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THE LEADING UK MAGAZINEFOR THE TILE & STONE INDUSTRYWWW.TILEANDSTONEJOURNAL.COMOCTOBER 2009VOLUME 6 NO9UNDERTILE HEATINGThe latest UFH statistics,plus industry feedbackCERSAIEAll the exhibition newsfrom a buzzingBolognaBCT OPENINGTSJ reports from BCT'simpressive new £30mfacilityIT SYSTEMSHow technology can helpto drive the tile sectorTT AOFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE TILE ASSOCIATION

October 2009Volume 6 Number 9EditorJoe Simpsontandsjournal@aol.comT: 01580 752404M: 07885 294814Advertisement DirectorStuart Bournestuart.bourne@kick-startpublishing.co.ukT: 01892 752441Production DirectorJohn Heath 01892 752445Editorial DirectorAlan Bakalor 01892 680816Editorial AdministrationElaine Hudson 01892 752400DesignerNeil Owen 01892 752401Production and DesignLorna Reekie 01892 752401CONTENTSNEWSCERSAIE REVIEW: VILLEROY & BOCH P43Cevisama update, property market statistics, BCT unveilsits new £30 million factory, Konrad Goess-Saurau urgessupport for UK manufacturers, Kevin Whiteley’s obituary 4SITE REPORTThe refurbishment of Edinburgh’s ‘Sistine Chapel’ 20CERSAIE REVIEWAttendance statistics and design trends from Bologna 43UNDERFLOOR HEATINGNews, views and technical data from this growing sector 27ARTICLESIT systems: warehouse management and stock control 24Laying thin porcelain tiles: a guide by Mapei UK 55GENERAL ENQUIRIESEditorialThe Old Corn Store, Heartenoak RoadHawkhurst, Kent TN18 4PZT: 01580 752404 F: 01580 752604M: 07885 294814E: tandsjournal@aol.comTHE TILE ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTERTTA wins its advertising complaint against Altro 22PORTFOLIOWhat’s new in ceramic tiles, stone, tools and accessories 52BOOK REVIEWSSpilimbergo mosaic masterclasses and a 1904 classic 54Advertising and subscriptionsThe Oast, Great DanegateEridge, East Sussex TN3 9HUT: 01892 752400 F: 01892 752404-752405W: www.tileandstonejournal.comAll rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by anymeans, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,recording or any information storage or retrieval system,without the express prior written consent of the publisher.Tile & Stone Journal is published by © Kick-Start Publishing LtdISSN 1744-4276SUBSCRIPTIONSUnited Kingdom£40.00 per annumEurope£70.00 per annumRest of the World£95.00 per annumOCTOBER 2009 TSJ 3

NEWS & COMMENTEDITOR’S COMMENT“Good news, at last. After the disappointment ofCersaie and, even, Coverings, the global tile marketfinally put it’s best foot forward at Cersaie. Whilethe new products were generally safe andconservative, that was not really the point. The tileindustry could not afford another failed exhibitionand, thankfully, Cersaie provided just the shot inthe arm we all need.Now, I am not claiming that a single show, evenone drawing over 80,000 visitors, will solve ourproblems. However, had Cersaie failed to deliverthe goods, I do believe that the industry wouldhave suffered. The only way to trade successfullythrough a recession is to remain optimistic and to transmit this optimism topotential customers.No one wants to buy from Dennis the Doommonger, but just might find the willto spend some cash when confronted by Olav the Optimist. After Cersaie, Ibelieve, there will be many more optimists behind tiling sales counters in theUK, and far more persuasive distributors drumming up new business with theirretail customers.The one pity is that those individuals who most needed the boost provided byCersaie were the very buyers who stayed at home. Apart from the agents whohave to attend to keep in with their manufacturers, for the rest of us visitingCersaie is optional. Those travelling this year did so more in hope thanexpectation ... but they went anyway. For those who stayed at home, I can’tclaim you missed the greatest display of ceramic design innovation ever seen,but you did miss the moment when the tile industry world-wide said enough isenough. The fightback started in Bologna. Let’s all get on message.”Joe SimpsonRAK Ceramics Corporation (USA),the USA arm of the UAE-basedmanufacturer of ceramic andporcelain tile products, hasannounced an increased focus onthe United States marketplace.RAK Ceramics has enjoyed steadygrowth in recent years. Yearover-yearsales grew 29% in2008, and 2009 has been no differentso far. RAK Ceramics posteda 22% increase in profits overlast year’s impressive Q1 numbers.Using the most sophisticatedmachinery from worldleaders such as Sacmi, Barbieri &Tarrozzi, RAK Ceramics currentlyproduces over 325,000 sq.metres per day of porcelain andceramic floor and wall tiles. RAKCeramics exports product to 135countries across five continents,and has geared up to penetratethe United States from just outsideChicago, Illinois.Cevisama confirms that the2010 event will go aheadCevisama’s organisers have confirmed that the 28th editionwill be held as planned at Valencia from 9th to 13thFebruary 2010, squashing rumours that have been circulatingin the industry. Plans for next year’s show include afirst level innovation showcase featuring new ceramic tile,natural stone and marble products, as well as bathroomequipment, glaze and colour developments.The organisers say that, with four months still to go,many leading international companies have confirmedtheir participation in the show, including Keraben, TauCerámica, Pamesa, Grespania, Aparici Cerámicas, ApavisaPorcelánico, Vives, Inalco, Cosentino, Compac Mármol &Quartz and Levantina.Middle East manufacturers will have a strong presence,including RAK from UEA, Royal Ceramic from Egypt, Vitraand Asan Eczacibasi from Turkey. These companiesalready work closely with companies in Castellon indesign-related and raw materials matters and will beleveraging this, plus their own brand reputations, to drawbuyers to the show.TSJ understands that other emerging producers will alsobe taking significant space at Cevisama, in a bid to establishenhanced brand awareness in a period when manyestablished players are cutting back their marketingspend. Cevisama will also have representations from othergeographical areas such as Italy and Brazil, with theMarazzi Group underlining its global leadership with alarge stand. Raw material suppliers will also be well representedby names such as Esmaltes, Ferro Spain, Fritta,Kerafrit, Quimicer, Torrecid and Vernís. Cevisama will alsoincorporate the natural stone show, Mármol.Beatriz Ubón, Cevisama’s Director, says that the 2010edition: “Takes one step further and includes new sectorsthat boost the show abroad and optimizes synergies inarchitectural and building applications.”http://cevisama.feriavalencia.com4 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

NEWS & COMMENTCommercial property market improvesThe UK commercial property marketshows signs that it may have reached bottomon the back of rising demand, accordingto latest research by national propertyconsultancy, Lambert Smith Hampton(LSH).LSH’s UKIT Quarterly Bulletin highlightsthat activity in the commercial propertyinvestment market improved last quarterwith demand for property increasing, andthe market indicator – yields – rising bytheir smallest amount since the start of therecession.LSH Head of Capital Markets, EzraNahome, said: “There has been a change insentiment and a renewed interest ininvesting in commercial property. There isa greater urgency to get deals done. Theimprovement in market activity may havebeen modest but the mood has definitelychanged and investors are keen to buywell secured quality property at currentvalues.”The past quarter’s yield increase was justthree basis points, compared to 97 basispoints in the first quarter of 2009. It is thesmallest increase for two years. The recessionsaw yields increase to such an extentthat UK commercial property values arenow 45% below their peak in mid 2007.The commercial property investmentmarket was the first and hardest hit by therecession. Many property professionalsbelieve that it will be the first to improveand lead the market out of the downturnwith the commercial property occupiermarket lagging behind and still yet to feelsome of the pain already experienced bythe investment market.“While investment demand hasincreased, UK property is not out of thewoods yet,” says Nahome. “While economistsare suggesting that there is a light atthe end of the tunnel and we may bemoving out of the recession by the end ofthis year at the earliest, the commercialproperty occupier market has weakenedsignificantly in recent months and thismay dent investor confidence in this fragilemarket.”Ardex helps Westfield’s school pool upgradeArdex UK worked in partnership with Westfield Interiors of Wetherby, to provide the tiling solution for the refurbishmentof the swimming pool at Queen Mary’s School in Yorkshire. The 190 sq. metre refurbishment was startedwith some of the pool wall areas being rendered with Ardex AM 100 Rapid Hardening One Coat Tiling Renderthat allows tiles to be fixed just two hours after application. Once the existing floor surround tiles were removed,the falls were improved with an application of Ardex S 21 bedding mortar incorporating screeding sand. Themosaic tiles, supplied by Waxman Ceramic Tiles, were fixed with Ardex X 77 Microtec Flexible Floor & Wall TileAdhesive which has an open time of up to 60 minutes, providing greater fixing efficiency over large areas.Additional benefits include excellent application properties and high yield, and its suitability for use on bothinternal and external applications. Ardex-Flex Stormy Mist Rapid Setting Flexible Grout, with built-in admix, waschosen to fill the tile joints. It offers flexibility, water repellence, ease of application and dirt resistance.On completion of the project, Paul Angove of Westfield Interiors commented, “With Ardex, we know that we areusing a tried and tested product range that will assure unparalleled on-site results, without compromise.”01440 714939 www.ardex.co.ukNEWS IN BRIEFStoneCircle, the manufacturerof natural stone productsbased in Basingstoke,has appointed Colin Bakeras Sales Manager. Thisposition has been createddue to an increase in sales.Baker comes from the stone industry where he hasworked for three years. But before that he had acareer spanning 30 years in the kitchens industry,much of which was spent dealing with granite andsolid surface worktops.Oscar Zannoni , Chairman and CEO of Italian tile manufacturerGruppo Ceramiche Ricchetti died suddenlyat the end of September. Shares in the company weresuspended after the death of Zannoni who was reputedto own more than 60% of the company.Norcros has appointed Vijay Aggarwal as a non-executivedirector, reports Crain’s Manchester Business.Aggarwal is Managing Director of H & R Johnson(India) Ltd, a former joint venture partner company inwhich Norcros held an 18.5% stake until it sold out inJuly 2008 for £3.7m. Lifestyle Investments Pvt Ltd, asubsidiary of H & R Johnson (India), owns 29.3% ofNorcros Plc. In a separate development, Norcros,whose brands include Johnson Tiles, NorcrosAdhesives and Triton showers, has appointed OrielSecurities as its sole broker. The company previouslyused Altium.Azuvi has developed a newsystem of backlit murals incollaboration with Spanishcompany Coarce. The conceptcombines high performancematerials withwater jet cutting and engraving technology, as well asLED lighting. The Urban range of porcelain tiles fromAzuvi’s Geotech collection formed the basis forArquitek.Polis, the installation that launched this newconcept at Cevisama. Featuring a city skyline on aventilated façade application, the windows of thebuildings were cut at acute angles and inlaid withcoloured glass which was backlit with energy efficientLEDs.Following the retirement of Rob Morgan, SimonBotterill has been appointed Satra's new FinanceDirector. Botterill has extensive experience of workingat board level and has been personally responsiblefor a number of business areas including finance,human resources, estates management, administrationand IT. Botterill qualified as an accountant whileworking for his first employer, RDL Contracting. Hethen gained wide and varied experience, including sixyears in publishing with the EMAP Group, 11 years asFinancial Director and Company Secretary of a flooringand office interiors group and, most recently, sevenyears as Director of Finance and Estates at NorthHertfordshire College.OCTOBER 2009 TSJ5

