, as Mr Stefano explains: “We are living in a world where being fast is essential. With the payments in Blockchain, we can receive the transfer from our clients in a very few seconds.

“To translate this in a real example, in the last year or two, due to the big confusion in shipping, we receive the shipping order (SO) from shipping agents at the very last minute. Most of the time we do not have enough time to receive the balance payment from our clients before we load the containers. This is because banks need time to process the payment.

“This leads to a delay in the loading, and extra charges most of the time. If we receive the payments in a very few seconds, everything would be much smoother and easier.

“Another benefit for International MTC and its clients in moving from banks to stablecoin is that the platform where we can store our funds in stablecoin offers an interest

rate of 10 to 12 per cent, which is much more that what we can get from banks. It is also correct adding that this interest is offered by a third party company and it is subject to change over time.”

Ongoing support MTC also offers comprehensive support for customers switching to stablecoin transactions.

“We are aware that most of our clients don’t know anything about this new financial world. We can give many more details to our clients through a meeting with our Crypto consultant Nicola Lanteri, who is based in Sydney.

“We offer a 360 degree service, thanks to Nicola. He will provide the basic information in a first meeting, then he will help our clients set up their accounts, as well as training personnel in the client’s administration department, following through with their first payments.

“The relationship between the supplier and clients must change.

We want to move forward with our clients involving them in our projects building a strong partnership.” n www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 7

ss

TILE TODAY

ADHESIVES DIRECTORY 2022

ADHESIVES DIRECTORY 2022 One of the benefits of digital publications is that they can improve on some practical information offerings, such as directories. The role of a publication such as Tile Today is to integrate the information from a range of suppliers, and then to present that information that makes it easy to access the information needed for a particular job.

In this directory, we’ve grouped the adhesives offered by a range of suppliers into the kinds of functional groups that will be most useful to a tiler. That information can be accessed on three levels.

The first level is as part of a simple directory listing.

DIRECTORY

This groups together the different ranges of adhesives suitable for a task. By clicking on the link in these listings, you can then access a more comprehensive description of the selected product. From that product page, you can then click on a link which will take you to the online technical sheet published by the supplier.

Some suppliers have, however, opted for a simpler listing. For these suppliers, the link on the listing will open the general adhesives product webpage on their corporate website.

These links are illustrated in the diagram below:

LISTING

WEBSITE

CONTENTS Use for: Floors............................................................... 11 Use for: Other............................................................... 11 Use for: Walls................................................................ 12 Exposure: Interior......................................................... 12 Exposure: Exterior........................................................ 13 Floors: Existing Tiles.................................................... 13 Floors - Concrete.......................................................... 14 Floors - Compressed Fibre Cement Sheet................ 14 Walls - Cement Render (Masonry)............................. 15 Walls - Plasterboard..................................................... 15 Other - Swimming pools/total immersion................ 16 Other - Shower Floors................................................. 16 Other - Vitrified products (Porcelain)........................ 17 Other - Granite/Marble............................................... 17 Other - Slim tile or panel 3mm to 5+mm thick........ 18 Floors - Receive foot traffic on day of tiling............. 18 BRAND: SIKA................................................................ 20 BRAND: RLA.................................................................. 22 BRAND: RLA.................................................................. 24 BRAND: ACT................................................................. 25

ADHESIVES DIRECTORY Use for: Floors LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Click to view

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ACT Australia

Sika

ADH-33

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

Tilebond Extra

RL7110-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

RL7152-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Mastik

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

RLA Polymers

254 Adhesive

254

Click to view

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

RLA Tileflex

RL7145-20

Click to view

RLA Polymers

Use for: Other LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | Tile Today #112 | 11

DIRECTORY Use for: Walls LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Polymastic

RL7194-15

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

RL7110-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Tilebond Extra

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Click to view

Click to view Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers RLA Polymers RLA Polymers

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

Click to view

RLA Flexibond NS

RL7140-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RL7145-20

RLA Tileflex

Click to view

RLA Polymers

Exposure: Interior LINK Click to view

PRODUCT

CODE

ADH-55

ACT Australia

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

Tilebond Extra

RL7110-20

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view Click to view Click to view

LINK

ACT Australia

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

Click to view

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66-Light

12 | Tile Today #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Flexibond NS

RL7140-20

RLA Polymers

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Tileflex

RL7145-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Polymastic

RL7194-15

RLA Polymers

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

DIRECTORY Exposure: Interior (continued) LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Click to view Click to view

Click to view

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Ardex

Ardex Quickbond 254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Sika

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Exposure: Exterior LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

ACT Australia

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

Click to view

619262

Sika

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Davco Powder Mastic

Click to view

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

Tilebond Extra

RL7110-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

RLA Polymers

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Click to view

Laticrete

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

RLA Tileflex

RL7145-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Floors: Existing Tiles LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Click to view

Sika

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

ADH-33

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

ACT Australia RLA Polymers

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | Tile Today #112 | 13

DIRECTORY Floors - Concrete LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Click to view

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ACT Australia

Sika

ADH-33

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Tilebond Extra

RL7110-20

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

RLA Mastik

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RL7152-20

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

RLA Polymers

254 Adhesive

254

Click to view

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Click to view

Click to view

RL7145-20

RLA Tileflex

RLA Polymers

RLA Polymers

Floors - Compressed Fibre Cement Sheet LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Tileflex

RL7145-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

RL7152-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Mastik

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

RLA Polymers

254 Adhesive

254

Click to view

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Click to view

14 | Tile Today #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

ACT Australia

DIRECTORY Walls - Cement Render (Masonry) LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Polymastic

RL7194-15

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

RL7110-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Tilebond Extra

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Click to view

Click to view Click to view

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers RLA Polymers

RL7153-15

RLA Unigrip

RLA Polymers

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

Click to view

RLA Flexibond NS

RL7140-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Polymers

RL7145-20

RLA Tileflex

Click to view

Walls - Plasterboard LINK Click to view

PRODUCT

CODE

ADH-55

ACT Australia

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view Click to view Click to view

LINK

ACT Australia

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

Click to view

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66-Light

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

RLA Flexibond NS

RL7140-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Tileflex

RL7145-20

RLA Polymers

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Polymastic

RL7194-15

RLA Polymers

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

RLA Polymers

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | Tile Today #112 | 15

DIRECTORY Walls - Plasterboard (continued) LINK Click to view Click to view

PRODUCT

CODE

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

Ardex Quickbond

529241

Sika

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

628648

Sika

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

CTA Prohesive Megalite

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

Click to view

Ardex

Other - Swimming pools/total immersion LINK Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

COMPANY

Sika

CTA Prohesive Lite

Click to view

COMPANY

Click to view

529240

PRODUCT

CODE

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

COMPANY

ACT Australia ACT Australia RLA Polymers

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

Click to view

Other - Shower Floors LINK Click to view

PRODUCT

CODE

ADH-55

ACT Australia

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Sika

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

ACT Australia ACT Australia RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view Click to view

RLA Moreflex RLA Tileflex

RL7165-20

RL7145-20

16 | Tile Today #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

COMPANY

RLA Polymers

RL7110-20

RL7121-14

CODE

RLA Addflextra

Tilebond Extra

RLA Lite

PRODUCT

RL7550-20

Click to view

Click to view

LINK

ACT Australia

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

Click to view

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66-Light

RLA Polymers RLA Polymers RLA Polymers

Ardex

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Click to view Click to view

DIRECTORY Other - Vitrified products (Porcelain) LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Polymastic

RL7194-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

Click to view

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ACT Australia

Sika

ADH-33

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

RLA Mastik

RL7152-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

RL7153-15

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

Ardex X 68

Ardex

Click to view

Ardex X 18

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Lite

RL7121-14

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Ardex Quickbond

Ardex

Click to view

RLA Moreflex

RL7165-20

RLA Polymers

254 Adhesive

254

Click to view

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

RLA Tileflex

RL7145-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

Click to view

RLA Polymers

Other - Granite/Marble LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

ADH-66-Light

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Addflextra

RL7550-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Oneflex

RL7172-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

RLA Polymastic

RL7194-15

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

RLA Polymers

Click to view

Davco SMP Evo

619372

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

Davco Powder Mastic

619262

Sika

Click to view

RL7152-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Lite

529240

RLA Mastik

Sika

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

Click to view

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

Click to view Click to view

RLA Moreflex RLA Tileflex

RL7165-20

RL7145-20

ACT Australia

RLA Polymers RLA Polymers RLA Polymers

Click to view

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | Tile Today #112 | 17

DIRECTORY Other - Slim tile or panel 3mm to 5+mm thick LINK Click to view

Click to view

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

ACT Australia ACT Australia

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2 ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1

ADH-33

ACT Australia

RLA Unigrip

RL7153-15

Click to view

LINK Click to view

ADH-66-Light

RLA Polymers

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

RLA Flexibond NS

RL7140-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

CTA Prohesive Megalite

529241

Sika

Click to view

Ardex X 68

Ardex

254 Adhesive

254

Laticrete

335 Rapid

335R

Laticrete

Click to view

ULTRA X8

UX8

Laticrete

Click to view

315 Super Floor & Wall

315S

Laticrete

Click to view Click to view

Floors - Receive foot traffic on day of tiling LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

LINK

PRODUCT

CODE

COMPANY

Click to view

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2

ADH-55

ACT Australia

Click to view

RLA Stoneset

RL7131-20

RLA Polymers

Click to view

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

ADH-44

ACT Australia

Click to view

Davco Ultraflex Pro

628648

Sika

Click to view

Click to view

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1

ADH-31

ACT Australia

Ardex Quickbond

Click to view

335 Rapid

Click to view

RLA Fastset

RL7132-20

RLA Polymers

18 | Tile Today #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

Ardex 335R

Laticrete

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY. Tile Today is the leading publication for Australia’s tile industry.

