Expert Answers in Testing

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…