NEWS & COMMENTArdex fits out Maidstone mallArdex UK recently joined forces with contractors CerfaceLimited to complete a new visitors’ entrance at The Mall,Maidstone. Situated in the heart of the town, The Mallshopping centre offers a mix of independent retailers andlarger department stores, plus a selection of places to eat,making for a relaxing and enjoyable shopping experience.Ardex Microtec X 78 S Ultra Rapid Setting Floor TileAdhesive in grey was specified to fix 320 sq. metres of1,200 by 540mm Riven anti-slip porcelain tiles to level andramped floor areas. The revolutionary combination ofpolymers, specialist cement and Microtec fibres givesArdex X 78 S unsurpassed user benefits, including ultrarapid strength development and adhesion. It providesenhanced performance including excellent applicationproperties and high yield, plus all of the benefits of apourable adhesive without the disadvantages (e.g. dripping). In addition, downtime was greatly minimised dueto the rapid hardening performance that provides a walkon and grouting time of only 90 minutes.Ardex X 7 R Rapid Setting Flexible Tile Adhesive was usedto fix 110 sq. metres of smaller 300 by 300mm Riven antislipporcelain tiles to a new pedestrian bridge, linking thenew and existing buildings. Ardex X 7 R is suitable for fixingall types of wall and floor tiles including porcelain, andis ready to be walked on and grouted just two hours afterapplication. In addition, Ardex X 7 R offers excellent slumpresistance, superior application properties and suitabilityfor use with underfloor heating.The tile joints were grouted with Ardex–Flex FL RapidSetting Flexible Grout in Ocean Grey. Specifically developedfor use with wide tile joints from 3-15mm, Ardex-FlexFL is suitable for use with all types of tiles including porcelain,ceramic, most natural stone and quarry tiles, as well asextruded tiles and glass blockwork. With key featuresincluding flexibility, water repellence, ease of applicationand dirt resistance, plus availability in 32 colours, it is easyto see why Ardex-Flex tile grouts are chosen for manycommercial locations, as well as swimming pools, kitchens,bathrooms, and wet rooms.“We have been advocates of Ardex for many years. Theirproducts offer premium performance and reliability, and acustomer support service that is second to none,” statesChris Clark of Cerface.01440 714939 www.ardex.co.ukLESLEY-ANN BLAMIRE“Cersaie ... in three words: green, slim and digital. A newmelange of commercial, technological and aestheticcomponents that certainly stimulated debate,momentarily masking the grim reality of contractingmarkets and reined in consumer spending.Firstly, taking the green and moral avenue, as the endusercontinues the crusade for sustainability, theceramic tile world duly responds with growth inrecycled material and production technology, withbold certification maxi-marketed at every opportunity.Conversely, the slim theme does demand somequestioning. Many exhibitors, in fact all major exhibitors, showcased some type ofreduced thickness tile, very well accomplished from a production point of view, yetthe aisles buzzed with conjecture and mixed messages. So let’s have a look at some ofthe claims: “unlimited creativity, eco friendly, easy to lay, easy to cut, no dust, nowaste, no noise, reduced manufacturing costs, reduced transport costs”, etc., (orwhatever the on-the-spot inventive Italian could conjure up next). Sounds like tileutopia, but as Mr. Forbes so accurately and eloquently put it, “less material, get that ...reduced transport cost, get that ... reduced manufacturing cost, get that ... is itcheaper? No.”Sassuolo may well have been whipped up in months of excited frenzy in havingsomething new to take to market but someone really needs to get the story straight.And particularly the marketing story. Will less really be more for the end-consumer?Will thin tile be perceived as technologically advanced or fragile and insubstantial?When the tile’s fixed who’s going to know anyway?And it’s the end-user’s perception that is going to be the deciding factor in all thingsdigital. Whilst digital printing may well reach the parts that other printing processesdon’t, will the digital craze reach the consumer’s psyche?From a manufacturing perspective, it’s pretty much a no-brainer. Traditional “fixedimage”decoration processes have had numerous costly limitations pertaining to setup,maintenance and stock considerations. The variable or digital imaging process isnow well established in the graphic sector and it is this technique that has beenadopted for ceramic ink-jet printing, a contact free process by which an image iscreated by applying small droplets of ink onto the tile by means of injection throughprinting heads. This decorating technology was first introduced to the ceramicindustry by Ferro in the form of Kerajet, a development that has seen continuedinvestment and improvement, and is now accompanied in the market place by manycompetitive systems boasting “no more screens, no more storage, quicker set-up,greater design flexibility, photo-realistic printing and infinite colour options”.From an aesthetic perspective, however, the printed effect can often seem insuspension, and not an integral part of the ceramic body; something whichtraditional Rotocolor maintains. My persuasion therefore, is most definitely towardthe marriage of the old and new and it’s System’s RotoDigit technology that gets myvote. As the name would suggest, this is a fusion of digital printing with roto printing,a solution that combines the benefits of both processes, providing excellentdefinition and the achievement of practically any design, natural or photo-realistic inan almost limitless palette of colour.Whether purely digital, or a combination of the two, the technology perse is mostsuited to interpretations of natural stone and marble effects, either smooth orstructured, and the halls of Cersaie were testimony to this, awash with a sea of carrara,calacatta, palissandro, rapolano, travertino and ardesia.However, it’s back once again to the reality check ~ just how much more faux stoneand marble will the market take? If the consumer aspires to the beauty of real marbleand stone, aren’t they more likely to buy into real marble or stone? If we then considerdigital printing on slim tile, does this get even more questionable? Do we want waferthin ecological quarry-friendly marble? If it’s more affordable perchance ... thenmaybe the future is green, slim and digital.”Former Group Design and Marketing Director at Pilkington’s Tiles, Lesley-Ann Blamire runs design andmarketing consultancy, Quorum I-D. T: 01204 541901 Ext 1009. E: lesleyann.b@btinternet.com6TSJ OCTOBER 2009

NEWS & COMMENTPrincess Royal opens BCT’sstunning new £30m factoryThe 18th September 2009 marked a major milestone for British CeramicTile when Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal officially opened BCT’snew factory. Built over the last two years at a cost of £30 million, it usesthe most modern tile manufacturing equipment available. Situated hardby the world famous Devon ball clays in Newton Abbot, it will be a costleader in its industry and capable of competing with imports from anywherearound the world including Italy and Spain.The factory now has the capacity to produce 7 million sq. metres of tilesa year, which will be increased to 10 million sq. metres by the end of 2010.It is designed to ensure that BCT achieves its target of a 25% share of theUK tile market. The factory is operating under the ISO 9001 (2008) andISO14001 standards, underlining BCT’s commitments to both quality andenvironmental sustainability.“Factories like this, which can compete in world markets and can linkBritish design to British products, will secure British jobs for the future,”stated Executive Chairman, Konrad Goess-Saurau. “Companies like oursare founded by shareholders who are prepared to invest for the longterm. Shareholders who are prepared not only to develop new markets,but, more importantly, support companies so they can develop and trainstaff and be in a position to compete internationally with world-leadingproducts.”“We comply with European environmental, health and safety, andemployment legislation and it is up to our politicians to protect our marketsfrom Far Eastern manufacturers who gain unfair cost advantages byignoring these fundamental considerations,” explained Goess-Saurau.”British Ceramic Tile produces over 20,000 sq. metres of wall tiles everyday using locally sourced raw materials. The integrated design and manufacturingfacility allows for rapid implementation of new designs withthe emphasis on the best of British design. BCT supplies to major multiples,national house developers and directly to the trade, including independenttile retail outlets, contractors and specifiers.BCT has won the Millennium Business Award for Leadership and is theonly company to have won The Tile Association’s ‘Wall Tile of the Year’award three times (2005, 2006 and 2009).BCT has also been the Retail and Contract Floors Reader’s Choice forCeramic Tiles in both 2006 and 2007. More recently in October 2008 itwon the ‘Chartered Institute of Supply Chain Management award for‘Best purchasing initiative by a smaller organisation’.8TSJ OCTOBER 2009ROBIN MOORE“So, the people of Ireland have madetheir decision. They have “voted justas their leaders told them to”, toparaphrase W S Gilbert, and decidedthat the Lisbon Treaty is, on secondthoughts, not such a bad thing afterall. Actually some of the argumentsput forward in favour of the Treatywere risible, as though the worldwould end if it was not ratified. Andmany of those against were notmuch better. However now theresult is known, the brouhaha is over and life should begin tosettle down into whatever now passes for normality. Or will it?There will be fall-out from the referendum decision, so that thedecision is going to affect political and economic life not only inIreland, but across Europe. It is to be hoped that after all thepromises, threats and other emotional blackmail, the ‘Yes’ votewill have the positive effect that the country certainly needs.Other countries in Europe are seeing the end of the recession.Growth, albeit small, has been recorded in France and Germanyand in the UK the latest figures suggest that there was growth inthe third quarter. But in Ireland the most optimistic forecast saysthat, despite some positives, the economy will not come out ofrecession until the second quarter of 2010 at the earliest. Themost recent forecast from the Economic and Social ResearchInstitute says it will be 2011.So why is Ireland lagging at least a year, if not more, behind?There are number of positive factors out there; retail sales, thoughnot of cars, have recovered to the extent that they are not as badas they were, and exports remain healthy. But a major reasonmust be that Irish consumers remain unconvinced. Caution, anunwillingness to commit and a preference to keep hold of theirmoney, to save and pay off mortgages still characterise thesituation. A consumer-led recovery, therefore, is not on the cards.At the same time the banks remain tight-fisted, biding their timeuntil the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), the bodyset up to take over and manage their toxic assets, actually doesthat. The official line is that the banks are lending, but the reality isthat, on much stricter lending criteria, loans are down 60% andmore.Nevertheless we are told that the retail sector has bottomed outand begun to reverse what had seemed to be an inexorabledecline. For the tile industry, the new house market, currentlydown by 75% and maybe more, is hardly going to be a majorsource for new business. But it would appear that, as in othersectors, there is a growing level of enquiries as people, who havepreviously been putting it off, make the decision to get on withthe improvements they had planned. The glimmer of light existsat the end of the tunnel. How to get there and how long it will takeremain major questions. But having preached survival, now mustbe the time to dust off those marketing plans and begin to rebuilda future that is a deal more optimistic than the one we hadseemed to be facing.”

NEWS & COMMENTNEWS IN BRIEFMike Bennett, from Bristol’s Kingswood area,has won the national ‘Tiler of the Month’accolade from www.tilerworld.com, the freeweb site for tilers and their customers. Itacknowledges his high standards of customerservice and tiling quality, supported byreviews posted on www.tilerworld.comalongside numerous positive customer ratings.He has more than 25 years’ experiencewith the long-established family firm D. J.Bennett & Son.Benfer has become part of Schomburg Group (www.schomburg.de), a groupestablished in 1937 offering a wide range of high quality products and systemsfor tile laying, as well as waterproofing and restoration, concrete admixturesand other construction materials. The Schomburg group is represented byover 30 distribution companies and has production facilities in over 50 countries.From now on, Benfer will be known as Benfer Schomburg International.Planned production will include tile adhesives, waterproofing and repair systems,with sales due to start in 4th quarter of 2009.Ceram has become one of a select few companies that can offer fully accreditedslip resistance testing on site. The expansion of the company’s ISO 17025accredited laboratory testing service (www.ceram.com/slip) to include on-sitetesting follows a UKAS assessment of the on-site pendulum test earlier thisyear.Stoke City FC has teamed up with Tile Giant,the UK’s fastest growing ceramic tile retailer,in a five-figure commercial deal. Tile Giant,which now has 83 branches nationally, hasbecome an Official Club Partner at theBritannia Stadium. Mo Iqbal, ManagingDirector of Tile Giant (right), hopes that thisformal agreement with the Potters for thenew Premier League season will build uponthe success story of a company that is now part of the Travis Perkins Group.Tau has acquired the Porcelanatto trademark for its world-wide commercialexploitation. The acquisition agreement was formalised on 24th of September.The agreement solely includes the acquisition of the trade name, synonymouswith porcelain stoneware, and does not include any other matters related tothe former company located in Borriol. Tau believes that the Porcelanatto providesa generic name for the ceramic tile-covering with the greatest added-valueand prestige in the international market; and that it continues to be a trademarkthat has not lost its market value.After establishing itself for many years at Harrogate, National Floor Show 2010will now take place at a new venue, the NEC Birmingham, on the revised datesof 7th to 9th September 2010. Event Director, Andrew Vaughan stated:“Following research amongst all of our exhibitors and a survey of the show’svisitors, the overwhelming preference was for a September event. We havebeen speaking to exhibitors for some time and also conducted surveys of thosewho have previously attended the show to ensure that we include as manyopinions as possible. An early autumn show fits well into the buying cycle, sowe have moved the event to this preferred time.” The organisers also believethat the National Floor Show will also benefit from being placed alongsideanother key interiors event, Autumn Fair International.JOSS THOMAS“For years, we’ve welcomedcustomers to our showroomand guided them throughvarious product options, be itstone, terracotta or slate.There’s been somediscussion regardingmaintenance and durability,and deliberation aboutshades, but ours was not thediverse world of ceramics. But the tide is changing....Maybe it’s the evolution of other natural products, likewood, that has led the way, but today the consumer isbecoming far more focused on finishes. And, forretailers that are keen to move with the times, thisopens up a wealth of opportunities.Different finishes can dramatically change the natureof stone, in terms of look, feel and practically. Themuch sought-after ‘reclaimed’ look is a good case inpoint: customers want to recreate the look without theprice tag and a whole range of techniques, includingsandblasting, brushing and acid treatment, and ‘edgetreatments’ like tumbling, pillowing and chipping,mean that they can. Similarly, a traditionally rusticstone can be given a honed finish, or material can bepolished to intensify colour and give a high glossfinish; a new, emerging trend that puts stone firmly inthe contemporary design spotlight.Mixing different stone from different quarries has alsobecome a very popular option. Once again, thiscreates the wonderful melange of colours seen inreclaimed stone. Tiles may be random or supplied inrandom repeating patterns, so that they’re easier tolay.A move towards a mix of colours and random designalso has big eco benefits too. As a quarried stone canbe cut into various sizes, with no portions rejectedbased on aesthetics, there’s little wastage. Certainmaterials can also be used for multi-applications, sothin slices of stone can be used for wall tiles andmosaics, whilst thicker sections can be manufacturedfor floors.In an industry steeped in tradition, change can bedifficult. And, whilst we don’t want to reinvent thewheel, any opportunity to inject a little life into a trulywonderful product should surely be met withenthusiasm.”For more information, please call 01993 824200 oremail enquiries@indigenousltd.com.www.indigenousltd.com.10 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