For tile installers, we provide a mix of indepth technical articles, product guides, the latest trends in design and business, as well as inspiring coverage of Australian and international tile shows and events.

For retailers, we cover all the latest industry news, interview the movers and shakers, and keep you up-to-date on industry statistics and forecasts.

For interior designers, architects and building specifiers, we offer an index to best practice and emerging concerns in the building and construction industries as they relate to tiles.

But what we offer to every reader, is a publication that shares your interest and inspiration.

• In-depth technical articles • Business opportunities • New tile developments • Guides to adhesives • Coverage of anti-slip issues • Waterproofing best practices • Trends in interior design Tile Today is now digital, which means you can read it on your smartphone, tablet and PC. Take it everywhere with you.

Subscribe to Tile Today for FREE.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE

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BRAND: SIKA

Davco SMP Evo

Davco SMP Evo is a flexible, cement-based tile adhesive specifically designed for premium stone, light coloured natural stone, marble and granite with the exception of moisture sensitive stone using our Dust Less Technology for improved air quality, less mess and faster clean-up.

Davco Powder Mastic

Davco Powder Mastic is a flexible, cement-based tile adhesive ideal for large format and rectified edge tiles with the exception of moisture sensitive stone due to its non-vertical slump for easy wall tiling and formulated using our Dust Less Technology.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Davco Ultraflex Pro Davco Ultraflex Pro is a cement-based, thick or thin bed, rubber modified tile adhesive designed for both rigid and flexible substrates and for use over under-tile heating.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

CTA Prohesive Megalite

Interior

CTA Prohesive Megalite is a highly flexible, light weight, polymer fortified, cement based tile adhesive design for a variety of heavy duty tile and natural stone applications with the exception of moisture sensitive stone using our Lite Weight Glass Technology.

Wall

CTA Prohesive Lite

CTA Prohesive Lite is a flexible, light weight, polymer fortified, cement-based tile adhesive designed for a variety of tile and natural stone applications with the exception of moisture sensitive stone using our Lite Weight Glass Technology.

Exterior Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

LITE WEIGHT ADHESIVES

Formulated with LITE WEIGHT GLASS TECHNOLOGY

40%

Lighter with GREATER COVERAGE THAN A 20KG BAG of traditional cement based adhesive Non-slip/slump HIGH BOND STRENGTH premium quality

sika.com.au 1300 22 33 48

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BRAND: RLA

Tilebond Extra

Tilebond Extra is a super grade, white cement based adhesive suitable for bonding most types of ceramic, stone and mosaic tiles for internal and external applications (with the exception of green marble and moisture sensitive stones) and over RLA approved waterproofing membranes when mixed with RLA Uniflex Additive.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

RLA Mastik

RLA Mastik is a high quality, yet economical, flexible polymer modified adhesive with great mastik properties for bonding most types of ceramic and porcelain tiles (with the exception of moisture sensitive stone and marble) over concrete, cement render, rendered brick and blockwork, gyprock, plasterboard, fibre cement sheeting and RLA approved waterproofing membranes.

RLA Unigrip

Unigrip is a premium grade, polymer modified white cementitious adhesive suitable for installing most types of tiles (not moisture sensitive) for internal and external applications, walls & floors.It carries a high C2S2ET rating which allows for low lipping, slumping and slippage installations.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

RLA Lite

RLA Lite is a premium grade, polymer modified, lightweight, white cementitious adhesive suitable for installing most types of tiles (not moisture sensitive) for internal and external applications, walls & floors.It carries a high C2S1ET rating which allows for low lipping, slumping and slippage installations. It contains specialty lightweight silica free fillers that enhance both performance and safety.

RLA Flexibond NS

Flexibond NS is a smooth white, thin setting polymer modified adhesive suitable for installing most types of tiles (not moisture sensitive) internally on walls only. Suitable substrates are: cement render, gyprock, plasterboard, fibre cement sheet, rendered brick and blockwork, and over RLA approved waterproofing membranes. Flexibond NS has mastic abilities for small format tiles.

RLA Moreflex

Moreflex is an economical, rubber filled, flexible polymer modified adhesive with great non slump properties for bonding most types of ceramics and porcelain tiles (with the exception of moisture sensitive stone and marbles) over concrete, cement render, rendered brick and blockwork, gyprock, plasterboard, fibre cement sheeting & RLA approved waterproofing membranes.

22 | Tile Today #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

Interior

Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

100% ISO Compliant with a

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Check out our new website for our full range of tiling products at www.rlapolymers.com.au or download the

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rlapolymers.com.au

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BRAND: RLA

RLA Tileflex

Interior RLA Tileflex is a premium grade, rubber filled, flexible polymer modified adhesive with great non slump properties for bonding most types of ceramic and porcelain tiles (with the Exterior exception of moisture sensitive stone and marble) over concrete, cement render, rendered brick and blockwork, gyprock, plasterboard, fibre cement sheeting & RLA approved waterWall proofing membranes.

Floor

RLA Addflextra

Addflextra is a Premium grade High yield, rubber modified flexible white cement based tile adhesive designed for bonding most types of ceramic, mosaic, (Stone note moisture sensitive) to a variety of substrates such as rendered blockwork, gyprock, plaster board and cement sheet, Addflextra can also be used to bond to RLA Approved membranes.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

RLA Oneflex

RLA Oneflex is a premium grade, rubber filled, polymer modified adhesive suitable for installing most types of tiles (not moisture sensitive) for internal floor and wall applications. Suitable substrates are: cement render, gyprock, plasterboard, fibre cement sheet, brickwork, blockwork and over RLA approved waterproofing membranes. It can also be used for tile on tile after Universal Primer has been applied, and over some strip timber flooring (please seek RLA technical advise prior to any installations).

RLA Fastset

RLA FastSet tile adhesive is a grey, fast setting, high bond strength, polymer modified cementitious adhesive designed for rapid installation of tile and stone. It is suitable for stone of low moisture sensitivity and installations can be grouted and put into service in one day. No additive required as it is already a S1

Interior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

RLA Stoneset

RLA StoneSet tile adhesive is a very high quality. rapid setting white polymer modified cementitious adhesive designed for low to Medium moisture sensitive stone and tiles.

StoneSet has an unique chemically controlled setting and hydration process that protects against excessive moisture transmission to sensitive materials. No additive required as it is already a S1.

RLA Polymastik

Poly Mastic is a “ready to use” premixed adhesive for internal walls only. High grade, non slip, acrylic based, white, flexible ceramic tile adhesive suitable for most ceramic tiles, Not for moisture sensitive stone or tile. Specially designed for larger wall tiles and suitable for use over plasterboard, gyprock, fibre cement sheet, and rendered brick and blockwork.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Wall Floor

24 | Tile Today #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

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BRAND: ACT

ADH-66 Light Premium Lightweight C2ETS2 ADH-66 Light is a premium lightweight, flexible, very high strength white tile adhesive for all internal and external wall and floor applications including swimming pools. ADH-66 Light has a super light feel on the trowel & is suitable for supporting subway tiles through to large format. ADH-66 Light has great non slump properties and will support heave large format tiles/stone.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2 ADH-55 is a premium, commercial grade, high strength, flexible, quality, polymer modified cement-based Tile Adhesive. Used for internal and external applications over concrete, green screed, cement render, fibre cement sheeting & plasterboard. ADH-55 is suitable for tiling commercial heavy traffic applications, driveways, external cladding. It can also be used in swimming pools as an adhesive & light grey grout system.

ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1 ADH-44 is a premium, flexible, high strength non-slip/non slump, powder mastic style tile adhesive. Used for internal and external wall & floor tiling applications. Suitable for tiling over concrete, sand cement screeds, cement render, fibrous cement sheeting, plasterboards as well as tiling over existing tiles. ADH-44 is ideal for large format tiles including rectified edge tiles.

ADH-41 Premium Smooth White Powder Mastic Style C2ETS2

ADH-41 is a premium, smooth, flexible, polymer modified, powder mastic tile adhesive with superior hang & non-shrink properties. Recommended for internal wall & floor applications. ADH-41 white colour is particularly suitable where a white adhesive is required.

This makes it suitable for smaller wall tiles including mosaic tiles, glass mosaics & light coloured or translucent natural stone.

ADH-33 Premium Rubber Modified C2ETS1 ADH-33 is a premium rubber & polymer modified flexible tile adhesive used for wall & floor applications. Recommended over concrete, green screed, cement render, fibre cement sheeting, plasterboard as well as ACT approved under tile waterproofing membranes. ADH-33 is suitable for internal & external applications including bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, existing tiles, decks & verandahs.

ADH-31 Quality Rubber Modified C1ETS1 ADH-31 is a quality rubber & polymer modified flexible tile adhesive used for wall & floor applications. Recommended over concrete, green screed, cement render, fibre cement sheeting, plasterboard as well as ACT approved under tile waterproofing membranes.

