Go Big or Go Home – Why Very Large Format Tiles are catching up?
Tile sizes are becoming larger, in India. Now we have consumers demanding tiles as large as 12 feet, for installation on interior floors, walls, or external facades. Gone are those days, when the ubiquitous 2 by 2 feet tile were the norm in tiling. The modern-day consumer is willing to pay for tiles that offer functional value but at the same time does demand more bang for the buck.
For the uninitiated, any tile with its largest side greater than 1000 mm is a ‘very large format tile’.
No wonder, having very large format tiles installed in your house is now the ‘in-thing’. But did we say that installing such tiles can be a tricky and messy affair? Or not? Let’s find out… This is a common concern for homeowners considering this stylish option, and understanding the proper installation techniques, including how to tile large format tiles on the wall and how to lay large format floor tiles, is crucial.
Cement or Adhesives?
Over the years, cement slurry was the de facto material of choice to install tiles. But Cement’s chemical composition doesn’t allow it to retain water. In scientific terms, because of Cement’s high heat of hydration, it tends to lose water quickly and shrinks.
So when you use cement slurry to install tiles, cement shrinks by losing water and is, thus, unable to bond with the tile surface. Consequently, the shrinkage also creates unintended hollow spaces below/beside the tile, thereby making the tile susceptible to debonding or cracks
We have established that the installation of tiles with cement slurry is highly problematic. Now, let’s talk about the installation of very large format tiles.
Very large-format tiles undergo heat curing in roller furnaces. Hence, they come with natural warpages and flexibility (slight bend, otherwise not noticeable to the human eye).
Imagine cement slurry losing water and shrinking after the installation of these tiles. The natural warpage of these tiles pronounces the issue of hollow sounds and drastically increases the probability of the following occurrences:
- Tenting of tiles
- Cracks at the edges (especially when spacers are not used)
- De-bonding of tiles
With the tile installation using cement slurry, would you invest so much time and resources, just to witness the tiles of your choice crack and de-bond someday? No, right? That’s what we thought.
It is because of the above reasons that Tile Adhesives make sure the intended bonding with the tile occurs.
How do we ensure that?
Tile adhesive is a special formulation of various ingredients, dosed with polymers to retain water(self-curing property) during adhesion with the tile. Thus, greatly enhancing the quality and longevity of the tile installation.
More so with very large format tiles, wherein the adhesion must be sustained, allowing for the lateral movement arising due to the natural warpage and flexibility of such tiles.
Presenting MYK LATICRETE 335 Maxi
We designed 335 Maxi with a ‘special and unique’ formulation to flawlessly install very large format tiles, thin bodies, laminate tiles, and stones for both exterior and interior surfaces.
The formulation of 335 Maxi is ‘special and unique’ because it is a multipurpose partially lightweight, highly polymer modified and highly flexible adhesive for installation of very large format and thin body tiles on most of the substrates, to accommodate movements.