NEWS & COMMENT‘Back Britain’ urges BCT’s ChairmanIn a highly passionate and eloquentspeech at the opening of BCT’s newfactory, Executive Chairman KonradGoess-Saurau appealed for the peopleof Britain to support their indigenousmanufacturers.“Building/rebuilding a new factoryon a site that has its roots in theVictorian times of the industrial revolutionis not the norm in this country.”“In today’s short-term businessmentality the general belief is thatthis country can live off a ‘serviceeconomy’ and that the manufacturingof goods is to be left to the so-called ‘sweat shops’ of the Far East. Theeconomic crisis of the past two years will change this belief. As we haveexperienced, a service industry can only live on the back of a real economy– meaning the science based manufacturing and creative industries,which add value on to raw materials coming into the process, to createfinished goods leaving the factory gate.”“The creation of wealth in a country is directly related to the valueadded to products before they reach the shelves in our shops. Sellingand retailing is only the last and smallest part of the value enhancementin the chain. That is why we must do more than import and sell!”“We must reiterate the importance of educating and training our youngin science. We must regain our belief in the British industrial workforceand create industrial long-term sustainable jobs.”“The time has come for the economic policy makers in this country tolend a helping hand to the manufacturing industry and support investorswith a long-term view, creating sustainable businesses and jobs for thefuture.”“We have invested into the future of this country. We have built a factorythat will allow us to compete with anybody around the world – eventhe so-called ‘low-cost - meaning low labour cost - countries of the FarEast and South America.”“But our politicians must realise that free trade cannot be a one-wayflow of cheap goods for the sake of short-term gain to the consumer. Thefree Western developed countries must not allow East Asian communistdictatorships to gain cost advantages by ignoring human rights, as wellas health and safety and environmental laws which govern our everydayworking lives and ensure the long-term sustainability of our economicand eco systems.”“British jobs will depend on British products and when I hear the phrase‘British jobs for British people’, my answer is ‘British products for Britishpeople’ because that is the only long-term assurance for British jobs andan educated, prosperous workforce!”Planning applications have stabilised say GleniganPlanning applications by housebuildershave stabilised in recentmonths, albeit at a low level, accordingto the latest data from Glenigan.An estimated 459 planning applicationsfor new private housingschemes were submitted duringJuly. The average number of planningapplications fell from 1,291 in2007 to 902 in 2008, to just 494 forJanuary to July 2009. Allan Wilén,Glenigan’s Economic Director, commented,"The flow of new planningapplications has steadied in recentmonths, but remains a far cry fromthe number of applications seen acouple of years ago. The latest datademonstrate that housebuildersremain focused upon building outexisting schemes.”MADELEINE HARRINGTON“I don’t know how many of you saw therecent Bisazza ad which ran in interiorsmagazines such as Elle Deco andWallpaper, but it was considered soobjectionable that it was banned bythe ASA. It was part of a series of adsusing images by Japanesephotographer, Nobuyoshi Araki, who isknown for his semi-pornographicphotographs, especially of Kinbaku(Japanese bondage).Bisazza’s own take on the ads is givenon their website, www.bisazza.com, where the ad can also beseen: “Expressing Araki’s original and highly recognised style, theprovocative yet iconic campaign represents Araki’s personalinterpretation of the Bisazza brand.As usual, the central protagonist of Araki’s shots is an orientalwoman, most often tied as per the ancient art of Japanesebondage or kinbaku. Her look (glance), with its strong evocativeforce, involves the observer into an emotional reflection (sic).”The ads have certainly made people talk about Bisazza, below area couple of sample comments from an internet blog.“I'm guessing they wanted something artsy fartsy to appeal toprofessional interior designers who are their most importantconduit for sales.”“And add me to the chorus of "wtf does this have to do with tile?”"Our tiles are the perfect accessory for violent role-play rape"? Isthat what they're trying to say?”Bisazza has always tried to be clever and different with itsadvertising, giving us Vespas covered in mosaic, etc and I wouldguess that they were trying to link the fact that you get anemotional reaction when you view Bisazza mosaics with theemotional reaction caused by the images, and that the commentabout interior designers is probably closest to the money.But it still seems bizarre to me: far from representing Araki’spersonal interpretation of the Bisazza brand, which is about Italianstyle and luxury, it represents Araki’s obsession with Oriental porn.Quite why they should have picked Araki as the perfect candidateto represent the Bisazza brand rather than someone, perhapsItalian, known for beautiful, non-pornographic images perhaps ofinteriors or natural objects such as the flowers that they often usein their tile designs, I don’t know, but as one of the comments said“Ad fail”.Yes, try and stimulate and excite people’s interest, but don’twander so far away from what your company stands for that youend up missing the point altogether and, in this case, getting thead banned as well. Bisazza’s target audience are not the same asFCUK’s where getting the ads banned did do wonders for sales.Elle Deco and Wallpaper’s readers are much more sophisticatedthan that.”Madeleine Harrington is a director of McMullin HarringtonLimited, a marketing consultancy specialising in the tile andstone industry. She can be contacted onmadeleine@mcmh.co.uk.12 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

NEWS & COMMENTSudden death deprives Pilkington’s ofcharismatic Chairman, Kevin WhiteleyIt is with great regret thatTSJ reports the death ofKevin Whiteley, Chairmanof Pilkington’s Tiles Groupplc, who passed awaysuddenly and unexpectedlyon the morning of7th September.Whiteley becameChairman of Pilkington’sGroup in May 2004 afterthe acquisition of thegroup by himself, RayTarr, Steve Lloyd and hisson, Sean Whiteley.Whiteley was one of thehighest profile figures inthe UK ceramics industryand was highly respectedby his contemporaries. Heis acknowledged for hiscontribution as Chairmantogether with his fellowdirectors for the successfulturnaround of thebusiness which nowexpands to worldwidemanufacturing facilities.Prior to the acquisitionof Pilkington’s he will beremembered for establishingone of the firstindependent trade andretail groups in the ceramicsindustry (Tile City, TileClearing Houses andSurface Coatings). Withhis brother Paul in the early1970s he made animmense contribution tothe ceramics industry,establishing key tradinglinks with UK, Spanish andItalian tile manufacturers.Ray Tarr, Chief Executivecomments: “He was alarger than life characterand, for those that knewhim, had a wicked senseof humour. He will begreatly missed by us all.Our thoughts are withKevin’s family.”Whiteley leaves a wife,Val, a son Sean anddaughters Julie and Nick,together with his brotherPaul and sister Odette.Messages of condolenceshould be sent t:o:Jane MattsPilkington’s Tiles Group plcRake Lane, Clifton JunctionManchester M27 8LP.Turkish stone showcase will featureover 70,000 sq. metres of exhibitsThe Natural Stone exhibition is set to open its doors withsupport from the Istanbul Mineral Exporters’ Association,Confindustria Marmomacchine and the Istanbul MarbleAssociation.It promises to be a huge gathering of top level naturalstone and marble supplier companies and is expected todraw an audience of over 20,000 visitors from 28 countriesto its five halls plus the Block Zone. It will feature morethan 70,000 sq. metres of exhibits showcasing theadvances in the extraction and processing that have ledto the exponential growth of the Turkish natural stonesector. This has created an industry with 1, 24 billion dollarsof exports: a 37 fold increase compared with 1991.www.naturalstoneturkey.comIn house survey shows Ultra UKbeats national service benchmarkPlasplugs informs its customers that it is back in businessPlasplugs, the Burtonbasedbusiness that hasbattled back from the brink,has sent thousands of lettersto customers to say it isup and running again. It ishoped the move will be acatalyst to fully relaunchthe company onto the DIYmarket.The firm was plungedinto administration inMarch due to cash flowproblems caused by a profitssqueeze, slower customerpayments, exchangerate fluctuations and therecession. Its bank loandebts were reported to bemore than £5 million.According to Plasplugs’founder Stuart Turner: “Likemost companies we didn’thave the greatest help fromthe banks.” Turner IntlLimited (TIL) acquired thefirm and its assets in June.The move meant Mr Turnerwas installed as Chairman,while his son Nealebecame Chief Executive.However, the companywas hindered for threeweeks by a lack of electricitywhich knocked out computers,telephones andstopped workers openingthe front doors.Since the problem wasresolved, the company hasbeen relatively low key, layingits foundations for thefuture. However, the firm,which now has just 10employees, has now writtento 2,000 customers tosay we are up and running.“We did not want to saythat we were up and runninguntil we were ready tosupply everything. It hasbeen a difficult time, butwe have some great newproducts and we are reallylooking forward now. All ofour tails are up,” statedTurner.”A recent survey conducted by Ultra Tile UK is claimed toshow that the company beats the national benchmark forcustomer satisfaction. Respondents rated organisationson average 7.1 out of 10 when asked whether they weretreated as a valued customer in the recent NationalMeasure of Customer Satisfaction from the Institute ofCustomer Service. Instarmac’s own recent customer satisfactionsurvey showed that the company averaged 9.0when asked how valued they felt based on their interactionwith Instarmac staff. A sample of Instarmac’s customersalso rated the company on average 9.3 out of 10when asked how satisfied they were with the overall levelof service received. Sarah Rose, Marketing Manager ofInstarmac comments ”We were not only proud butabsolutely delighted with our recent CustomerSatisfaction Survey results. ‘First Class’, ‘Excellent service’and ‘Great drivers, good products, nice people’ wereviews expressed by customers throughout the survey. Weregularly ask our customers for feedback; after all it’s theiropinions that really count”. More details on the survey canbe found at www.instarmac.co.uk14 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

NEWS & COMMENTNEWS IN BRIEFAcimac notebooks is the name of a new series of technical/application manualsaimed at technicians in the ceramic sector produced by the Italianceramic plant and machinery manufacturers' association Acimac. AcimacNotebooks have a tabloid format and aim to provide rapid but detailed informationon technological issues of great topical interest. The first notebook,called Digital decoration of ceramic tiles provides extensive and in-depthinformation on the theme of digital decoration in the ceramic industry.Backed by the expertise of the ceramic technology supplier companies whowere commissioned to write parts of the publication, it addresses the technicalaspects of a rapidly evolving technology that is becoming increasinglyestablished in the market.Anfacer, The Brazilian Association of Ceramic Tile Manufacturers, has celebratedits 25th year of operations in 2009. It represents an industry that generatesmore than Real 7 billion yearly and employs around 25,000 directlyand more than 250,000 indirect jobs. Brazil is currently the second largestproducer and consumer nation, and the fifth largest exporter in the world.Ceram has completed a study investigating how the chemical non-slip treatmentof flooring materials affects surface topography, and how this relates toproduct performance. Using white light interferometry Ceram’s study comparedthe effects of an acid etching product and Bonasystems’ BonaGriptreatment on ceramic floor tiles. Results demonstrated a marked differencein microtopography, which can be directly linked to product performancecharacteristics, including ease of cleaning and long term durability.A rise in Government-funded construction work and a surge in utilities projectsare helping to stabilise the flow of construction projects starting on site.After sharp falls during the first half of 2009, the Glenigan Index for Augustrecorded a 9% year-on-year decline in the value of project starts. The yearon-yeardecline for March to May was 30%. Looking ahead, whilst privatesector weakness is expected to impact project starts during the remainder of2009, the flow of new work is forecast to improve during 2010.Los Angeles-based C RLaurence is set to expand itsEurope operation with newpremises at Rochdale’sKingsway Business Park. Thecompany, which is a leadingsupplier to the glazing, stoneand architectural industries, has signed contracts for a new office and warehousingunit totalling 71,000 sq ft. Earlier this year C R Laurence acquiredRochdale-based Ebor, with the aim of establishing a European HQ. FormerEbor partner Simon Boocock is now Managing Director of C R Laurence’sEurope operation which also includes a major base in Stuttgart, Germany.Around a dozen new jobs will be created in the first year, ranging from warehousingto technical sales. The former Ebor premises at Gorrells Way inRochdale will be retained with the majority of staff relocating to Kingswaywhen construction of the premises completes next summer.Commenting on the latest data from the Bank of England, The Council ofMortgage Lenders’ Economist Paul Samter said: “Net lending turned positivein August, and for the first eight months of the year it has totalled £5.5 billion.Housing market activity has flattened off, but remains stable and well abovethe very low levels seen a year ago. The weak economy and limited capacityto lend is continuing to restrict further improvement and we expect lendingto remain subdued.”Mapei UK cuts landfill waste by 90%Keeping in line with recent targets announced by theGovernment in The Strategy for Sustainable Construction,Mapei UK has greatly improved its waste situation and dramaticallyshifted away from landfill. Since January 2009 MapeiUK’s landfill submission has reduced significantly and, in April2009, was down 91% on the same period in 2008. This hascontinued to further improve throughout 2009.Recycling of materials, including solidified product, plastic,cardboard, Hessian bags, large plastic and metal drums, plasticbuckets, plastic cups, etc., has significantly increased overthe last few months up to as high as 53.2 tonnes in May 2009.Mapei now segregate the waste into various materials . Forexample, solidified product is broken down and utilised forhardcore in construction projects and motorways.Mark Louch, Managing Director says: ”Mapei UK is determinedto minimise impact on the environment and our localeffort fully supports the environmental policies of our parentcompany, Mapei Group, for which environmental concern ispart of our global philosophy.”.Stone producer Burlington unveils itsdynamic and interactive new websiteCumbria-based Burlington has unveiled a dramatic redesign ofits popular web site. at www.burlingtonstone.co.uk. This willprovide architects, interior designers, specifiers, contractorsand developers with a wealth of product information anddesign ideas.Redesigned to demonstrate the company’s ability to transformboth the interior and exterior of a building through theuse of its natural stone, slate and limestone products, the newwebsite presents a gallery of specification projects, togetherwith detailed technical information, help and support.The new site also boasts a host of tools and features thatserve to improve the usability and accessibility of informationfor specifiers of natural stone products.New this time around is an In Your Home section, created toaccommodate the growing consumer interest that the sitenow attracts. For ease of navigation, the website covers distinctproduct categories that provide access to detailed information,all of which are enhanced through a gallery of highquality photographic images.Equally accessible is information relating to the palette ofstone colours The new website also enables specifiers toaccess a wealth of technical and specification information, beit in the form of datasheets, brochures or design guides, all ofwhich can be quickly downloaded in pdf format. The site alsoprovides access to Burlington’s in-house technical supportteam.16 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