ADH-31 is suitable for internal & covered external applications including bathrooms, laundries, kitchens, decks & verandahs.

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

Interior Exterior Wall Floor

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | Tile Today #112 | 25

MAR K ETIN G

Digital — the future of marketing As Tile Today grows its digital capabilities, we’re providing a series of articles to help companies improve their online marketing Over the past decade most print publications have been steadily moving to being published online.

There are many reasons for that move. Digital publishing is a far more environmentally friendly way to distribute information, the overall costs are lower, and the market reach is broader.

Recent circulation figures from market analysts Roy Morgan, for example, home interiors magazine Belle had a print circulation of 130,000 and a digital circulation of 496,000 in calendar 2021.

When it comes to the rise of digital advertising, however, the figures are much more stark. For FY2020/21, the digital advertising spend in Australia grew by 24.2% to reach $11.4 billion, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates.

That includes growth in general display advertising by 29.7% to $4.4 billion.

In short, digital advertising has become a vital part of marketing, especially for small to medium businesses (SMBs), as it offers more effective reach for smaller budgets and more periodic campaigns.

The challenge of digital One of the primary advantages of digital marketing is that it enables businesses to add additional,

more gradual steps to the path-topurchase (PtP) that potential clients take. For example, a traditional print ad 25 years ago would likely have required a prospective client to pick up the phone and make a call to the advertiser. Today that same ad may offer instead a link to a landing page on the company website and/or an email address.

With digital, it's a simple click/ tap on the device being used to read the publication that hosts the digital ad — no typing required! However, you do need to do more to make digital work. If you are using the same design for digital advertising as you use for analogue print advertising, then you are missing out on some opportunities.

Digital ad design The first step is to understand that getting the most value from digital marketing means accepting that digital works best when advertisers employ the entire digital ecosystem to their advantage. To start with, that means making use of display ads in both online publications and email direct marketing (EDM) to help clients connect with the company's website.

As a rule of thumb, it helps to think about digital ad design as following a 50/50 rule: 50% of its

purpose is to inform a client about what the company has to offer as goods or services, and 50% needs to be about encouraging the client to take the next step by clicking on the ad and visiting the company's website.

That first 50% is familiar to most marketers. It needs to begin by identifying for the client a problem or opportunity, then explaining how the advertiser can provide a better solution. This can include implied or explicit comparisons with competitors.

The additional element that needs to be added to this, for digital ads, is to pique the client's sense of curiosity. That can be done by evoking fear-of-missing-out (FOMO), or by offering to explain something technical that the client may not have fully considered.

Importantly, the call to action in the form of a click or tap needs to be very explicit. The best approach is to include a "Click" button on the righthand side of the add, preferably at the bottom. It should look at least somewhat like a button, and the text overlay on the graphic image needs to include the word "click".

It also helps if that request for a click is allied with some kind of immediate payback for the client.

That could include, for example, the opportunity to download a white paper on a topic of interest, or to receive a free assessment that is of value to the client.

Landing page The landing page is where the clients' valuable click on digital advertising will send them. The landing page also has a job it needs to get done, which is to send clients to the next stage of the PtP. That usually means generating some form of direct contact, by supplying the advertiser with the emails and/ or phone numbers of the sales team.

One approach that works well for smaller businesses is to include something that identifies the salesperson or salespersons the client will be dealing with. A picture with a brief interview about the product/service being provided is one approach, but even better is a brief (30-second to two-minute) video on the same topic.

Additionally, the landing page should be targeted at answering all the important questions a client would have about the client/service.

The client wants to know if further inquiry is going to provide some return on the time investment, and if the sales experience is going to be a positive one or not.

The technical part There are a range of service providers that can help you build a landing page with little effort and low cost. The most popular one is Carrd (www.carrd.co). There is a free version of Carrd, but it is

An example of a template design interface from Carrd

worth paying for the "Pro" version — especially as it costs only USD20 (about AUD29) a year to sign up. If you use Carrd and find you want even more features, there is also Unbounce (www.unbounce.com).

This is more expensive, however, at USD90 (about AUD130) per month, or USD974 (about AUD1400) a year.

Both services provide a simple template system that enables you to quickly develop a compelling landing page, even if you don't have skills in either HTML coding or design.

Another very important feature is that they give you a way to make it seem the landing page is being hosted on a company's main website. This is done through setting up a subdomain on the company's main domain. So if the domain is something like "great-tile-product. com.au", the subdomain for the landing page could be "product. great-tile-product.com.au".

That's important, because it means the client is not being sent to a domain such as carrd.co when they click instead, which would be both confusing and raise security concerns.

Conclusion Digital advertising done well represents the best promotional return on investment (RoI) available today. While there are some new capabilities to be learned, these can bring immediate benefits, and help to boost a business over its competitors. There is a learning curve, but it's nothing that can't be managed in a couple of days, and it will provide a long term return in boosting advertising effectiveness.

To learn more about digital advertising, and what Tile Today offers our advertisers, please download our media kit, at: https://tinyurl.com/2p83cemd

n

Australian Tile Council Supporting the tile industry

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Member benefits: - Industry support from the Australian Tile Council (ATC)

- Member Benefits programme with exclusive offers

- Technical and Industry related information and support

- Tiling literature, brochures and notices

- Free access to the Tile and Tiling Guide

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For further information visit australiantilecouncil.com.au

ATC

A history of turning the tide on tile cladding Gary Jones is known for reviving the use of tiles for external cladding. He is currently working as a consultant for heritage tiles in between “grandfather duties”.

G

ary’s association with the Australian Tile Council goes back to the early eighties, not long after he started working for the country’s oldest tile merchant, Crosby Tiles in Canberra (ACT), in 1978.

These days, he is using his vast expertise on heritage tiles and external cladding to work as a consultant. But back when he was actively working in the industry, architects were not using tiles on building exteriors due to their public failure on the AMP building in Sydney’s CBD. It was covered in ceramic tiles when completed in 1962, but due to poor planning, as the building breathed and expanded in warm weather the tiles “popped off”. It was so severe that its close surrounds were regarded as a hazard zone.

However, Gary managed to change that, as he told Tile Today: “In Sydney back in the 70s and the 80s, I managed to revive the use of ceramic tiles externally on buildings.

I did the work with a company called [Agrob] Buchtal in Germany.”

At the time, Crosby Tiles were the agents for Buchtal.

Gary explains, “They were making "quarry" tiles before we were making them here. We sold an awful lot of them, you can find bakers shops, fast food outlets and breweries all over the place where those tiles were used.

“The other product they made was mechanically fixed external cladding and we took it on as part of their deal. I managed to get it specified on various buildings mainly in Sydney, Australia but also China and New Zealand.”

The Buchtal system proved very safe so using tiles as external cladding became popular again. Some of the building façades with Buchtal tiles that Gary was involved with include the Sydney Theatre on Hickson Road, as well as a number of buildings on nearby Windmill Street, Walsh Bay. There is also World Square on George Street, and the Reserve Bank in Norwest Business Park amongst others.

In terms of his work with heritage tiles, Gary helped to source tiles from Italy needed for the extension of paving between the High Court of Australia and National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. He explains: “They needed extra tiles and tiles for repairs but the factory which made them here called Eureka went out of business in the late nineties and it was required in 2010. I was able to find material overseas in the only factory I could find in the world that could make copies of these tiles…That was the retiling of the High Court forecourt, which was finished between 2010 and 2012.

As a consultant, Gary said he only works “when necessary”, but remains busy ferrying around his grandchildren. He is still on the Australian Standards

Gary Jones, eco/façade/heritage consultant, has been working with the ATC since the early eighties

committee that looks at the “slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces” and its handbook.

In addition, Gary continues to be involved in the industry through the two Beaumont Tiles franchise stores that are managed by his sons, located in Fyshwick and Mitchell in the ACT.

Tile Council Gary has been part of the Tile Council since 1982 and served for three years as national president in the nineties. He was a committee member when the council successfully lobbied Federal Parliament in 1995 to prevent the introduction of a 15% sales tax on ceramic tiles. “This would have badly affected our then troubled industry,” he said.

He believes in the benefits of being part of the Tile Council today. “[It] represents the tile industry on matters that concern all types of members, from the largest manufacturers to the smallest retailer or tiler members, especially in the area of Australian Standards…We need to be kept up to date on the technical aspects of waterproofing, fixing systems, slip resistance and more,” he said. n www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 29

P ROF ILE

Small yet mighty

As the owner of ACT Australia, Colin Morrow has put his entrepreneurial skills to great use. He can attest to the benefits of being a smaller player in the adhesives category. Tile Today last profiled him and the business back in 2017, and a lot has happened since then.

T

he recent floods in Queensland have put Colin’s go-getting spirit and “can do” attitude to the test.

The brand new dry plant facility that Colin and his business manager Dmitry Kuzmik just finished setting up has been hit by flood waters.

But rather than feeling defeated, the situation has made use of their resilience. “It’s nothing we can’t recover from,” said Dmitry.

Building on the experience gained in the 2011 Brisbane floods, the plant was designed with its production packing on the mezzanine level. That foresight has helped to limit the extent of the flood damage caused by the recent 2022 floods.

Australian made Prior to this latest challenge, Colin had embarked on his biggest project since setting up ACT Australia in 2013.

