Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Concrete Concrete Substrate Slab Debonding Tile Efflorescence Staining failures Moisture Problems Testing Vapor Barrier

What is the Acceptable Moisture Content in a Concrete Slab for a Tile Installation?

Answer - The ASTM F1869 Calcium Chloride membrane was the dominate test for years and depending on the tile installation manufacturer they would request a value of anywhere from 3% to 12% per 1,000 sf…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Performance Physical Properties Testing

Is my Porcelain Tile strong enough to bear the weight of a heavy wood stove?

ANSWER - If in fact the tile you are selecting is a porcelain tile with the physical properties as required in ANSI A137.1, and it is installed correctly, it should be suitable for bearing the…

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failures selection Standards stone Testing

Is there a test to verify the quality of a travertine stone?

ANSWER - There are ASTM standards for the minimum/maximum physical property requirements for a travertine stone, which is ASTM C1527.   They do classify the stone as either Class I Exterior or Class II interior use,…

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Exterior Slip Resistance stone Testing

What is the Coefficient of Friction on Slate Roof tiles?

ANSWER - We deal a lot with static coefficient of friction and dynamic coefficient of friction on stone and other hard surfaces per ASTM C1028 and ANSI A137.1 respectively.   There are many types of slate…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Standards Testing

Does the ASTM C-648 (breaking strength) Take Thickness into Consideration?

ANSWER - ASTM C648-04 (2009) Standard Test Method for Breaking Strength of Ceramic Tile does not take into consideration the thickness of the tile sample being tested. It is generally true that the breaking strength of…

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cleaning Stains stone Testing

Testing Granite Tiles for Staining

ANSWER - True geologically classified granite stone is normally very resistant to staining and chemicals.  There are some stones sold as granite that are not true granites and they could be more susceptible to staining and…

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selection Slip Resistance Standards Testing

Does polished tile meet ADA Standards in a chapel area?

ANSWER - Americans with Disability Act (ADA) states that the minimum dry static Coefficient of Friction (COF) of 0.60; ramps: 0.80.   Based on the other industry recommendations I would say it needs to be a minimum…

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selection Testing

How can I determine different tiles' hardness rating?

ANSWER - Using different types of tiles in the same installation can be done if you like the blend of colors.  You do need to adjust for different facial dimensions and different thicknesses from one…

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Standards stone Testing

Could the quality of granite be tested?

ANSWER - There is a lot of natural stone sold as granite that is not true granite.  Due to the large demand for stone today, stone that would not have been sold or used before is…

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installation Testing

Do you know on average Mortar Compressive Strength would be with standard sand and cement?

ANSWER - Laticrete 226/3701 and Mapei Mapicem are mortars the say they can achieve 5,000 psi compressive strength or greater.  Note that the reported values are based on laboratory results, not field testing.  Field testing…

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