NEWS & COMMENTNEWS IN BRIEFThe first FindaProperty.com House Prices and Affordability Index, showsnational UK asking prices moving into positive annual growth for the firsttime this year, with prices currently £512 higher than a year ago. This is aresult of six consecutive months of stable or positive monthly house pricegrowth, as buyers take advantage of good value in the market with renewedconfidence. The recovery is being spearheaded by estate agents listinghouses and properties at the upper end of the market, while flats and firsttime buyer homes continue to record annual falls. 'Home-mover' houseprices, i.e. those properties with 3, 4 or 5 bedrooms suitable for existinghomeowners moving up the ladder, are 6.61% higher than a year ago, whileentry level properties (studios, one and two-bedroom homes) are 4.6% lower.This is likely to reflect the fact that many existing homeowners still havesubstantial equity in their properties, so are able to access the mortgagemarket fairly easily despite tighter lending criteria. First time buyers havealso been hardest hit by the retracted employment market, reducingdemand for entry level homes and therefore impacting values. The averagevalue of houses on the site is currently £239,379, 1.1% higher than a yearago, while flats are 2.17% lower than a year ago at £174,318.Lafarge Plasterboard, one of the UK’s leading plasterboard and drylining systemsmanufacturers, is working with Laing O’Rourke on one of the largestschools complexes in Edinburgh, supplying its innovative GTEC Aqua Board.The Forrester and St Augustine’s schools are being redeveloped with ashared sports facility including a large swimming pool. The gypsum basedGTEC Aqua Board is being used in the swimming pool complex due to itsenhanced water and mould resistant properties. Lafarge has also provideda donation of materials to help a major renovation and new build project bya high-profile charity organisation in Leeds, as part of its association withconstruction industry charity CRASH.West Midlands interiors and lifestyle businesses received a boost when theCeramic Industry Forum and Birmingham City University jointly launchedthe New Pathways Project: a pioneering £2.6 million initiative designed toencourage collaboration, innovation and diversification. The project willafford businesses access to expert advice intended to help them unlock newmarkets or explore new technologies free of charge. Launch guests includedJohnson Tiles.August saw the biggest month-to-month improvement in the time it takescompanies in the UK to settle bills since December 2007, according to thenew monthly Late Payment Index from Experian.Figures from housebuilder Persimmon suggest that the property marketmay finally be stabilising. Although the group's half-year pre-tax profitswere down 73% at £9.8m on revenues down 39% to £612m, the groupreported a £27.9m rise in the value of its land, leaving its holdings with anestimated value of £1.7bn. Sales and prices are both on the increase withjust over 4,000 houses sold in the first six months of this year. Average sellingprices have hit £174,000, up 6% on prices at the same time last year,Commenting on the Bank of England mortgage approval data, SimonRubinsohn, RICS chief economist said: "The further rise in the number ofmortgage approvals during July is testament to the continuing recovery inthe housing market. However, the sharp fall in net lending during themonth demonstrates that lenders still remain a little hesitant to increase thetotal pot of money committed to the mortgage market. Significantly, themortgage repayments increased to their highest level (in July) since Marchimplying that existing funds are being recycled.Ardex unveils training packageUnderlying the company’s belief in the importance of continualtraining for industry professionals, Ardex offers awide range of demonstrations and seminars that can be tailoredto suit a customer’s specific requirements. Coursescan either take place at the company’s purpose-builtdemonstration facility located in Haverhill, Suffolk, or alternativelyat a workplace or a location of the customer’schoice.Training is carried out by a team of technical experts whonot only have extensive knowledge but also practical experienceof the tiling industry. This enables Ardex to ensurethat course content is accurate and includes the latestinformation on technological advances and industry regulations.Ardex also offers a range of CPD Seminars including ‘TheInstallation of Ceramic Tiling’. This presentation covers theinstallation of ceramic tiling across a wide range of locationssuch as commercial and domestic showers, swimmingpools and surrounds, etc. It also includes the presentationof RIBA assessed summary papers entitled 'Ceramic FloorTiling - Avoiding Failures' and 'Adhesives and Bedding'.Ardex is also committed to assisting a number of key trainingcolleges across the country with products, demonstrations,literature, technical support and advice.Call 01440 714939 or visit www.ardex.co.uk for details.Bolivia’s Faboce tools up with AncoraAncora Group of Sassuolo, Italy has expanded and consolidatedits presence in the South American market with a doubleorder from the ceramic company Faboce in Bolivia.This major supply contract vindicates the decision to open anew branch in Brazil, which has been operating since lastspring with a view to offering an efficient and rapid after-salesservice throughout South America. "This branch has given aconsiderable boost to our sales activities," explains ManagingDirector, Fabio Corradini.The plant will begin operation in the Spring of 2010 and willproduce glazed and unglazed porcelain tile following a strategicdecision by the company's owners, the Auzza family. Twomodern polishing and lapping lines will soon be operational inthe Santa Cruz factory, complete with machinery for squaring,scoring and snapping to make sub-sizes. The lappingmachines will have the dual function of lapping glazed porcelaintile and polishing unglazed porcelain tile.18 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

SITE REPORTArts and Crafts revivalSpecialist tile manufacturer, Craven Dunnill Jackfield hasplayed a central role in the stunning restoration of thebuilding known as Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel: TheCatholic Apostolic Church in New Town, reports TSJ.The demise of The Catholic Apostolic Church builtbetween 1873 and 1876 in New Town, Edinburgh,and once known as Edinburgh’s Sistine Chapel, wasrapid. In less than 20 years it went from a stunningchurch, celebrated for its architecture and unique Artsand Crafts murals painted by Phoebe Anna Traquair, toa derelict space with water pouring down the walls, awarehouse in the nave and a night club beneath.The Mansfield Traquair Trust had little time to sparewhen they formed in 1993 to take on the daunting task ofpreserving the building and its murals. Some £6.3 millionlater and the final stage of the project has been completed:the restoration of the encaustic and geometric tiledfloor using hand-made tiles by Craven Dunnill Jackfield.Dr. Duncan Thomson, Chairman of the Trust reveals howit was as interested in restoring the floor to its former gloryas it was in encouraging the survival of the traditional skillsinvolved in encaustic tile-making: “The Trust is delightedwith the results and is proud that not only has the settingof the murals been enhanced but that the skills for themanufacture and laying of traditional encaustic tiles will bemaintained.”It was the Trust’s architects, Simpson & Brown ofEdinburgh, who researched the options available torestore the decorative encaustic and geometric tiled floor,which had been damaged when stalls and the organ hadbeen ripped out and concrete screed coarsely applied tofill the holes. The ornate tiles run throughout the originalchancel and chancel aisles, and there were five large areasrequiring replacement tiles to match the existing originals,the latter dating back to when the church was built in the1870s. In the late 19th century there were numerousencaustic and geometric floor tile manufacturers, includingdistinguished names such as Maw & Co and Minton &Co. However, it was the lesser known Godwins of Herefordwhich made the original tiles for this church, having establisheda reputation for its medieval-styled inlaid tiles.The tiled floor design combines popular motifs of the era,such as fleur de Lys and scrolls, plus the symbolic CelticKnot, which is found in the connecting areas. To restorethe floor more than 1,000 encaustic tiles were made byCraven Dunnill Jackfield in seven different designs, andfour colours: buff, red, green and black. The tiles feature anunusual glazed, textured finish, which is achieved using aspecial technique of hand-dipping the tiles. In addition,glazed green and black slip tiles and over five squaremetres of red, geometric tiles were made.The patterns repeat in both the borders and as panels,and, therefore, it was crucial these matched up with theexisting tiles when inserted - not an easy task when eachencaustic tile shrinks 7% in the kiln. To avoid any discrepancy,each section was laid out at the Jackfield works toensure the dimensions were exact. The colours were crucialtoo; today, visitors to the Mansfield Traquair Centreneed to look carefully to see the difference.In the mid 19th century encaustic tiles were made usingplaster moulds impressing a pattern into plastic clay, andthen filling the indentations with liquid clay in contrastingcolours. This is the same process used by Craven DunnillJackfield today. In skilfully applying these same techniquesand using traditional equipment, Jackfield ensures it producestiles of the exact same thickness, dimensions andpattern proportions as the originals.The Mansfield Traquair Trust was delighted to findCraven Dunnill Jackfield: the company is now the oneremaining manufacturer of traditionally-styled, encaustictiles in the UK. Established in 2000 on the site of an originalVictorian tile works in Jackfield, Shropshire, and close tothe River Severn, the company is dedicated to makingencaustic, geometric and decorative wall tiles to the higheststandards, using traditional techniques and materials.Headed up by Adrian Blundell, Production Director, thecompany has successfully completed many prestigiouscommissions, including The Church of St. Thomas ofCanterbury, and other architectural, national treasuresincluding Keble College, the London Underground andLeeds Library.The company’s approach to successfully undertakingsuch projects is a team affair involving a project manager,expert in CAD and design, the floor tile manager, who hashands-on responsibility for making the tiles, and a glazeexpert. The team liaises closely with conservation companies,architects and flooring contractors working on thejob, and follows the project through from beginning toend. In this way, Craven Dunnill Jackfield has established areputation for quality and authenticity, and is recognisedfor its work by architects specialising in the listed buildingsector and public bodies including English Heritage andThe National Trust. The company has won many awardsfor its work and Adrian Blundell attributes this to theJackfield workforce: “It is their skills and passion for theirwork which is the life-blood of this company”.Mansfield Traquair CentreThe Mansfield Traquair Centre is open to the public onOpen Days and is used for functions. The church wasdesigned by Robert Rowand Anderson, acclaimed for hisprestigious commissions including the University ofEdinburgh Medical School and The Scottish NationalPortrait Gallery and Mount Stewart. Mural painting playeda significant part in Anderson’s work and examples still surviveat McEwan Hall and the Scottish National PortraitGallery.In 1889 William Morris addressed an Arts and Crafts congressin Edinburgh advocating that painting and sculpturewere meaningless unless they formed part of the architecture:Phoebe Anna Traquair’s (1852-1936) murals at The20 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

EDINBURGH CHURCHEncaustic tiles were madeusing plaster moulds impressinga pattern into plastic clay,and then filling the indentationswith liquid clay in contrastingcolours. This is thesame process used by CravenDunnill Jackfield today toensure it produces tiles of theexact same thickness, dimensionsand pattern proportions,as the originals.ContactsTile manufacturerCraven Dunnill Jackfield01952 884124www.cravendunnilljackfield.co.ukClientThe Mansfield Traquair Trustinfo@mansfieldtraquair.org.ukFlooring ContractorS G Ceramics0131 663 8197Catholic Apostolic Church realised Morris’s democraticideals. She was the leading artist of the Arts and Craftsmovement in Edinburgh at that time, earning an internationalreputation for her work. The vast mural paintingcycle at the church is today considered to be unique anda national treasure to be preserved.ArchitectsSimpson & Brown0131 555 4678www.simpsonandbrown.co.ukOCTOBER 2009 TSJ 21

TTA NEWSLETTERASA upholds TTA complaintand bans Altro’s misleading adThe Tile Association made an official complaint to the AdvertisingStandards Authority about a series of advertisements placed by seamlessPVC manufacturers Altro.The Tile Association claimed that the advertisements misleadinglyimplied that:• Altro seamless PVC was more hygienic, impermeable and easier to cleanthan ceramic tiled surfaces.• Ceramic floor tiles were a slip and trip hazard• Ceramic floor tiles were more of a slip and trip hazard than Altro’sproducts.The ASA council has adjudicated on the complaint and agreed that theads breached the code. Altro have been informed by the ASA that “theads must not appear again in the current form” and that Altro were “notto make claims for which they did not hold robust substantiation”.The full judgement can be found on the ASA website at www.asa.org.uk and has been published on The Tile Association website atwww.tiles.org.uk.The Tile Association rigorously defends any attack on the ceramic tileindustry which may have a detrimental effect on the businesses of TTAmembers and non-members alike. Such battles are costly and very timeconsuming and not without risk of even greater cost if TTA does not win.At the moment TTA are also battling with BSI who are threatening toremove the Kitemark for ceramic tiles and are now getting more andmore involved in environmental/sustainability issues with BRE, CPA andGovernment organisations including the Code for Sustainable Homes,the Green Guide to Specification and Flooring Resource EfficiencyStakeholder Group. The Association’s ongoing work on industry standards,and with NHBC on matters relating to tiling in new build homesbenefits the membership and those companies who choose not to supportthe TTA’s work by becoming members.If you are in the tile industry then it is time to stop sitting on the fenceand join the fight by joining the TTA.Yell.com partnership resultsSince April 2009 Yell.com has been implementing a range of specialistcontent partnerships with a select group of leading UK media, trade, sector,industry and government organisations.Yell.com says: “Our content partners are highly respected providers ofspecialist information such as; consumer advice, top tips and news abouttheir sectors”.TTA is one of the content partners. We have supplied Yell.com with 30articles which you will find to the right of the screen if you search for tilersor tile suppliers.TTA Consumer Case StudyA consumer, let’s call her Mrs Smith, plans to spend £25,000 refurbishingthree bathrooms in her home. She chooses large format ceramic tilesand buys them from a TTA retailer but decides not to use their fixing services.She obtains a quotation from a contractor who can undertake boththe sanitaryware installation and the tiling. The quotation is high, so MrsSmith thinks that this means they are a good quality contractor andagrees to the quote.At Mrs Smith’s insistence they fix tile backerboard to the shower area(well she did do a bit of research about bathrooms), but the other wallbackgrounds of plaster and plasterboard remain untouched.The tilers begin work and start fixing the tiles to the shower enclosurewith five blobs of adhesive. They continue to fix the tiles with blobs ofadhesive on the plaster and plasterboard, leaving large gaps behind thetiles.Mrs Smith starts to be a little concerned about what she sees andbegins to do some further research on the internet. She finds the TTAwebsite and quickly learns about weight restrictions to plaster and plasterboard,information about solid bed fixing and how to tile a bathroom.A call comes into The Tile Association’s office from the worried Mrs Smithwho describes the tiling in their bathroom, and it quickly becomes apparentthat there is a real problem with the project. The advice offered fromthe TTA website is reconfirmed and the she is advised to take urgent legaladvice on how to deal with the contractor who is still working on site.Mrs Smith bitterly regrets not using a TTA contractor and facesincreased costs in getting the problem sorted out and the bathrooms ofher dreams.TTA WarrantyThis release has gone out to over 70 titles across the UK. If you are a TTAtiler have you signed up to offer the warranty? If you are a tiler but not aTTA member you will need to join first, as this warranty can only beoffered by TTA member tilers. It will prove to be a wonderful promotionaltool for TTA tilers and will help with the fight against the “cowboys”.INSURE YOUR TILES & YOUR TILERThe Tile Association are so confident of their members’ workmanship thatthey have introduced an insurance backed warranty scheme especiallyfor TTA fixers working in the consumer sector – The Tile AssociationWarranty. Because the scheme is insurance backed, if the TTA Fixer wereto go out of business and The Tile Association Warranty has been provided,the consumer will have an insurance policy to rely on.The Tile Association Warranty scheme can be used to provide cover forwall and floor tiling contracts between the values of £250 to £5,000including VAT. It covers the tiling work only, not the product, in a singleprivate residence with no business use, and the policy term is six years.This is the only insurance backed warranty scheme in the tiling industry.To find out more about The Tile Association and The Tile AssociationWarranty Scheme, or to find a TTA member fixer or a retail showroom, goto www.tiles.org.uk or phone 020 8663 0946.22 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