Anyone who comes into contact with Colin knows that he is very driven by his dedication to Made in Australia products and using local suppliers where possible. In the country he immigrated to from his native Scotland in the nineties, he genuinely puts his own money where his mouth is.

The new factory and warehouse facility represents his latest largescale investment in ACT. As he explains: “Over the last two years, the pandemic has exposed to us how vulnerable Australia's supply chains are, and how reliant we are on products made overseas. I have always been passionate about promoting Australian owned and made products, and this situation has only strengthened my resolve to invest in the dry-mix plant facility.

We make it a priority to build strong relationships with our domestic suppliers and smaller, family owned customers.

“I also believe it is not only important to promote Australian

(l&r) Dmitry Kuzmik and Colin Morrow

made goods, but to support Australian owned businesses.

Foreign-acquired and foreign-owned businesses don't work as hard to grow Australian employment and don't always prioritise working with other Australian businesses. When you work here, own here, and buy from companies like ACT, you are always going to put Australia first.

Overseas companies can't do that.”

Production facility The dry-mix plant facility is a real life showcase for Colin’s confidence in local manufacturing. It was specially designed, engineered and fabricated to its Rocklea site requirements. Dmitry explains: “We wanted to streamline our operations and decided to manufacture our product in the same location by designing and installing the new production dry plant tower within the existing building footprint and through the roof structure.”

During the peak of the pandemic, planning, production, delivery and construction fell behind schedule, which led to many unforeseen problems and delays. Both Colin and Dmitry saw this as an opportunity to use local contractors and suppliers to help them with design

and build of the plant.

“We engaged with Brisbane-based engineers, riggers, electricians and automation specialists to assemble and commission the plant. We remain thankful and appreciative of our local experts because we were able to complete the project even though it took a few months longer than we originally anticipated.

“The crane operators did an incredible job manoeuvring between existing steel structures and lifting up the beams, silos and equipment with almost surgical precision. Once Ergon Energy upgraded the 3 Phase Power supply to the premises, the electrical job began,” said Dmitry.

Thousands of metres of cabling was used to connect the state-ofart dosing, mixing, bagging and palletising equipment, designed to reduce manual handling and keep it to a minimum. Dosing, mixing, packaging and palletising processes are now fully automated. As a result, the plant only requires two people to operate in full capacity: a supervisor and a production technician. Dmitry explains: “A robot picks up and places the empty pallets in place ready for the product to be automatically positioned in the pallet through a pre-programmed sequence, to the

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required configuration. Completed pallets of product are then automatically wrapped, and the pallets are ready to be stored in our distribution centre as they come off the production line.”

In addition to efficiency and accuracy in the production line, there has been major consideration for safety. “Sprawled throughout the plant, a new dust extraction HEPA filtered system keeps our production

staff away from the respiratory hazards of silica dust,” said Dmitry.

Opportunities Colin believes the production facility helps place ACT in a more competitive position because it has been able to reduce the cost of manufacturing. It has also given them the capacity to establish a separate manufacturing entity called Mixim and offer “private label

services for clients who want to promote their own brand identities and product requirements”.

The new facility gives ACT the flexibility to make products on demand and customise formulas based on individual requests. “We are able to work with the customers to develop specific product formulations that would suit their requirements and budgets,” said Colin.

34

Tile Factory Outlet Maroochydore ACT products are available for end-users at Tile Factory Outlet in Maroochydore (QLD). Director Nick Lawrey spoke to Tile Today.

How long has ACT been a supplier to the store?

How did it become a supplier?

We’ve been with Colin for about six years now. I was looking for a second glue supplier as I only had one and felt a bit exposed if something happened.

A couple of tilers who had used the product said, ‘You should get ACT in, it’s great to work with’. So I rang ACT, spoke with Colin, and he popped in to meet us and left some samples for our local tilers to try out for feedback.

Th feedback was fantastic so we opened an account with ACT. Six years later, it is our No 1 glue brand.

The exterior of Tile Factory Outlet in Maroochydore

What made you decide to stock ACT's products?

Initially it was the product, it sold itself. But when we met Colin on that initial visit, the confidence in the product was clear, [and it came] with huge knowledge that we could draw on. But we also loved his attitude, he was pumped for where the industry was going and what we could do together. This is different to the stale or non-existent approach we were used to.

Nowadays, ACT has been massive for our shop, we built great relationships with Colin and the expanding team. The price has always been aggressive but with no compromise on quality.

Nothing is ever a problem with ACT, phenomenal service … We love working with these guys!

us busy. We have a great showroom … and our outlet has heavily discounted specials in stock on site ready to take away. We are currently holding around 10,000sqm2 on site.

How has trading been for you in the last few years?

The pandemic has put the industry on steroids, it has been a case of keeping up with it as it has gone completely nuts. We are very fortunate to be in the game we are in.

In terms of the store, how would you describe your target market?

Our typical customer would be a DIYer or renovator sourcing their own tiles to save a packet. We don’t chase builders or trades but we stock a lot on site that are really well priced so we are popular with trades too.

How long has the store been established and how did you set it up?

We started back in 2007. A lot of locals know we hold stock and give great advice so it keeps

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Mask up: TFO staff wear ACT branded masks

Gold Coast Tile Market Tile Today spoke to Julian Meyer, store manager at Gold Coast Tile Market, one of ACT stockists.

How long has ACT been a supplier to the store?

How did it become a supplier?

It would have been around 2014-2015. At the time, I was still tiling and had started using ACT products based on a recommendation from Paul Anderson (previous store owner). I started working at Gold Coast Tile market in 2018 after nearly 20 years of tiling and got to know Colin quite well through his regular visits to the store.

What made you decide to stock ACT's products?

In 2020 when the Gold Coast Tile Market was bought by new owners Owen and Gaylene Purdon, I stepped into the position of managing the store based on my experience as a tiler and salesperson.

I had dealt with ACT products so it was an easy choice to continue to stock Colin’s products. Over the years of using his products first-hand and talking to Colin on a regular basis, it’s easy to see that he puts his heart into the adhesives and has a real passion for the industry.

There have been many times I’ve had to call Colin for advice for customers who are dealing with an unusual combo of substrates and he is always happy to spend time to give me some insights, even when his products aren’t being used for a particular job. Colin’s products have always been extremely competitive in terms of price, especially when the quality and technology included in his adhesives is factored in.

Julian also told Tile Today about the store, its history, customer demographic and how it dealt with the pandemic.

How would you describe your target market?

We deal with both ends of the spectrum in regards to customers, whether it is someone looking for a couple of tiles to patch up a leaking shower to builders who are after thousands of metres for a big project, and everything in between. We even have regular customers coming in for sheets of mosaics for their craft hobbies.

(l&r) Julian Meyer and Owen Purdon

customers, and really allowing us to go above and beyond what most retailers offer.

How has trading been for you in the last few years?

The last few years have been ‘insane”. Owen and Gaylene bought the business in January 2020 and within six weeks we were facing a worldwide pandemic. Initially, we had no idea what it was going to do to the economy and were more or less expecting the worst. But by July 2020, the building industry exploded and we were struggling to keep up with demand. Last year was the biggest year in the store’s history despite having to deal with supply constraints and the effects of global sea freight costs increasing significantly. 2022 is off to a cracking start so far and we are looking forward to the challenges it will no doubt provide.

We sell all shapes and sizes of porcelain and ceramic tiles. We deal with about 20 different importers, but our main suppliers are Stoneworld, V.S.I., DIY Tiles, Brady Tiles, Quantum Leap Imports, Tile Arte and GNS Ceramics.

How long has the store been established and can you tell us how you set it up?

The store started in the mid 1990s and has always been a family operated business. When Owen and Gaylene came in, they wanted to continue the tradition of the shop. They have been amazing in terms of flexibility when providing service to

34 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

The team at Gold Coast Tile Market with ACT products

SPEND AND WIN!

To promote its most popular adhesives, ACT is running a “Spend and Win” competition with tag line, “Start 22 with 44, 55, 66". All you need to do is spend over $500 at one of its stockists and enter the draw.

Winners will be drawn at the end of March and April and they can receive a Waeco fridge, Weber BBQ or Breville espresso machine. The adhesives that are part of the competition include: GREAT ADH-44 Premium Powder Mastic C2ETS1

PRIZES

ADH-55 Premium Polymer Modified C2ETS2 ADH-66 Premium Lightweight C2ETS2

More details and dates can be found on our website actaus.com

Working with ACT’s small team means clients are not paying for the expense of a large, in-house technical department.

The plant is currently producing ACT’s core product line and other products in its range will gradually be added. Quality remains at the core of everything it does.

“We take a quality focused approach in our production. It is why we take time to perfect our formula and dosing until we are 100% satisfied with the end result.

We back up our automations processes with our vigorous quality control systems to ensure that we consistently deliver premium quality products for domestic and commercial applications.

“As a manufacturer, we are only as successful as the product we produce. And that is why we can confidently offer a 15 year product warranty,” said Dmitry.

The business is also expecting future growth. “We are preparing ourselves for growth and increased workflow of our customer orders.

That is why we have turned our focus to updating our ICT systems and automating business processes, which allows for smooth onboarding of new customers and a much better customer experience,” said Dmitry.