TTA NEWSLETTERTTA Chairman Ashley Heath says the tileindustry should stand united to succeedTTA Chairman, Ashley Heath, reflectson the role of the TTA in light of therecent ASA ruling against Altro, andexplains why he finds it so frustratingthat many in the industry are willing toshare in the fruits of the Association’ssuccess without contributing to itsextensive programme of activities.“The decision to challenge Altro’s advertisingclaims with the Advertising StandardsAuthority reflects The Tile Association’sviews that it has a clear duty – both to itsmembers and the industry as a whole – toactively champion ceramic tiles. It is somethingthat the Association has successfullydone in the past and will, no doubt, continueto do in the future.In cases like this, our role, spearheaded byLesley Day, is to gather empirical evidenceand then present this in as clear a manner aspossible to challenge any company ororganisation that we feel is making false,misleading or damaging statements aboutceramic tiles and ceramic tile installations.This is an expensive and time-consumingprocess but we absolutely believe that it isthe TTA’s duty and responsibility to take ontile’s detractors. While we have to fund thelegal costs of cases like this from our finitefinancial resources, this is more than justifiedwhen you consider the alternative: peoplefeeling free to unjustly trash tile without anyfear of being legally challenged. We cannot,and never will, allow this to happen.In this case, our expenditure was justifiedmany times over when the ASA orderedAltro to desist from using the offendingadvertisements which it ruled made unsupportedand inaccurate statements … claimsthat, if uncontested, would have caused ourwhole industry long-tern damage.Such a clear success makes it double frustratingthat a number of the larger players inthe UK’s tiling sector still shy away from supportingour activities by becoming members.I find it galling that these same companiesare quite happy to quote and use thetechnical standards largely developed withthe help of the TTA’s Technical Committee, toshare in the higher profile for tiling achievedby TTA’s generic marketing campaign andbenefit from other TTA activities, such as thiscase, without being willing to support theAssociation.It is my view that the whole of the industry –from the individual fixer right through to thelargest multiple retailer – should get fullybehind the TTA.For instance, BSI is currently looking to withdrawthe tile Kitemark because, as a commercialorganisation, it feels that it can nolonger justify the expenditure. This is somethingthat TTA will be lobbying to prevent.Surely our hand would be strengthened ifwe were able to speak on behalf of all of theUK’s largest tile companies.However, I am confident that we will makeprogress in this regard. Dialogue is alreadytaking place with a number of the notableabsentees, which I hope will result in a positiveoutcome. Certainly all the major playershave been made aware that TTA’s door isalways open to them.I think that our bargaining position isstrengthened by initiatives, such as the onecurrently being discussed with the NHBC,which aims to ensure that all tiling schemesconform to BS 5385. The NHBC recently senta representative to a meeting of TTATechnical Committee, which I see as a verypositive development.The current economic situation is also helpingto concentrate minds. A number of independentfixers, for instance, have recentlyjoined; perhaps realising that being able touse the TTA logo can help differentiate themin what is an increasingly competitive marketplace.I am aware that a minority of our industryview The Tile Association as an old boys’lunch club, a talking shop, a golf society oran elitist self-serving clique. Nothing couldbe further from the truth. The board and allthe committees comprise experienced andhighly committed individuals who work tirelessly– and for absolutely no financialreward – to promote, defend and develop anindustry that they all passionately careabout. Our aim is to do our utmost to promoteceramic tiling as a superb, high quality,practical floor and wall finish; and our membersas the perfect partners to deliver thefull potential of this marvellous material.That is why we have initiated programmessuch as the retail NVQ, pioneered by Tiles UKand N & C Nicobond, and the recent insurance-backedtiler warranty scheme.As the tiles continue to evolve and tilingbecomes increasingly technical, I believethat The Tile Association will have an evenmore vital role to play going forward. TheAltro case is just one instance of the incrediblyvaluable work that TTA continues to performon behalf of the whole of the UK’s tilingindustry.”The Tile AssociationForum Court83 Copers Cope RoadBeckenhamKent BR3 1NRT: 020 8663 0946F: 020 8663 0949E: info@tiles.org.ukW: www.tiles.org.ukIf you are in the tile industry, you need to be in The Tile Association.OCTOBER 2009 TSJ 23

IT SYSTEMSThe suggestion to investin new warehouse applicationsnow may not, atfirst glance, seem thewisest counsel. Butthere are a number ofgood reasons whyimproving your warehousesystems andtechnology during a downturn could be a good idea.Taking such a measure might not only help your businessin the short and medium term, it could also leaveit more efficient and better organised to cope witheconomic recovery laterWe make an assumption here that your business hasthe financial reserves to consider such a move. Buteven if not cash rich, there are (credit crunch not withstanding)attractive tax efficient leasing options availablethat allow such projects to proceed if the businessis stable with a reasonable cash flow. The keymessage is that improving warehouse efficiency byadvancing the solutions you use is going to savemoney. The questions you’ll need to answer are: howmuch and how soon?It is generally accepted that successfully implementingWMS delivers the better accuracy, productivityand efficiency that impact positively on physical operationsas well as having a significant effect on costreduction. High error rates alone can represent a largeelement of cost which, if saved, can contribute sub-24 TSJ OCTOBER 2009It’s time to invest in warehouse systemsBy Alex Mills, Sales & Marketing Director, Chess Logistics Technology Limited.Beccles Tile Centre (BTC) was founded by Gerry Thurston. Since joined by his wifeJulie and their son David, the Suffolk-based company now employs 12 staff. Anextensive range of tiles and bathrooms are on display in a retail showroom, with a20,000 sq. foot warehouse nearby. The accounts system previously used by BTChad been in place since the late 1990s. A quotation system also helped with sales.“All we ever used to record in the accounts was a daily sales total. If there weremistakes on adding up a sales order, it was never picked up,” says Julie.Things were little better with stock control and it was also difficult to keep pricesupdated. As the warehouse is five minutes walk from the shop, there were constantphone calls between them. “We weren’t really controlling the stock,” saysJulie. “Once a year we would do a full stock-take which meant manually checkingall the supplier invoices.”Sales recording was limited to paper copies for customer, warehouse, and shop.Written quotations and purchase orders were also filed. If the price list was notquickly updated in line with supplier changes, margins were undermined andgood sales opportunities missed.The main objective for change was to introduce tight online stock control whilemanaging pricing and discounts yet not lose the advantages of an accountingsystem. That also meant easy online access from the shop, warehouse, and homealong with new laser-printed documents for a better company image.After looking at several solutions, ADP Commercial Systems’ K8-Small BusinessEdition seemed the ideal answer. Backed by 30-years of experience, K8-SBE is asoftware solution for distributors, wholesalers, merchants, and retailers. Also, ADPwere recommended by another tile supplier who couldn’t praise them highlyenough,” says Julie.The new system was implemented in July 2008. ADP consultants installed K8-SBE on new hardware and imported data from their existing system, while BecclesTile staff entered details of thousands of stock items. Although K8-SBE’s graphicaluser interface is intuitive, a short training programme helped the users quicklygrasp the essentials.stantially to WMS payback. Labour costs, when comparedto rent, rates and utilities, are one element ofwarehouse operations over which you can exercisesome control. Much is written about improvinglabour management for the simple reason that in theUK warehousing context, manpower is one thing thatsimply cannot be outsourced. Systems designed topromote efficient processes and improve productivitycan therefore have only positive effects on cost reductionand bottom line profitability.It is true, of course, that not all these benefits andsavings can be delivered overnight and that some ofthe rationale for any WMS project is based on an eyeto future cost reduction and efficiency. But it is possibleto focus the impact of warehouse technology onareas where they can deliver maximum punch. WMSand technology implementation often takes a phasedapproach, and a good warehouse systems companywill be able to help you decide where key benefits canbe realised faster within your own operation.Another good reason for considering the implementationof WMS systems in quieter times is the lesseningof the negative, though short term, impact of thechange. There is inevitably some disruption and learningcurve involved in implementing new solutions ofthis kind. Going ahead while lower volumes are beingprocessed means that people can become practisedin the use of new systems and technology and can ineffect ‘cut their teeth’ under less pressure. This is notto suggest that companies can offer lower service levelswhile installing WMS, just that any pain which mustbe endured can be done so while volumes are lower.Timescale is an important factor with any implementation.But if we expect a WMS to provide tangiblebenefits within the timeframe of a potential recessionthen an expeditious implementation is paramount.Typically, and I speak from my company’s standpointhere, an implementation can be achieved within 3 to6 months depending on the nature of the operation.This relies significantly on choosing the right supplieras well as having a full awareness within your ownorganisation of the work involved in hitting thetimescale. But broadly speaking we are talking aboutrealising potential benefits within months not years.Those who have been in business for some yearshave probably experienced some ups and downs andknow that business is cyclical. But, without wishing tochallenge any political theories, that does not mean ifit’s not boom, it’s bust!. Periods of economic slowdowncan often be used positively for consolidationand improvement as a means to develop and performbetter during stronger growth periods. This is true forwarehousing and logistics operations where taking acold, hard look at practices and processes, andimproving systems and technology can be invaluableto regeneration. Those who grasp the opportunitymay find it easier to withstand a period of recessionand emerge stronger than their competitors when theeconomy recovers.www.chess.uk.comCase study: ADP at Beccles Tile Centre Limited“The training was good and the system is very easy to use,” says Julie. “ADP’ssupport afterwards has been excellent.”The ADP K8-SBE trading system offers fast processing of price enquiries, quotes,sales, and purchasing. Running on a secure central database, K8-SBE managescore operations, enhances business agility, streamlines activities, and creates anefficient working environment. It’s easy for anyone to make a sale (K8-SBE evencalculates area tile quantities) or to detect pricing issues.“We’ve had a few instances of supplier invoices where they have charged usretail. We wouldn’t have picked this up before,” says Julie. “For basic trading, ADPK8-SBE is very easy for our staff to use.”The days of tediously searching paperwork are over. K8-SBE’s intelligent searchengine means products, customers, and suppliers - plus associated transactions -are quickly accessible. Integrated soft form printing makes all documents look professionalwhile warehouse picking notes ensure rapid order fulfilment. “I can doeverything online from home that I can do in the showroom apart from serve customers,”explains Julie.ADP K8-SBE has proved functionally relevant to this niche business, enabling thecompany to trade efficiently. Integrated accounts allow instant financial postingswhich saves much time while creditor and debtor reports help plan cash flow.Employees can easily find business information, drilling into the detail and printingout reports. And precise margin control is a welcome bonus in a recession.Julie explains “You can look at a product and see how much we paid for it. Youcan then discount but make sure you’re making an acceptable profit.”“We’d relied on paperwork for many years, supported by an accounting program.But thanks to ADP K8-Small Business Edition, we now have a new systemthat’s ended the paperchase, made it easier to trade, and has put us in a strongposition to react quickly to business demands. The more information we putinto our system, the more useful answers we’re getting out, ” concludes JulieThurston.01488 688800 www.adpk8.com

UNDERTILE HEATINGPublished in May 2009, MTW Research’s Underfloor HeatingSuppliers Market Rank & Profile report provides an overview oftrends, suppliers rankings and company profiles. The report also providesa review of the industry since 2004, with forecasts to 2013.In 2008, total UK sales of underfloor heating products, estimate MTW, stoodat around £160 million at wholesale selling prices. Today there are a largenumber of underfloor heating providers active in the market, though theindustry remains relatively consolidated in value terms, with the leading fiveplayers in the industry reporting a turnover in excess of £100 million. Whilst alarge proportion of this turnover is attributed to non-UFH products, it neverthelessunderlines a high level of financial support available to the leadingunderfloor heating products in activities such as marketing, advertising andother areas of support.The impact of the credit crisis and subsequent UK recession has dramaticallyimpacted on the new house building market, which has historically been akey determinant for growth in the UFH sector. Given the rapid decline in newhousebuilding levels in the last 12 months, sources indicate that wet underfloorheating installations have also declined as a direct result.In addition, indications are that the domestic RMI (repair, maintenance &improvement) sector has also underperformed in recent months, as consumerconfidence slowed during the latter half of 2008 and into 2009. This decline inconsumer expenditure is also indicated to have dampened growth opportunitiesfor electric UFH products where ceramic tile and laminate flooring havehistorically offered good growth in the domestic refurbishment sector.In mid 2009, there were some indications that the decline in economic performanceoverall has ‘bottomed out’, with an increasing number of industrycommentators anticipating a ‘U-shaped’ recovery in the following 6 to 12months in terms of overall GDP output. Therefore, whilst the recessionremains deep and is likely to impact the UFH sector for many years to come,there are some small, tentative, yet positive signs of a return to improved economicperformance through to the end of 2009.Whilst consumer confidence remains at a particularly low ebb, trends withinthe wider retail sector suggest a resilience from consumers to the economicdownturn, particularly in the commodity good sectors, which may foreshortenthe overall impact of the recession. In addition, there are also tentativesigns of, if not a recovery, then a cessation of price decline in the housing market.Whilst UFH products remain firmly in the ‘luxury goods’ sector, and thereforeare unlikely to be buoyed by a resilience in the commodity market, areturn to improved economic performance overall, supported by a stabilisinghouse-moving and housebuilding market should offer some improvedopportunities for value and volume growth in the domestic UFH market inthe near to medium term.Underfloor heating applications are also increasingly being specified in nondomesticapplications, with sources suggesting that the higher levels of energyefficiency offered by UFH is a key determinant for specification in bothcommercial and public sector buildings. With public sector expenditure havingrisen substantially in recent years, and a further £46 billion of capitalexpenditure planned in 2009, this market also represents a key target marketfor UFH suppliers. Within the public sector, there are a large number ofpotential primary applications, particularly within the health and educationsectors, but also within the arts and museums sector which has benefitedfrom improved public funding in recent years.Clearly, there are a number of key market drivers evident in the underfloorheating industry which are offering healthy levels of optimism for the UFHmarket in the near to medium term. Fundamentally, there are a wide rangeof key target markets for UFH installations both within the domestic and nondomesticsectors and these should underpin healthy levels of growth for theAbove: A kitchen conservatory featuring underfloor heading from Speedheat.Speedheat UK operates as a joint venture from the Speedheat manufacturing basein South Africa, where the system was developed 20 years ago. A patented 1mmthick heating element means that the technology is suitable for either new build orrefurbishment projects. www.speedheat.co.ukHidden warmthIn this extensive survey, TSJ investigates themarket for UFH systems in the UK, and considersthe pros and cons of such systems, while severalreaders share their personal experiences ofselling and installing such systems.market and promote optimism in terms of future prospects.The improved levels of trading commencing in Q4 2009 should becomestronger in early-mid 2010 as momentum in the market builds from not onlythe domestic new build and RMI sectors, but also commercial and industrialapplications as business confidence returns, boosting capital investment innew build and RMI activity. This momentum should continue throughout2010, with forecasts of a market reaching around £946 million by year end,reflecting modest growth of just under 2%. Subsequently, sales of underfloorheating products are forecast to experience increasingly healthy levels ofgrowth in the medium to longer term, given a wide range of positive marketdrivers. By 2012 therefore, the market is set to reach a value of just under£1.08 billion, reflecting an increase of some 12% since 2008.However a return to the rapid levels of growth experienced in the last fewyears are unlikely to be witnessed in the short term, with manufacturersincreasingly reliant on the contract sector and, specifically, public sector applicationswhich are typically outside the scope of underfloor heating suppliers’target markets. There are, however, a number of key market influences whichshould offer opportunities for the sector to return to healthy levels of growthrelatively quickly and which should underpin buoyant market performance inthe longer term.These influences include an increasing emphasis on energy efficiency andthe environmental benefits offered by wet UFH in contrast to more traditionalheating systems.The introduction to this feature is based on data from MTW Research. Copies ofMTW’s Underfloor Heating Suppliers Market Rank & Profile report cost £375. Visitwww.marketresearchreports.co.uk for further details.OCTOBER 2009 TSJ 27

UNDERTILE HEATINGheat so it is claimed that it reaches 28ºC, the industry maximum temperaturefor floors, more quickly. One of the pioneers of this technology, StepWarmfloor, utilises a 24V electroplastic polymer and claims that this achievessignificantly lower running costs than comparable products.Reactive Glaze: This system was launched by Recer at Cersaie and features aheat-generating glaze on the rear of the tile that takes just two minutes toheat up. Controlled by a thermostat, tiles can be linked together to form awarm tiled surface. The glaze performance is claimed to be unaffected by tileadhesive.Above: Bathroom refurb featuring DEVI’s market-leading systemFloorcoverings suitable for UFH applications principally include tile, carpet,laminate and specially prepared timber and screeded flooring, reflecting awide range of coverings and applications. Product development has alsoresulted in high levels of reliability for both the wet and electric UFH sectors,with specifiers’ concerns relating to maintenance and longevity now indicatedto be much less of an issue than has historically been evident. Further, asDFY (Done For You) installation in domestic applications becomes increasinglypopular, and commercial installations increase, products which offergreater ease and speed of installation are becoming more popular withinstallers. With contractors requiring products which are more easily installed,manufacturers who are able to offer time saving features in terms of installationare able to differentiate their products in a relatively crowded marketplace.This trend toward ease of installation is also of benefit to the DIY electricUFH sector, where the majority of the installation may be completed by acompetent DIYer.UFH System OptionsWet systems: These systems comprise water pipes laid in a screed orbetween floor joists and linked to a boiler via a manifold and pump. Thewater can be heated via various methods: gas, oil, solar, electric, etc. The systemcan include other heating elements, such as radiators. Water-based systemsneed to be buried in a floor screed or installed in other forms of floorconstruction.Combined systems: Use a combination of heat sources, including thermaland solar heating.Electric systems: Electric UFH systems comprise some kind of heating element,powered by electricity. These can include high wattage cables thatmay be laid in screed as a primary heating source, and floor warming systems.These systems include:Loose cable: Comes in a roll and is adhered to the ground using tape. Thisis particularly useful for awkwardly shaped rooms.Cable on a mat: This type of system has become increasingly popular, as thecable spacing is pre-set, simplifying installation. Mats come in different sizesand some are self-adhesive to further speed installation.Heating Foil: Comprises thin heating foil (0.2mm) encased in a plastic membraneor thermo-conductive plastic. The foils are supplied in set sizes. Thesesystems are usually used under removable flooring systems.Ribbon Heaters: Ribbons of conductor usually coated in PVC insulation. Theribbons are usually on a mesh or taped together and come in set sizes.Carbon Heaters: Comprise a tin film of carbon laminated between two electricallyinsulating thermo-conductive plastic films. These heaters are usuallylow voltage.Electroplastic Polymer: The whole surface area of this product conductsMarket overviewOn the whole, modern UFH systems are economical to run, reliable and virtuallymaintenance-free. UFH systems heat the room almost entirely by radiation;radiant energy emitted by the floor is partly reflected by each surfaceand partly absorbed and, where it is absorbed, that surface becomes a secondaryemitter.With water-based systems, any kind of fuel can be used to warm the waterthat circulates through the underfloor heating pipe. With environmental concernsgrowing, UFH has a strong hand, since it can be powered by ultra-efficientcondensing boilers or green sources like solar thermal panels.The level and speed of adoption of UFH in the new housing market willhave a significant impact on future growth rates for the sector. The switch toapartments as part of the drive to increase housing densities should be amajor positive factor for UFH systems, with more pressure to maximise theeffective use of space in smaller rooms and also increase energy-efficiencylevels. UFH is well established in the higher end of the self-build market, andis being increasingly used in luxury city centre apartments. However, themanufacturers are targeting the national house builders and seem confidentthat there will be a breakthrough in the medium termUFH is now regarded as one of the options for heating commercial andpublic buildings and has been particularly adopted in new school buildingand in the health sector. The commercial sector is also using UFH across awide range of buildings including supermarkets, public spaces in shoppingcentres and prestigious public buildings. Energy efficiency and insulationrequirements are assisting the growth of UFH in the commercial sector.The installation of an underfloor heating system whether it be a "wet", hotwater system, or a "dry", electrical system, need not be hugely complicatedprovided sufficient thought is put into the process. Either form of underfloorheating system can be tailored to virtually any property or any type of flooring.However, the requirements of the system and the equipment and levelexpertise required may vary from installation to installation. Even rooms ofpeculiar shapes and sizes are straightforward to install and can be tackledwith confidence given sufficient technical know-how. An underfloor heatingplan for each room allows installers to foresee and tackle any complicationsor problems on a room by room basis.Despite its proven character, many fixers find that lUFH installation is notwithout its problems. As a case in point, when Weber released its recent atraining DVD for the professional tile fixer focusing on the three commonproblem areas faced on a daily basis, it included levelling and fixing tiles ontoheated floorsOne common problem concerns installing a tiled UFH system over a timbersubstrate. It is well known that timber floors of faulty construction have oftenbehaved unsatisfactorily for a period of years as a result of surface evaporationof moisture. When this is hindered by the laying of a nearly impervious coveringthe moisture content may rise to a dangerously high level, thus creatingconditions favourable to fungal attack, e.g. dry rot.When creating a tiled UFH floor over timber, the design should take intoaccount the initial drying shrinkage of the timber and subsequent movementsdue to seasonal moisture changes.28 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

UNDERTILE HEATINGFinally, on completion of tiling, users should ensure that 14 days elapsebefore the floor is brought slowly to its operating temperature ideally at amaximum rate of around 5ºC per day.Most stone tile failures, immediately following installation, are caused by thesubsequent movement of drying tiles and screeds. However, it is the ongoingthermal expansion and contraction that cause problems into the future,especially if this extra movement has not been accommodated by theinstaller.Two of the main causes of a stone tile failure are tiling too early onto a greenscreed (wet screed) and under floor heating water pipes and under tile warmingmats causing 'thermal shock' when turned on to a high temperatureimmediately. To reduce risk of failure with stone tiles, newly poured screedsshould be left until completely dry before tiling. However, they are often tiledon within days before the screed has a chance to stabilise, with disastrousconsequences. The tiles can blow from the base, crack, delaminate and shearaway, as the screed shrinks below.If a green screed is tiled on directly, there is a greater risk of failure. As thecement shrinks, it transfers movement stresses through to the tile adhesiveand into the tiles above, causing the tiles to crack or heave. These problemsare exacerbated further with under floor heating pipes, especially with anover exuberant house owner, who cannot wait to check that the under floorheating works and when the heating is turned on too rapidly, the ‘thermalshock’, cracks the screed and this stress can carry on into the tiles.Above: Publicity shot from DEVI designed to convey UFH’s customer comfort.New timber bases should have noggins between the joists at 300mm centres.The surface provided for tiling should be exterior-grade plywood of aminimum thickness of 18mm screwed to both joists and noggings at intervalsof a maximum of 300mm. The lower face and edges of plywood should besealed against the ingress of moisture before being screwed down. All junctionsbetween boards should be supported by noggings or joists. Manyinstallers also choose to use an isolation membrane to neutralise shear stressesthat occur through movement of the timber substrate.Many electric underfloor heating systems can be installed directly onto anexisting subfloor, but timber or wooden subfloors should always be checkedfor structural integrity beforehand. Any loose floorboards, for example,should be fixed firmly and reinforced with construction board or plywood ifnecessary. If the floor is to be tiled ultimately, the heating cable or mat maybe required to sit in the tile adhesive layer, so it is particularly important thatthe subfloor is even, secure and free from flexing. Primer should be appliedto a timber or wooden subfloor before tiling, to prevent moisture from tileadhesive being absorbed by the subfloor itself. It is, of course, possible toinstall electric underfloor heating directly onto an existing tiled floor withouttaking up old tiles unless they are damaged, or unsound.When installing electric underfloor heating onto a concrete subfloor, thesurface must be level. Prior to installation, repairs should be made to anyimperfections and the floor thoroughly cleaned to remove any dust, dirt andany other impurities. A layer of insulation, normally an insulation board, isadvisable above a concrete subfloor. It has also been shown that a concretesubfloor absorbs heat more quickly than a timber subfloor, so while electricunderfloor heating with an output of say 100W per sq. metre may be appropriatein the case of timber, 150W per sq. metre or even 200W per sq. metre(for primary heating) may be required in the case of a concrete subfloor.Movement joints in the floor tiling should be incorporated as outlined inBritish Standard BS 5385: Part 3. Joints should always be be located over existingand/or structural movement joints. They are also required around theperimeter of the floor and where tiling abuts columns, curbs, steps and plantfixed to the base. In large floor areas, tiles should be divided into bays at 8 to10 metre intervals.Benefits of electric UFH systemsThe benefits of using electric underfloor heating systems are many and varied,as summarised below,• No moving parts• No maintenance costs• Practically lasting lifetime of house• Low installation cost• Flexibility, since rooms can be independently controlled via individual programmablethermostats• Radiated heat from floor more efficient use of thermal energy• Warm at feet and cool to the head• Heat spread evenly over whole floor area• No convection currents, improving dust control in the atmosphere• Room temperature can be lowered from 22°C to 19°C while achieving thesame comfort level• Energy reduction of 15%• No obstructing wall-mounted radiators, as heating mats are invisibly laidunder floorsPersonal experiencesTo get some perspective on the underfloor heating market, TSJ asked a numberof readers to comment on their experience of selling and installing suchsystems.Henry Williamson, Boyden Tiles: DistributorAs a supplier of both water based and electric cable and mat underfloor heating,Boyden Tiles recognise that the ability to offer a first rate support serviceto customers is of absolute paramount importance.The main reason we have been successful in providing problem free underfloorheating for commercial contracts, as well as for domestic installations, isbecause of the unrivalled service and support package offered.The Schlüter system gives us an opportunity to sell a unique product thatnot only provides a full warranty for the entire flooring assembly, but alsooffers a range of benefits which ensure our customers’ experience meets theirexpectations.32 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