Now that it can produce larger volumes and offer better wholesale pricing to its stockists, both Colin and Dmitry believe it is well positioned to expand beyond its Queensland base. ACT Australia already has stockists in Tasmania, New South Wales and the nation’s capital. It is looking to strengthen its position in these states as well as work towards establishing partnerships in the other states, as well as New Zealand.

The website has also had a minor

revamp with a clear emphasis on the user experience, but is still in its initial stages. ACT will continue to improve the website for its resellers, contractors and end users. “We have recently launched a B2B portal that allows our stockists to place and track their orders online,” said Dmitry.

Not surprisingly, Colin remains positive about the future, not just for ACT but the Australian economy too.

“We are expecting to see continued infrastructure growth particularly in south east Queensland in preparation for the 2032 Olympic Games and a booming housing market. On that note, I am really hoping to see our government, businesses and communities getting fully behind Australian made and owned products and services,” he said. n

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY. Tile Today is the leading publication for Australia’s tile industry.

For tile installers, we provide a mix of indepth technical articles, product guides, the latest trends in design and business, as well as inspiring coverage of Australian and international tile shows and events.

For retailers, we cover all the latest industry news, interview the movers and shakers, and keep you up-to-date on industry statistics and forecasts.

For interior designers, architects and building specifiers, we offer an index to best practice and emerging concerns in the building and construction industries as they relate to tiles.

But what we offer to every reader, is a publication that shares your interest and inspiration.

• In-depth technical articles • Business opportunities • New tile developments • Guides to adhesives • Coverage of anti-slip issues • Waterproofing best practices • Trends in interior design Tile Today is now digital, which means you can read it on your smartphone, tablet and PC. Take it everywhere with you.

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C O M M E RC I AL TIL ING

Anti-fracture technology for commercial tile projects

The seamless look in hard surface tiled floors that can be seen in Melbourne’s Como shopping centre is synonymous with the work done by Crack Isolation P/L using NAC Products. Specified by Metier3 Architects for this project, the anti-fracture membrane system continues to gain popularity in the Australian market.

Noel Murphy from Crack Isolation tells the story of its success to Tile Today.

The first ever Elastometric Crack Bridging (ECB) membrane was invented in 1983 by Tom Duve from National Applied Construction (NAC) and introduced into the North American commercial tiling market.

ECB was just the start of what has turned into an line of crack isolation, waterproofing, acoustic/ sound control (IIC) and moisture barrier solutions. (See more in the Breakout Box).

In Australia, Crack Isolation P/L is the national distributor for this range and the relationship was set up by Noel Murphy while he was working in the flooring and bathroom industry. He said: “I noticed there was a large gap in the market for a crack isolation and waterproofing membrane system.

Through extensive market and competitor research, I discovered NAC Products. They revolutionised the flooring industry in the US and rose to become a market leader, outperforming all other competing crack isolation membranes. So I approached them to discuss opportunities for distribution in Australia.”

At the time, Noel said a lot of American companies were not interested in dealing with the Australian market because it is considered small. But he submitted a business plan to NAC. As Noel explains: “I followed up a few months later.

[Tom] said, ‘I'm interested, hop on a plane and come and see me. So I did, then we signed a contract and the rest is history.” That was 15 years ago.

These days Noel deals with Tom’s son-in-law Brian Petit who has taken over the NAC Products business after Tom’s retirement. “They would like to give us other markets. But

Tiling over the ECB membrane

we're so busy in the Australian market, I'm hesitant to start going to New Zealand and South East Asia,” he said.

Presentations Crack Isolation has established itself as specialists and its receives a lot of referrals. Noel explains, “I did a big presentation in Sydney and while I was there, I had a call from [another] architect saying they heard about our product from LendLease … I went to their office to do the presentation, and they said, ‘How come we haven't heard about this product?’

Noel believes the reason he get often gets this response is because he sees his business as a “niche marketer”. He said, “We are the only people with this sort of product in Australia. And we really just pick the jobs in the market that we want to get involved in…”

Noel has a deep understanding of his customers who are primarily architects, builders and engineers.

“I've been working with architects for the last 35 years, and they are

very busy people. They don't want to be given a whole lot of ‘same old, same old’, they want new stuff and that’s what we give them,” he said.

The presentation to do the Como Shopping Centre project in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra was done through Mediathread, a multimedia platform that uses video, audio files, and images. It can give clients a clear idea of what their floors can look like when Noel and his team use the NAC product.

Clients become convinced after seeing it because they see the potential straightaway. Noel describes it as a “no brainer” and adds: “As far as cost goes, it's been analysed by people at WT Partnership [a cost management and specialist consultant for the property and construction industries].

“They've told us that bottom line, our product costs under $10 per sqm, or is cost neutral, and it saves the builder, the clients and the installer time and risks that we give a lifetime guarantee on.”

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www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 37

“We have an engineer in Perth who specifies it on nearly every job.

He's 75 and he said, ‘Noel, in all my time I've never seen a product as amazing as your product’”.

Specialist skills When Crack Isolation were granted distribution rights in Australia for NAC Products, Noel was told he could only focus on its range of products, and he could not take on anything else. As a result, Noel and his team have become specialists in their field. “When other products come into the market and fail, people come to us and say, ‘There's been a failure, could you help us out?’, said Noel.

Installation of the ECB on the upper floor of the Como Shopping Centre in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra

About NAC Products National Applied Construction (NAC) Products offers a family of anti-fracture membrane systems to protect new ceramic, porcelain, stone and hardwood floors from failure due to lateral substrate movement and moisture vapour transmission.

These self-adhering, sheet-applied membrane systems include a base layer of polymer modified elastomers permanently laminated to unique “stress flex” fibre sheets. They are designed for installation over concrete, concrete backer-board, plywood or existing floors. Crack suppression, waterproofing and sound abatement options are available.

ECB Anti-Fracture Membrane ECB is the original Elastomeric Crack Bridging Membrane. This 40mil (0.04") membrane will adhere permanently to the subfloor and can be used for both interior and exterior applications. The membrane is engineered to remain flexible and to last the life of the flooring surface.

Strataflex Waterproofing Membrane Strataflex is a self-bonding, sheet-applied membrane for use under interior or exterior surfaces requiring fracture-free protection from water penetration.

This high strength, 40mil (0.04") elastomeric waterproofing membrane is manufactured with a 2" (51mm) double-stick lap joint to enhance waterproofing integrity and ease installation.

SAM3 Sound Abatement Membrane The SAM3 System is a 70 mil (0.07") sound abatement sheet membrane designed for use with a sound rated ceiling assembly. It is formulated to reduce impact and airborne sound transmission when used under hard surface floors. SAM3 serves as a membrane for sound reduction and crack suppression and can also be used in waterproofing applications. Rated for light commercial and

38 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

residential use, SAM3 is designed for floors that require Impact Insulation Class (IIC) and Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings of not less than 50 in accordance with ASTM E90 and E492.

Super SAM 125 Sound Abatement Membrane Super SAM 125 is a 125 mil (3.2mm) sound abatement membrane for use over 6" (152mm) and thicker concrete slabs or wood subfloors without a sound rated ceiling assembly. This enhanced sound reduction and crack suppression system can also be used for waterproofing applications. Super SAM is rated for light commercial and residential use on floors that require Impact Insulation Class (IIC) and Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings of not less than 50 in accordance with ASTM E90 and E492.

For more information, go to: http://www.crackisolation.com.au/ product-data-sheets-pds

The list of projects that Crack Isolation have been involved in are too many to include but it features major shopping centres, department stores, sports, leisure, tourism, hospitality, airports, health care and commercial offices around Australia.

To cover the breadth of projects, it works with a number of local distributors and Noel trains their sales teams. He explains, “Contractors are trained and certified

by Crack Isolation to install and perform on-site substrate bond tests to guarantee performance and ensure the life-time warranty of our products.

“It's a partnership because they have a product that they can use on our membrane. They absolutely do not want any cracks, and they want to deliver that to the client as cost effectively as possible. But we can also give them a look that nobody else can give them.”

In summary, Noel said Crack Isolation P/L differentiates itsef from its competitors in the following way: • Lifetime performance guarantee • Four applications in one product,

Excellent additional BARRIER to a waterproofing system

The finished seamless tile look on the upper floor of the Como Shopping Centre

ie. crack isolation, waterproofing, acoustics and electrical resistance • No exclusions in substrate cracking in warranties • Fully tested by CSIRO, NATA & Renzo Tonin and compliant

REDUCES construction costs and extra processes

PROTECTS all layers in a tiling system

to the BCA and Australian Standards • It can be tiled over immediately • Surface stress flex mesh that resists surface damage with an SBR backing that has self-healing properties n

TO FIND OUT MORE & FOR STOCKISTS

www.efflock.com.au

STAT ISTICS

Ceramic tile imports stabilise in 2021, a pandemic year

Despite another year of pandemic induced upheaval and uncertainty, the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) figures reflect a remarkably stable market for ceramic tile import volumes, writes Peter Halliday

T

he buoyancy of the Australian property market along with increases in building approvals and high numbers of dwelling commencements saw ceramic tile imports increase by 7.5 per cent in 2021.

Australia imported 44,209,734 square metres (SQM) of ceramic tiles with a total Australian customs value of AUD442,962,644, an increase of 1.4 per cent over the value of imports in 2020. A graph showing import volumes and customs values over the last 10 years can be seen in Fig.1.

Fig.2 breaks down imports by country and the declared destination state. The top five source countries for ceramic tile imports over the last five years are shown in Fig.3.

China increased exports to Australia by 11 per cent or 3.38 million SQM in 2021 and now supplies 74.9 per cent of all ceramic tiles imported into Australia, with two states sourcing over 80 per cent of their tiles from China. The average

FIG.1 AUSTRALIAN CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS 2011 - 2021

Based on ABS data

Australian customs value from China fell to AUD7.94 per square metre in 2021.

Imports from Italy made up 8.5 per cent of total tile volume and 19.8 per cent of the total customs value.

Italian tile imports fell by 3.7 per cent in 2021 to 3,748,280 SQM. The average customs value per square

FIG.3 TOP CERAMIC TILE SOURCES 2017- 2021

Based on ABS data

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metre for Italian tiles rose from AUD22.77 to AUD23.45 in 2021.

Spain increased imports to Australia by 19 per cent in 2021 to 2,294,617 SQM. Now the third largest source for imported tiles in Australia, the average customs value from Spain fell from AUD20.97 per square metre in 2020 to AUD18.70 per square metre in 2021.

The volume of tiles imported from Malaysia continued to fall, reducing by 33.7 per cent or 762,630 SQM in 2021. The average customs value per square metre was AUD7.20.

India was again the fifth biggest source of ceramic tiles imported to Australia in 2021, increasing 52 per cent over 2020 import volumes. The average customs value fell from $8.16 in 2020 to AUD7.62 in 2021.

Fig.4 illustrates the declared destination state’s imports per quarter over previous years. Imports to New South Wales rose by five per cent in 2021. The national share of imports to New South Wales has declined for the last three years but is still the largest destination state with 37 per cent of the national

total, although there was a significant fall in the December Quarter 2021 with the state only receiving 32 per cent of the nation’s imports.

Tile imports to Victoria rose by nine per cent in 2021, making up 27 per cent of the country’s import total. Imports to Queensland rose by seven per cent and made up 20.9 per cent of the national total. Western Australia showed further signs of improvement, increasing by 12 per cent over the previous year to be 8.9 per cent of the national total. South Australia rose by six per cent while Tasmania declined by 8.1 per cent. Imports to the Northern Territory increased by 33 per cent.

42

FIG.4 CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS - DESTINATION STATE PER QUARTER 2011 - 2021

Based on ABS data

Peter Halliday has a long involvement in the design, manufacture, import, sale and distribution of ceramic tile, natural stone, and glass mosaics. He continues to research and write on industry related topics.

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FIG.2 CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS 2021 DECLARED DESTINATION STATE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

New South Wales

Northern Territory

Queensland

South Australia

Tasmania

Argentina

2,947

Canada China (excludes SARs and Taiwan)

0.0%

12,974

0.0%

36,381

10,384

0.0%

163,622

1,080

0.0%

19,183

126,850

0.3%

1,540,273

80

0.0%

26,788

2,637,874

33,127,757

74.9%

263,060,489

6,312

6,312

0.0%

59,735

200

0.0%

4,062

693

2,326

59,264

0.1%

991,908

20,952

7,213

113,362

0.3%

3,693,632

1,920

0.0%

18,842

7,437

13,122

3,268

31,157

21 11,918,086

7,403,677

1,738,792

133,137

8,998,693

Czechia Egypt

200

France

15,370

Germany

78,630

Hong Kong (SAR of China)

37,376 5,472

3,500

1,095

1,172

748

Hungary India Indonesia Iran Israel Italy Japan Korea, Republic of (South)

570

0.0%

1,124

566,784

5,511

123,535

84,043

5,297

253,574

570 123,814

1,162,559

2.6%

8,858,460

85,020

11,562

113,578

15,176

10,688

29,462

44,472

309,957

0.7%

2,871,516

2,392

0.0%

31,611

2,392 10 1,475,063

17,791

49,339

503,076

8

Malaysia

304,113

140,447

26,187

102

159,506

Lebanon

10

0.0%

1,049

1,064,325

521,391

3,748,280

8.5%

87,915,218

117,144

379

166,964

0.4%

3,551,345

276

160,775

0.4%

1,373,892

10

0.0%

6,083

67,146

1,500,689

3.4%

10,809,705

1,009

0.0%

57,239

6,295

0.0%

57,007

21,868

0.0%

1,389,052

27,620

0.1%

275,288

14

3,383

0.0%

128,704

339

339

0.0%

13,810

62,240

0.1%

126,832

71,502

0.2%

1,453,425

994 2 11,803

391,619

Malta

1,009

Mexico

5,310

930

Morocco

17,022

985

Netherlands

11,213

New Zealand

2,862

113,514

612,494

55 3,691

Poland

8,550

Portugal

20,477

170

16,406 507

Oman

Russian Federation

6,409

59 297,500

Total Aus. Customs Value (AUD)

991

1,080 72,895

Total SQM

% Total SQM

1,995

1,995

Belize Brazil

Western Australia

991

Bangladesh Belgium

Victoria

53,690 18,287

962

23,752

8,024

3,969

3,969

0.0%

193,463

Serbia

906

906

0.0%

33,867

Spain

1,048,097

Sri Lanka

462,756

70,385

3,455

12,252

26,159

57,679

Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States of America Vietnam

329

702

61,407

31,981

4,464

520,427

224,926

2,294,617

5.2%

42,913,892

5,212

229,533

366,263

0.8%

3,239,925

2,250

2,250

0.0%

26,810

1,043

2,074

0.0%

62,796

221,360

0.5%

1,729,260

12

0.0%

1,116

106,845

16,664

12 44,614

31,883

174,100

11,991

11,688

6,391

125

10,807

34,095

130

38,471

23,075

150,034

0.3%

1,743,704

28,528

75

214,390

0.5%

2,456,801

1,451

1,341

9,438

0.0%

324,694

323

135

45,358

0.1%

347,124

145,611

3,006

25,692

7,355

3,126

17,614

202,404

0.5%

1,339,943

Grand Total

16,364,426

367,787

9,256,076

2,144,323

201,468

11,936,134

3,939,520

44,209,734

100.0%

442,962,644

State Share

37.0%

0.8%

20.9%

4.9%

0.5%

27.0%

8.9%

100%

42 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY. Tile Today is the leading publication for Australia’s tile industry.

For tile installers, we provide a mix of indepth technical articles, product guides, the latest trends in design and business, as well as inspiring coverage of Australian and international tile shows and events.

For retailers, we cover all the latest industry news, interview the movers and shakers, and keep you up-to-date on industry statistics and forecasts.

For interior designers, architects and building specifiers, we offer an index to best practice and emerging concerns in the building and construction industries as they relate to tiles.

But what we offer to every reader, is a publication that shares your interest and inspiration.

• In-depth technical articles • Business opportunities • New tile developments • Guides to adhesives • Coverage of anti-slip issues • Waterproofing best practices • Trends in interior design Tile Today is now digital, which means you can read it on your smartphone, tablet and PC. Take it everywhere with you.

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Konekt – tiling made easy Over the past decade the flooring industry has been flooded with examples of innovations intended to make floors easier and faster to install, and nowhere is this truer than for ceramic and porcelain tile. Over the last 1000 years ceramic tiles have always been laid onto a thick layer of wet mortar, a method that produced an exceptionally durable floor but one which involved a costly, skill dependant laying process.

Now, there is a more recent innovation in this flooring field — it’s called Konekt, a new product that uses a porcelain ceramic tile with reinforcement and a built-in interlocking system. Like modern laminate timber floor finishes the Konekt porcelain ceramic tile system is considered a floating floor, it does not need adhesive to install to the subfloor hence will not crack if the subfloor moves. The result is a significantly faster DIY installation that is cost effective, and easily declips for removal.

Porcelain tile flooring The Konekt system uses real porcelain tiles that are reinforced and permanently adhered to a proprietary state of the art reinforced substrate that has click-together tabs along the edges. The system requires no substrate board or thin-set adhesives. The grouting of the system comes in two no mess options, a K-Strip dry grout option and an K-Epoxy grout, a gun dispenser applicator option.

The Konekt tiling made easy system is not adhered to the substrate or subfloor underlayment in any way. Instead, it is simply laid on the surface, gaining its stability through the interlocking edges that hold the entire flooring layer together as one unified surface. The heavy weight once all clipped together makes this a stable flooring system.

Earlier attempts at floating ceramic tile flooring where the tiles were placed in a separate tray with no reinforcement had poor results and outcomes.

The Konekt difference is its HIR, with its integrated system it achieves very high impact resistance and load bearing results

Installation Unlike floating laminate flooring, which tends to lock by butting the edges together and pivoting downward, Konekt porcelain flooring tiles lock by placing each tile flat on the floor and then tapping and sliding one tile toward the other until you hear a click. This gives you true alignment every time - a perfect finish.

Konekt flooring can be installed over most existing flooring and it does not matter if the floor is contaminated.

In the same way that click-lock laminate flooring quickly became a viable alternative to solid hardwood the Konekt flooring system now allows consumers to have quality, endurance, and the style of porcelain tiles at a reduce cost.

Konekt does not need an underlay, it has one built into the system, hence it has a 6 Star ACCC acoustic noise rating, so it is great for high rise apartments.