UNDERTILE HEATINGDanfoss Randall Ltd, Ampthill Road, Bedford MK42 9ERT: 0845 434 9990 F: 0845 1217 515 W:www.danfoss-randall.co.ukOn 1st January 2009 the retail business of DEVI (member of the Danfoss Group)handed over the responsibility for sales order handling, distribution and support forDEVI products to Danfoss Randall Ltd based in Bedford.DEVI project sales remains at the DEVI Bury St. Edmunds office. For projects pleasecontinue to contact the SME Sales Team on telephone 0845 434 9991.Danfoss Randall offers a complete range of controls for monitoring and controllingheating systems in domestic and commercial applications.Schlüter are involved at every stage of the process, beginning with the actualdesign of the system for our customers with their bespoke, dedicateddesign technology. This includes all plumbing system information such asflow rates, temperatures and heat loss calculations. Without this service fromSchlüter distributors would not be able to offer a water-based underfloorheating system and the business would be lost to the tiling industry, going,instead, to plumbing services companies.Fitters also have access to ongoing technical support during the entireinstallation and Schlüter will also undertake site support to give advice whererequired. This removes a major headache for the retailer and distributor.Having such valuable technical expertise to fall back on means we are confidentthat the warranty on the flooring assembly will never be needed. Beingable to offer this warranty is unique in the underfloor heating industry and ismade possible by the fact that the entire system comes from a single manufacturerand is designed to protect a ceramic or stone surface from cracking.The Schluter system offers a host of benefits.• Low water flow temperatures• Lower heating costs• Effective use of regenerative energy sources such as heat pumps• Fast reacting heating and cooling• Easy to use control technology• Low construction height• Reduced construction time• High durability.We also stock and sell Ebeco and WarmUp electric underfloor heating systemswhich come in the format of a mat or cable kit. All of our sales staff andmanagers have been on training courses to help select the correct system tosuit the application. Whilst our trade customers generally have a basic knowledgeof underfloor heating, it can be a last minute decision for our retail customers.Although all Ebeco and WarmUp kits come with detailed instructionssome customers like to discuss the layout ahead of purchasing.For all undertile heating systems the thorough training of our staff is essential.By far the most common questions are: ‘What happens if it goes wrong?’or ‘Will I need to dig my new floor up?’ The answer to this is: ‘No!’.With the Ebeco system the cables are about the most robust on the marketand are unlikely to be damaged during the installation process. Should someonecut or drill through a cable by mistake, the cables can be repaired by acouple of simple in-line splices. If the floor has already been laid, the fault canbe traced on the surface and pinpointed. Then a tile or two can be removedto enable the repair. The knowledge that the system is both robust andrepairable gives the customer peace of mind for their project. To date wehave yet to call this manufacturer out for a repair.The programming of thermostats can be a problem. We have sold a numberof different programmable thermostats over the past few years and theyall seem complicated to set up. Ebeco has a technical back up service to talkyou through this over the phone.How does selling underfloor heating affect a distributors or retailers profitability?Easy, it costs far less to add additional items to an existing customer.The customer just needs to have the ‘want’ or ‘desire’ created within them.Once that desire is created then extra sales and extra profits are a foregoneconclusion. Once the want or desire is created it is just a question of ‘Whichsystem would suit me best?’. Here at Boydens we aim to satisfy that want.Selling underfloor heating should attract the same questions and answers asyou would expect on being sold a dishwasher. No customer that does not owna dishwasher thinks they need a dishwasher. But once you have a dishwasher,when asked ‘Would you give it up?’, the answer is always an emphatic ‘No!’Colin Barber, Tiling ContractorAs we know there have been many businesses setting up to market their ownversion of UFH for tiled floors, all fighting over the price point and the retailersto sell them.The two makes I have settled on using for the last five years are Thermonetand Warm Up. There are a number of reasons for my choice. They are bothreliable well made products and, in Thermonet's case, offer very good customerservice. They also offer ease of installation with their loose wire versions.I also believe that they offer the best presentation for end users/clients.I also like the design and look of the control/programmer unit.s, although othershave caught up in this respect.I prefer the loose wire system for the majority of installations that we do.With any area up to 10 sq. metres or so it is practical to use this type of UFHsystem. Although it takes longer to fit, the adaptability and the lack of clunkymesh is a clear benefit.The main drawback of UFH fitting is that darn mesh - which always takes uptime and useless energy in trying to keep it flat on the floor! We normally floatlevelling compound over the UFH cables to give a new floor surface to workfrom. Mesh-mounted cable sits up through the leveller, leaving us to chopout/rub back bits after setting, all the while taking care not to damage thecable! With the ‘duck tape loose wire’ type, it is all flat down on the floor.The major question we have to field every time we install UFH concerns thecontrols. The design of some looks antiquated, and the user experiencealways causes frustration. Almost no one uses the programme system to anyextent. Even with those customers who have used them for a while, the typicalcomment is: “Why are there so many settings?” The set up frustrates peopleutterly and many call an electrician to do it for them.With regard to the tile part, I always overlay with levelling compound toachieve a new, clean, even surface to work to. The whole working methodonto a floor, where the cables could be damaged, and which also effects thelaying of the tiles, seems poor practice to me.With regard to adhesives I mostly used Ardex adhesives for my work, andhave done so for 25 odd years - recently moving onto the Microtech series -which never gives cause for concern.I have settled on Thermonet for our UFH supply. Their product range andcomprehensive, clear literature and warranty card gives the customer a 'pieceof mind' feel to this product. This is important in an area of tile work that doescause people to ask tilers questions about safety, reliability and value formoney every time it is considered.I absolutely think UFH gives a fantastic lift, and a little sense of luxury, to thehumblest bathroom and recommend people to have it fitted. They usuallydo and are very glad of it, particularly in the winter months!Nick Braybrooke, Ceramic Tiles Lmited: DistributorWe sell the DEVI range. I believe that UFH enhances the customer’s view ofceramic/stone floors: warm in winter, cool in summer. Indeed, UFH acts as afree advert for ceramic tiles when friends visit and experience the sensation.It also helps to plant the idea that warm floors are attainable with tiles.Another benefit is the added value to the sale not only in the UFH itself butalso the add-ons that go with it: such as extra adhesive/floor levelling products,etc.34 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

UNDERTILE HEATINGSpeedheat UKIona House, Stratford Road, WickenMilton Keynes, MK19 6DFT: 01908 562211 E: info@speedheat.co.ukW: www.speedheat.co.ukEconomic, efficient and environmentally friendly,Speedheat’s electrical underfloor heating isthe perfect partner for stone and tile floors.Proven in every respect, the high strength,Teflon-coated, completely earth-screened cableis just 1mm diameter to ensure comfort and safetywith no damage to the final flooring.The nationwide franchise of highly trainedengineers provides quick and professional installationwith a full back-up service.Whether as a primary heating source or forindividual rooms in new build or renovation projects,it has been tried and tested by thousands ofsatisfied customers and is recommended by leadingUK conservatory companies and floor manufacturers.We have found that once experienced for the first time, the customer ismore likely to order it again when they tile a floor area in future in either anexisting or a new home. This may be because it increase the value of a property,by transmitting the perception of a luxury finish.On the negative side it seems very expensive for what it appears to be (wireand net) and the price is usually far in excess of customer expectations. It canoften more than double the cost of the project.Other negative points is that it relies on an additional trade (electrician) andcan alert consumers to tiles being ‘naturally’ cold.UFH is also increasingly available on the internet at highly discounted rates,limiting margins, while the product is not helped by the great variation inquality and price available. This is compounded by consumer concerns overrunning costs (especially as utility bills increase).I would estimate that between 90% and 95% of customers have UFH fittedby a professional fixer. We encounter a number of common questions. Theseinclude:• How much will it cost to run? (Quite a difficult one to answer accurately.)• How do the thermostats work? (They are usually programmable so thisanswer is not straightforward.)• Can it be used on a wooden floor?• Can it be used on a concrete floor?• What do you use to level over the wires?• By how much does it raise the floor level?Installing UHF is not without its problems and pitfalls. Firstly, there is thegreat cost and upheaval if a job fails. Failure to put insulation under the floormeans heat loss, while failure to check the mat before fixing can lead to problemsafterwards. Some fixers don’t like working with UFH and can try to putconsumer off having it fitted.Regarding installations, one common problem is the use of systems with aninappropriate wattage. Problems can also arise if the wrong levelling productis used. When it comes the refurbishment, replacing the tiled floor can meanthat the UFH is ruined in the process, increasing the cost of a project.On a more positive note, we find that, once successfully installed, UFH systemsgenerally exceeds customer expectations. That is, once used in onehouse, a customer will usually want it in any future property.It is a shame that the average sales margin is reducing as more sales moveto cheaper non-compliant systems sold on the Internet. I would judge thatthe margins are 20 to 30% lower than tiles of an equivalent value.Bob Taylor, Prestige Tiling: ContractorIf asked I suggest DEVI mats, mainly because they have a good reputation,and some time ago I invested in a DEVI monitor and mat repair kit.The most common questions all relate to running cost.How much to run? My usual answer (if pressed) is 1p per sq metre per day.Is it worth fitting insulation board? My answer is Yes, but to be really effectiveyou need at least 30mm, which is not usually possible.There are two problems areas for me as a fitter. The first is the thickness, notusually of the cable or mat, but of the join between heating cable and themains lead, and also of the pipe or tube used to contain the floor sensor. Thisalways requires a channel in the sub floor. In addition, if the floor needs overboarding with ply, floor heights start to increase beyond what customers arehappy with.The other more serious problem is adhesion of the mat to the floor. If thefloor is ply, then the tape or mesh can be stapled down, but on concrete youhave to rely on the self-adhesive mesh backing. The problem is that it justdoes not stick down, even if floors are primed. To ensure best heating performancethe mat should be covered with levelling compound, but whenyou cover the mat with a latex levelling compound, the mat floats to the surfaceleaving you next morning with an uneven surface caused by heatingcable sticking up through the latex. I always use a premium rapidset flexiblefrom either BAL or Nicobond and have never had a problem.If I supply the UFH there is room to make a profit, but most customers willknow what discounts they can get on line, reducing my profit. However, as Idon't do many UFH installations, I don't really bother about this.If the room is above 3 sq metres and "squarish", I use a mat. If the room issmaller, like a bath room with pedestal and toilet, then it is easier to lay loosewire.Overall, my preference is for a wet system, as I don't have to do anything,other than remember not to hammer nails into the floor!Gary Sheffield, Alpine Tiling Group: Tile Contractor and TrainerWhy is it that the majority of tilers I speak to fear fitting electric underfloorheating systems? Once you are aware of the simple dos and don’ts, they arerelatively simple to install. Obviously, unless you are Part P electrically qualified,you aren’t, by law, allowed to carry out the electrical connection.Since the invention, of this method of heating floors, especially that ofwarming the coldest stone, porcelain or ceramic floors, the whole world andtheir best buddies seem to have jumped on the preverbial "bandwagon". Tomy knowledge there are 9 or 10 and, possibly, many more manufacturers ofthe popular electric systems that appear, at the moment, to be a family home"must have".Generally there are two varieties, the original coil type, where a single cableelement wire is provided on a spool to a given length that would cover a certainsquare metre area. Then there are the mat systems. These are generallythe most commonly used, more than likely because of the ease of installingthem. They generally come on a roll 40cm in width and of varying lengths.Most manufacturers will start producing a mat from as small as half a squaremetre, right up to 12 sq. metres. Some, however, do go slightly larger, but the12 sq. metre size, in most cases, appears to be the cut off maximum. Shouldyour floor area be larger than 12 sq. metres, you can simply add more mats toachieve the desired floor area.When wired up to the appropriate control thermostat, again most manufacturersrecommend up to 40 sq. metres running off one thermostat. Beyond 40sq. metres it is suggested more thermostats are used.There are two wattage outputs; 150 watt for solid floors, such as concrete orscreeds, and 100 watt when installing on wooden and or backerboarded substrateflooring.Speaking to several tilers over the years, installers of underfloor heatingseem to experience the same re-occurring problems. The first is generally themost common, and it is where, when measuring a room that is to have UFHfitted, people assume that the element wiring, be it a coil system or a mat variety,must go right up to the perimeter of the room. This should not be thecase, as, hopefully, we all know heat expands and rises. So it is not essential36 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