Being 100% reusable is also environmentally friendly. n www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 45

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INSTALLATION

TILE SHADE

Shade and design variation of tiles As the leading industry body for tile professionals, the Australian Tile Council (ATC) is often a go-to resource for the fundamentals of tiling. The discrepancies that can occur in the colour shade of tile affects everyone on a project, from the supplier, specifier, installer to the end user. The following is an edited extract from the current edition of Tiles and Tiling Guide produced and updated by the ATC. Most homeowners and professional end-users think that tiles, like most manufactured products, emerge from the factory nearly, if not exactly, alike. The reality is that the process of tile manufacture is so complex that one batch of tiles can vary from the next in terms of colour, and even size.

The reason there is a "myth" that tiles of one type tend to be uniform is really a result of the skill of tilers.

They not only know how to mask and disguise the slight variations between tiles, but can sometimes even use those variations to produce a superior result.

Variations in tile shades Part of the art of tile installation is managing variations. We can regard variations as belonging to three different types: intentional, unintentional and environmental.

Intentional Intentional variation is planned, and helps enhance the aesthetics of the chosen tile. The advent of ink-jet printing in tile manufacture has made possible a wide range of tile design innovations. The technology has allowed for the visually accurate reproduction of, for example, stone and wood surfaces, making the "stone look" more affordable, and providing the aesthetics of wood with the low-maintenance and decades of durability of ceramic tiles. This means manufacturers can make a series of tiles, which are matched but have variations, duplicating the natural variations in both wood and stone. These tiles should not be selected from an individual tile, and samples given should indicate that there is a design variation.

Unintentional Unintentional variation is a side effect of the manufacturing process. The chemical processes that occur during the manufacture of tiles are so complex that even very small variations (for example, differences in kiln temperature, and heat transfer to tiles during the firing process) can produce subtle changes in tile appearance.

The Variation Guide from the ATC

48 www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 47

INSTALLATION

TILE SHADE

Another source is subtle variation in the tile material used. These are sometimes called "dye-lot" or "tonality" variations.

The first challenge that tile installers face with this situation is that the sample tiles supplied when ordering may be different from the tiles that are supplied. The fact is that display samples are just an indication of the tile. This means colour and design often vary between sample and actual tiles supplied.

The situation can become even more complex when these two types of variation are combined.

If there are, for example, four different tile designs in a set of tiles, then each of those tile designs could show variations from the matching tile in the sample tiles supplied.

To give some indication as to the likelihood of significant variations showing up, tile manufacturers have adopted a five-grade scale for tiles, ranging from V0 (no variation) to V4 (substantial variation). This can help during the tile selection process, as it gives some indication of what can be expected.

To help tilers effectively manage the tile variations between batches, manufacturers give each production run of tiles a shade number, which is printed on the outside of the carton. Shades may be similar to those obtained in previous productions but they will rarely, if ever, be the same.

The best course to take to avoid this is to ensure during ordering that the tiles ordered all come from a single batch, and thus carry the same shade number.

It is also important that where shade/tone and production date/ lot identification is provided, that both are referred to when checking the shade/tone of a tile. This is because some manufacturers that provide production dates do this because they use shade/tone numbers as a master reference.

If a production of tiles matches (as close as possible) to their master sample, then manufacturers may give the same shade/tone to tiles of different production lots.

This means the only way to obtain certainty of the exact matching shade of tiles is for the shade/tone 48 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

When selecting complementary wall and floor tiles and different sized tiles, it is best not to use terminology such as “matching” or “same” says the ATC

Intended colour variation, from tile to tile

identifier and the production date/ lot identifier to be the same on all cartons.

It is the tile installer’s responsibility to check the shade numbers on the boxes of the tiles supplied before laying of tiles starts. If different shade numbers are discovered, the tile layer must inform the client.

Ideally, tiles from different batches should not be laid together.

If for some reason, this must be done, tiles from each batch should be compared for compatibility before installation. Also, it is wise to keep some extra tiles aside, of the same production lot, for any future maintenance.

There are a number of situations that can arise from the need to match batches.

Situation A – Many projects are completed with the same described tiles for walls and floors. However, the size of the tiles may be different.

This means the two products, though described the same, could be from different production lots.

Situation B – Many wall tiles have similar complementary floor tiles. This means that the wall and floor tiles, while having the same design and colour ways, are produced with different materials, different techniques and on different production lines.

Therefore, unless you use the exact same tiles (ie. the same size from the same production lot) for walls and floors, there will be a difference in the finish and colour between the walls and floors.

Situation C – The same can apply to floor tiling where you run the same described tile, but in different sizes, from living areas into wet areas of the home.

It is important to understand this when selecting complementary wall and floor tiles and different sized tiles. It is best not to use terminology such as “matching” or “same”.

Many wall tiles have similar, complementary floor tiles

Environmental Finally, we come to environmental variation. Colour is light. The colour that you perceive is really determined by the surface of the tile, and reflection of the surrounding environment – 50

Environmental variation on tile

www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 49

INSTALLATION

TILE SHADE

including lighting, furniture, large fixtures, cabinets, wall colour and/ or furniture – on the tile.

The tile may look different in a home than it did in the showroom.

If the home walls are painted dark blue, the tiles will look different.

If the home has incandescent lighting, the tiles will look different than they did under cool blue fluorescents in the showroom. The same tile can seem a different shade of colour when viewed on a different plane. For example, a horizontal floor compared to a vertical wall. The same tile on a skirting may appear darker than the floor.

The Australian Tile Council’s Tiles & Tiling Guide has been developed to assist those working in the tile industry, builders, architects, designers and specifiers as well as the general public to access and understand the main issues relating to tiles and tile installation.

The Tiles & Tiling Guide is designed to be a living document and under the direction of a National Technical Committee, it will be regularly revised and updated. n

Production shade variation from sample to actual tile

A note from the ATC: Readers should ensure that they always reference the latest edition which is available to members on the ATC website at www.australiantilecouncil.com.au Members are encouraged to forward any ceramic tile related issues to the ATC technical committee for comment, future inclusion in the guide or the formation of a technical paper. This can also be done through the website.

Some tile manufacturers provide a shade/tone and production date/lot identifier

Other manufacturers provide the tile shade as an identifier only

50 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY. Tile Today is the leading publication for Australia’s tile industry.

For tile installers, we provide a mix of indepth technical articles, product guides, the latest trends in design and business, as well as inspiring coverage of Australian and international tile shows and events.

For retailers, we cover all the latest industry news, interview the movers and shakers, and keep you up-to-date on industry statistics and forecasts.

For interior designers, architects and building specifiers, we offer an index to best practice and emerging concerns in the building and construction industries as they relate to tiles.

But what we offer to every reader, is a publication that shares your interest and inspiration.

• In-depth technical articles • Business opportunities • New tile developments • Guides to adhesives • Coverage of anti-slip issues • Waterproofing best practices • Trends in interior design Tile Today is now digital, which means you can read it on your smartphone, tablet and PC. Take it everywhere with you.

Subscribe to Tile Today for FREE.

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE

I N DU ST R Y R OUN DUP

Sustainable ceramics take a big step forward Churning out the world’s toilets, tiles, plates and pipes, the resourceguzzling ceramics industry can go a long way to clean up its act, environmentally speaking.

Pumping out tonnes of pollutants like carbon dioxide and other gases while generating gallons of wastewater, ceramics is one of Europe’s less planetfriendly industries. It hoovers up unthinkable amounts of natural gas to fuel burners that dry slip – a mix of water and clay – and heat its vast kilns up to 1250 °C. Closeted away in the Northern Italian town of Pavullo, Atlas Concorde is one of Europe’s biggest ceramic tile producers. It is also the world’s first to reuse more than 40 per cent of its waste heat streams to heat high-pressure water used in the production process. It means huge-scale savings on energy, costs and emissions.

The mould-breaking heat pipe heat exchange technology making Atlas such vast energy savings is custom designed by Professor Hussam Jouhara and team at Brunel University London and made by Bridgend-based Econotherm (UK) Limited.

In 2019, the EU-funded DREAM (Design for Resource and Energy Efficiency in Ceramic Kilns) installed and started to monitor a 100kW heat exchanger unit at a newgeneration roller hearth kiln at Atlas’ Mirage tileworks.

Four years later, with a much bigger 0.7 MW heat pipe heat exchanger, this next-generation waste heat recovery technology has proved it can completely recast Europe’s ceramics industry for a cleaner, greener, more sustainable future.

"We installed a system which is the first of its kind in this industry," said heat pipe system designer Prof Jouhara, who heads Brunel’s Heat Pipe and Thermal Management Research Group.

"The system itself didn't impact the factory's day-to-day running. It is invisible to the process. All it does is save the company fuel and reduce its emissions. Its design draws on 52 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

Heat pipe heat exchanger at Atlas Concorde

the experience that we have at Brunel and builds on the success of the research group in delivering macro-scale industrial projects working with international partners.

"We are recovering just above 2500 MJ of energy each working hour – enough to power the average UK home for over two months – and this is offsetting heat which would otherwise come from burning natural gas in a stage that dries raw materials."

Perched next to the cooling section exhaust stack, the heat pipe heat exchanger showed in

Heat pipe heat exchange technology

six months that it has helped cut emissions by 205.5 tonnes a year and saved £28,000 a year in electricity bills. Without it, the waste heat and energy the factory generates in its production process would simply flush out into the environment, pumping out tonnes of pollutants with it.

“It lets the business make a direct saving on fuel consumption and a reduce its carbon footprint by burning less fossil fuel,” said Prof Jouhara. “This way, it cuts the factory’s overall carbon footprint, generates profit, giving the owner competitive advantage, which lets them increase their profit margins.

It also puts them in a stronger position within the industry and allows them to generate higher level of growth within the market.

“Atlas are now considering replicating the system across all their sites.”

The exchanger installed at Atlas is one of three new types of heat exchanger designed, manufactured and installed by scientists and engineers working on EU-funded project, Etekina to recover waste heat that would otherwise literally go up the chimney. Others are a steel factory in Slovenia and an aluminium casting production plant in Spain.

Industry producers now need to become carbon neutral by 2050 and still have a lot to do, but with technology like heat exchangers on the horizon, that’s looking like a more realistic goal. n

Barcelona: the three-dimensional subway Designed to harness shadow and light, Barcelona has been added to Beaumont Tiles’ range of subway tiles.

This playful range has been designed as a textural delight, with Stud, Wave, Stripe, Peak and the dome-like Dune variants allowing for multiple combinations and shadow manipulations to create unique art-like wall installations.

Barcelona boasts four shades of sage-like green, soft clay terra, grey and white, with a pressed edge and satin finish, making it easy to clean and maintain.

It draws on vintage, contemporary, “wanderlust” or Mediterranean styles. “Barcelona offers a gentle, geometric and architectural take on feature walls that perfectly complements the dusty tones we’ll see more

of in 2022,” said Rachel Gilding, Beaumont Tiles’ design specialist.

“Using artificial and natural lighting in conjunction with the

Barcelona range can create an ever-changing visual element in the home due to the range’s ability to manipulate shadow.” n

Houzz Pro helps contractors, tradies create estimates faster Houzz, the leading online platform for home renovation and design, has acquired ConX, a SaaS takeoff and estimation tool. The ConX software, which enables contractors to do on-screen takeoffs from construction plans and turn them into professional estimates up to 10 times faster, is now fully integrated and available in Houzz Pro, the marketing and business management software.

Contractors and tradies can streamline the estimation process and turn quotes around faster with Houzz Pro Takeoffs, helping them save time and win more jobs. In addition, takeoffs created in Houzz Pro can be directly converted into estimates, as part of the Houzz Pro project management workflow.

Alon Cohen, Houzz co-founder and president, said: “Creating estimates can be incredibly time intensive for contractors. By providing fully integrated, easyto-use Houzz Pro Takeoffs, we’re

helping pros to efficiently manage and grow their businesses, and spend less time on back office work.”

Houzz Pro Takeoffs is applicable to builders, renovators and specialty trades across the construction industry from tilers, carpenters to roofers, electricians, plumbers and concrete contractors. Professionals can upload plans and start measuring instantly. Houzz Pro Takeoffs can auto-calculate total material costs, based on prices added by the pro. The tool is available to Houzz Pro Essential and Ultimate subscribers.

Houzz Pro helps residential construction and design professionals to run an efficient business and makes it easy for them to reach new customers, all while delivering a a great quality client experience. Subscription packages also include estimates, invoicing, lead management and business management tools. The

Houzz Pro app is available on iOS and Android devices.

The Houzz community includes more than 65 million homeowner and home design enthusiasts and over 2.7 million home renovation and design professionals around the world in more than 100 categories, including architects, interior designers, contractors and landscape professionals.

Click here to learn more about Houzz Pro Takeoffs here: https:// www.houzz.co.nz/for-pros/takeoffs Watch a video of Houzz Pro Takeoffs here: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Uk9U3T35HQQ n www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au | TILE TODAY #112 | 53

Traditional wood tones in stoneware based on deep research Cortina is a collection inspired by the wood recovered from alpine huts built more than 50 years ago and enhanced by craftsmen.

Launched by Ceramiche Refin during Cersaie in 2021, Cortina is the result of in-depth

54 | TILE TODAY #112 | www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au

research into the deepest fibres of wood, carried out through an exploration of the natural beauty and ancient craftsmanship techniques that continue in mountains of Northern Italy.

This line of decorative surfaces

transfers the rustic appeal of mountain chalets to interior design environments. The strength of stoneware meets the charm of wood, intertwining in the peculiar veining of larch, pine and fir.

Cortina is available in Almond, Honey, Natural and Tobacco, a colour palette inspired by wood recovered from mountain huts.

To create this new collection of wall tiles, Ceramiche Refin worked closely with one of the most prestigious carpentries in the Belluno area, acquiring woodworking techniques and selecting specific staves to create new floors.

The surface features of Cortina are inspired by different combinations of wood. It references larch wood, with its ring-shaped geometries, as well as fir and pine often seen in the interiors of barns, along with fir and larch, inspired by the staves caressed by the sun and marked by the weather. By combining each of these types of woods in an unpredictable way, Cortina floors can transform the essence of wood into tangible decorative elements.

The staves that inspired the collection have been carefully chosen, from 121 examples of different woods. The final result is a set of tiles that encompasses the many essences of wood, showcasing different stages of aging through different colours and different shades.

It is precisely the shades that are one of the most distinctive features of Cortina with each slab featuring unique shades that reflect the history of the original staves, burnished by the sun and worn down by the rain during long exposure in a mountain environment.

Cortina is available in special formats and decorations that complement the staves, available in the colours of this collection. These include Esagono, Herringbone and Chalet. n

Eco-friendly tiles made from upcycled eggshells According to ethical design brand Nature Squared and its chief material innovator Elaine Yan-ling Ng, eggshells can make cracking architectural finishes — but not literally.

A collection of wall and floor tiles made from upcycled eggshells — the result of a two-year collaboration between the Swiss design brand and British-Chinese textile designer Ng — can now be seen in Hong Kong with the January 2022 opening of a Nature Squared showroom within The Fabrick Lab, Ng’s bespoke textile consultancy and showroom in Kwai Hing.

The tiles are displayed alongside other items that make up the “Carrelé” collection, including stools and sculptural forms. “Designers can come to have workshops and consultations to see the full offering using materials created by Nature Squared and my team,” said Ng. The collaboration began serendipitously in 2019 after Ng won an emerging designer award from Design Anthology magazine, the prize being a trip to Milan Design Week, the world’s biggest annual design event. Ng told the South China Morning Post: “One of the first places I went to explore was [Italian curator] Rossana Orlandi’s iconic gallery, where Nature Squared was exhibiting.”

There she met Lay Koon Tan, co-founder of Nature Squared. “The rapport was instant, there was a lot of synergy,” Ng said of the meeting with Tan and Paul Hoeve, Nature Squared’s other co-founder.

Nature Squared specialises in turning unconventional natural materials such as seashells, feathers, tobacco leaves and termite nests into products and surfaces for interior and architectural applications. It is well known for its eggshell inlay, a heritage technique dating back to China’s Tang dynasty (618-907).

However, Carrelé (stylised as “CArrelé”, Ca being the chemical symbol of calcium), the brand’s

foray into eggshell tiles using a new composite Ng designed, extends the material’s capability to be widely used across interiors, maximising its potential while reducing waste.

The tiles are handmade in Nature Squared’s factory in Cebu in the Philippines using eggshells sourced from local bakeries and central kitchens. They have the appearance of terrazzo and, according to Ng, are more durable than ceramics.

They are also produced more sustainably: while ceramics must be fired in a kiln at high temperature, eggshell tiles cure naturally at room temperature. The tiles are created after the collected shells have been cleaned and crushed, combined with a binding agent, and then formed into shapes.

Apart from two natural tones (light and dark – differences achieved by toasting the eggshell fragments), colours of blue, red and green are produced using plantbased dyes of indigo, madder and chlorophyllin.

Carrelé comes in three ranges – core, signature and bespoke – offering a choice of shapes, sizes and finishes, including a 3D effect.

Each square metre produced upcycles more than 3,000 eggshells.

Installation is the same as for ceramic tiles, with no special skills required.

Interest so far has come from designers involved in hospitality and public-space projects, but also some high-end residences, she adds.

With global egg production exceeding 86.67 million tonnes in 2020, according to data firm Statista, and most of the shells ending up as landfill, Ng sees eggshells as a valuable material for architectural application.

“Eggshells are composed almost entirely of calcium carbonate, one of the most abundant minerals that nature provides,” she said. “These amazing natural resources are given to us for free. It’s up to us how to work with our planet, rather than working against it.” n From South China Morning Post Photography ©Tracy Wong http://tracywongphoto.com

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Tile bricks rework retro charm in a modern twist Materici, a new ceramic tiles collection from Sartoria, is made up of highly polished "bricks" that reinterpret the theme of "handmade" from a fresh perspective. The “present and past blend to create glazed porcelain stoneware surfaces with surprising chromatic effects and plays of light”, according to the brand.

Characterised by the imperfections typical of handmade majolica, these glossy "bricks" lend

themselves to a wide range of floor and wall laying applications.

The palette consists of neutral shades such as Latte, Argilla, Cannella, Visone and Pepe alongside deeper tones such as Foresta, Stagno and Cedro. The surface represents a multiplicity of different shades. The gloss of the glaze and imperfect edge can create distinctive environments that looks at traditional ceramics in a fresh way. n

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