UNDERTILE HEATINGThermonet Systems (UK) Ltd20/20 Business Park, Liphook Way, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0LQT: 08700 412 141 F: 08700 412 140 W: www.thermogroupuk.comEstablished in 1995, Thermonet is a market leading supplier and manufacturer ofelectrical heating systems. Thermonet’s emphasis is on personal customer servicefrom the very conception of a project through to the fully-backed warranty period:three years for thermostats, 10 years for heating systems and 15 years for cabling.Thermonet’s heatmats feature a very robust wire stitched to a fibreglass mesh foreven output and ease of installation. Heatmats can be easily cut and returned andthe cable can be released from the mesh for ultimate flexibility.to take the mat right up to the walls or skirting boards. If I was fitting tiles toa room that was 20 sq. metres, I would order a mat or coil system to coverapproximately 18 sq. metres, so as to allow me tolerance all the way roundthe perimeter of the room. What you don’t want is to have masses of mattingleft over when the area has been covered.I remember watching an installation demo DVD on the installation of underfloorheating systems. It was devised by one of the major manufacturers andwas a very useful example of what "not to do". We show it to our students inour wall and floor tile training school.Both clips on the DVD showed cases of over measuring and what thesecowboys did to overcome the problem. The first instance was a cable/coilsystem being fitted to a kitchen floor and, although the floor area had beencovered totally by the cable and was done quite well, they had absolutelyloads left over, and they didn’t know what to do with the remainder. In theireyes the simple solution was to get rid of it. So what did they do? They tooka Stanley knife to what was left over and simply cut through the elementwiring and threw the evidence away. They then continued to tile the floor,grout in, collect payment for the job and vanish. The second film sequencewas a tiler laying a mat kit to a bathroom floor, again, system laid and stillloads left over, what did he do? Pop the side panel off the bath, screwed theremainder of the mat into a ball and throw it under the bath, and replace theside panel. Now I’m not sure if this would actually happen or not, but it certainlymade an impact on me, and the several hundred people to whom Ihave told this story. The film showed the element heating up, the ball of mattingunder the bath caught fire, the bath then started to melt, the bath caughtalight, the house was totally gutted and the closing sequence of the DVD wasa fire engine come hurtling down the road.The moral of these stories: “Don’t over measure!”Another common fault people make and, to me, is quite an obvious one notto make is, that with UFH kits, they do what they say. They are going to heatup a floor. So the whole floor, when the UFH is turned on, is going to heat upand expand, and when switched off is going to cool, thus making it expandand contract. Therefore, you must use flexible adhesives and grouts. When itcomes to fixing light coloured marbles, travertines, limestones, etc, use awhite adhesive, because what can sometimes happen, not always, is thatthese light coloured tiles can become translucent, allowing the trowel lines ofthe adhesive to show through the tiles.One major element that I have personally learnt over the years, and now themanufacturers recommend, is, once you have stuck the underfloor heating tothe substrate, to apply a latex coating over the whole floor area, heatingcable, the lot. This should be a pourable mixture, again totally flexible, andapplied with a rubber based trowel or squeegee, so as not to disturb or possiblycut into the heating cable. This process completely covers the cable andcable webbing when using a mat system. If you like, it binds everythingtogether and, at the same time, provides you with a perfectly smooth andlevel base to stick your tiles to.Getting back to fitting materials such as travertines, limestones and somemarbles, although these materials are hard, they can also be quite brittle. Soplease make sure your adhesive bed is of a good thickness, minimum reallybeing 10mm and of a solid 100% coverage method. When dealing with tumbledor some of the trendy crosscut travertines, be aware of vein fractures andsediment holing, as they really can create problems if not totally submersedin the adhesive application. All in all use common sense. None of what wedo as tilers is rocket science. It is really just a case of being thorough, methodicaland using the correct materials.Pieter Jansens, Speedheat: ManufacturerNatural stone and tile floors are beautiful, but there’s no getting away fromthe fact that it’s not the cosiest kind of flooring! The Romans knew that andused hot water heating systems under fabulous marble and mosaic floors.The theory behind this age-old system was and remains sound, but eventoday, such systems can be labour intensive to install and inefficient to run.Fuel has to be burned to heat the water to pump through the system untileventually you get some heat in the room. And it really is under the floor,embedded in the sub floor, which meant the concrete mass has to heat upbefore anything rises to the surface.Little wonder then that in modern times, we have doggedly stuck to radiatorsusually run on natural gas.Today, however, the future is at our feet, and it’s electric! Advances in electricalengineering have created a new generation of controllable, super efficientsystems, which are less under the floor and more radiant surface heating,like an electric blanket nestling just under your chosen floor finish.Because these systems are laid on top of the sub floor and sealed with anultra-thin layer of special screed, they are quick to install, doing away with theneed to dig down and avoiding any noticeable increase in floor levels.A good, sealed system is perfectly safe under any flooring, even those thatare sensitive to heat discolouration, need regular washing or where there isno grout between slabs or tiles.And the performance is phenomenal, taking as little as 20 minutes beforeyou feel comfortably warm, reducing energy consumption tremendously. Ahot water system can take 3 to 5 hours to get the same result.If a whole house switched to electrical radiant floor heating, energy consumptioncould be significantly reduced, which has to be a bonus whenenergy costs are such a huge issue for all of us. It’s all about performance.With electricity, you only pay when you receive what you use, so the fasteryou heat, the cheaper the cost.Health is also a factor. People are waking up to the fact that heat from radiatorsmoves the air around and dries it out. Check the top of your radiatorsand the top of your walls and see the dirt and dust that gets swirled aroundby the convection: people are inhaling this.Today’s electrical systems are more part of the flooring industry than plumbingand heating, and a growing number of flooring contractors are discoveringit‘s a great add-on for their business.Michiel Bester, Speedheat: ManufacturerAs long as you apply a risk assessment approach, electric UFH can be the idealheating solution. The safest route is to choose a professionally installed systemthat ticks all the boxes, that has been rigorously tried and tested not toharm the flooring above or the sub-floor, comes with guarantees and nationwide,expert service. You also want a system that can be designed for individualapplications, because every installation brings unique challenges.CONTACTSA full list of UFH system manufacturers and distributors can be found atwww.tileandstonejournal.com.38 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

REVIEW: CERSAIEBologna: WhenSlim rode into townTSJ’s Editor, Joe Simpson, reports from Cersaie where theglobal tiling industry finally puffed out it’s chest and beganceramic tile’s post-recession fightback in earnest.After a depressing Cevisama, and a below par Coverings, I set off for Cersaie with amixture of fear and anticipation. Would the world’s leading ceramic showcase providefurther doom and gloom, or would it mark the start of recovery and instil somemuch-needed optimism into the flagging tile market?Fortunately, it proved to be the latter. Although there was a notable shortage of buyers fromthe UK, USA and Australia, Bologna was a resounding success. The show attracted 510 ceramictile exhibitors, including most of the big names minus a few of the major Spanish brands. Theoverall quality of the stands was well up to par, with many of the top Italian factories using theshow to promote their economic health. Nowhere was this clearer than on the enormousFlorim stand, which was, as one UK distributor noted to TSJ, “larger than my house’ which featuredmassive interlinked booths for all five group brands: Rex, Cerim, Floor Gres, Casa DolceCasa and Casamood.It was also clear that there are some strong new players from less well-known tile producingnations ready to take up any slack. While the Brazilian, Turkish and Portuguese factories havelong offered a strong challenge to the big two European nations, at this year’s Cersaie therewere also a number of impressive stands featuring large scale producers from Egypt, Ukraine,UAE, Poland and other emerging nations. While many of these companies have exhibited atCersaie in the past, it was notable that this year their stands had a contemporary Europeanstyling. Indeed, if you removed the brand name and national flag from the fascia, a visitorwould be hard pressed to guess the country of origin.However, with the exception of Eagle Brand, Chinese factories were notable by their absence,and there were also fewer non-exhibiting Chinese factories handing out leaflets outside themain entrances.On the design front, the general consensus was that this year’s exhibitors played it safe: perhapsnot surprising given the prevailing economic conditions. The wall tile palette was, on thewhole, quite muted, although the benefits of digital printing and Rotocolor (sometimes incombination) were clearly shown by highly authentic reproductions of marble, natural stoneand wood. Indeed, digital seems to have given a whole new lease of life to wood-effect tiles:a design trend many had expected to hit the buffers years ago, but one that now looks set torun and run, driven by the incredibly realistic colours and textures that can now be achieved,right down to simulated aged, distressed and even bleached and wave-worn flotsam timbereffects.Once again, there was a wide choice of rococo designs and wallpaper simulations on display,but little in the way of bold colours and bright patterns. As for formats, the key trend was largethin rectangular sizes, such as 200 by 800mm, which really work well with light and dark marbles.Some factories are also starting to play around with different interlocking shapes, rather thanthe normal squares, rectangles and strips. Bone-shaped curves, complex geometric tessellations,and variations on the ying and yang theme offer a new decorative twist: something idealfor the feature wall behind a bar, or perhaps a stylish headboard to a luxurious domestic orhotel bedroom.Mosaic is another design trend that clearly has legs. As well as the many mosaic specialists atthe show - where Bisazza was a notable absentee - many tile manufacturers continue to usemosaic as an elegant way to utilise a plain tile range’s colour selection as a cut-piece decor: asimple, cost-effective, yet stylish decorative solution.In floor tiles, the key trend was lapatto stone effects in a wide range of natural stone finishes,from sandstone and marble, through to darker granite and even basalt. After the large rectan-Tau’s new TauFine is new large format, ultrathin conceptin porcelain featuring tiles with a minimum thickness of 5mm. It comes in two formats: 300 by 600 and 450 by900mm. TauFine is specially designed to be applied towalls, and is particularly suited to refurbishment projectsas it can be applied directly over existing tiling. It is beingoffered in some of Tau’s most popular designs such asCorten and Portland, and with new products such asMythos. One standout is Corten Energy, a polished rangewith great aesthetic appeal.Ariostea’s 4.7 High Tech is a new ultra-slim porcelainrange designed to be laid over existing marble, stone ortiled floors, or as an internal wall covering. The rectifiedtiles are available in two stone designs, Silk Limestone andPietre, in 600 by 600 and 600 by 300mm, plus 300 by300mm mosaic effects. A planked timber design, Legni, isalso available in narrow 900 by 225, 900 by 150 and 900 by110mm formats.OCTOBER 2009 TSJ 43

REVIEW: CERSAIEÇanakkale Seramik and Kalebodur’s new Bond range is thefruit of collaboration with designer Harri Koskinen.Inspired by the forms of nature, the Bond range bringsrhythm and the smooth forms of the natural world toceramics. By using concave and convex tiles together;Bond reflects the movements that are present in nature.Colour options reflect the natural tones of elements likewater, sun, sand, earth and stone. A version without reliefenables installation over tiles, allowing this range to beused in a wide range of applications.Acif’s new Wood Touch collection combines the look ofwood with a metallic weave. It comes in five colours(white, beige, brown, grey and petroleum) in 600 by 600,300 by 600, 150 by 600 and 100 by 600mm . The honed surfacemakes it suitable for use in both floor and wall applications.The range also features Luxury and Frame Glitterdecorative tiles, as well as mosaics and skirting tiles.gular formats of the past couple of years, this year’s key format was 800 by 800mm, with fewerof the 1,000mm and 1,200mm monsters in evidence.The two main themes, however, were the environment and the new “Slim” porcelain tiles.Many stands had a generous application of greenwash, mainly with one eye to the USA market.However, in my opinion, a lot of this ecological justification smacked of opportunism.While I am not one to underplay the great strides that have been made in the use of recycledmaterial, more energy efficient kilns and waste-water processing, I couldn’t help being somewhatsceptical about all the environmental marketing at the show. That being said, with ISO14000 now well established, it is good to see that the tiling industry is starting to fight its weightin the global green building marketplace.The real trend at Cersaie was the new “Slim’ tiles. These should not be confused with themassive 3mm Laminam sheets that have been in evidence in recent years under a variety ofbrand names such as Kerlite. The new thin porcelain tiles are manufactured using traditionalpresses. Clearly many factories are banking on this technology as the next big thing. It was apity then that many hadn’t got their story straight before the show. This may be an indicationthat this is a technology-driven, rather than a market-focused, innovation. Whatever the case,confusion reigned. Some factories were claiming that the new “Slim” tiles (generally between4mm and 5mm thick) were manufactured using a standard porcelain body. Others stated thatthey used a standard porcelain body with a special secret ingredient. Some even claimed thatthey used a completely new body, no doubt dreamed up by a backroom boffin with the brainthe size of a planet. There were also mixed messages when it came to fixing these slim tiles.Most agreed that they were suitable for the majority of wall applications, especially over existingtiling. However, when it came to floor tiling there was no such clarity. Some factories werestating that they could only be used over existing, sound and flat tiling; while others led thebuyer to believe that they could be used anywhere that conventional porcelain tiles areinstalled.As for adhesive, some called for a 6mm bed, while others trumpeted the suitability of a 2mmbed. Both seem dubious – the thicker bed negating the benefits of the thinner tile in terms offloor thickness and weight; the latter an open door to failure for a product where solid beddingis essential.The final area of inconsistency was price. At the start of the show, some manufacturers wereseeking a premium against conventional porcelain, despite reduced firing costs and raw materialusage. By the end of the show, the message seemed to be approximate price parity or evena slight discount. Certainly, lower transport costs are an obvious plus. Probably all these anomalieswill get ironed out once “Slim” tiles establish themselves in the marketplace. However, theUK buyers I spoke to displayed little enthusiasm for the product, unless it can be demonstratedthat these “Slim” tiles perform equally well on both floors and walls. Otherwise, why buy twodifferent thicknesses for wall and floor when a conventional thicker tile can perform equallywell in both application areas?It was hardly comforting that Mapei’s Dr Squinzi chose to use his entire presentation at theCersaie press conference to highlight the problems of laying “Slim” tiles, nor to find thatRaimondi has already developed some new wedges specifically to cope with the problem ofholding thin tiles accurately in place during laying. When the problem-solving device appearsalmost simultaneously with the actual tiles, the new technology would seem to promise anadditional problem that the industry hardly needs in today’s climate.Still, given the trepidation that beset the run up to Cersaie, it seems churlish to end on a negativenote. The show was a success and several companies had really pushed the boat out.Stands that caught my eye included Villeroy & Boch, Rex, Petra Antiqua, Novoceram and Lea;while the single most striking object was the slipper bath cum shower on the Sicis stand, witha shower head mounted on the top of the high heel and the bath in the foot, all decorated withsumptuous metallic mosaic and mounted on a circular mirrored plinth that made it appear tofloat on air – mad but magnificent.In conclusion, the 27th edition of Cersaie may well go down in history as the most importantyet: as the exhibition where the global tile market regained its chutzpah. With the tile andbathroom shows covering a combined total of 176,000 square metres, featuring 1,036exhibitors from 34 countries, this remains a truly impressive event. While some foreign buyersstayed at home, over 83,000 delegates made the pilgrimage to Bologna, just 1,6% down on2008. And, with 23,138 foreign visitors, Cersaie also underlined its global importance, and laidto rest the memory of February’s Valencia show.44 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

REVIEW: CERSAIEFMG Fabbrica Marmi e Graniti offered eight new factory-made stones including threetypes of marble (Bardiglio Imperiale Scuro - above, Giallo Siena and Rosso Alicante), twotypes of travertine (Travertino Chiaro and Travertino Romano Classico ) and three typesof stone (Parana Beige, Parana Black and Parana Taupe), complemented by mosaics, distinctivedecorations and special pieces.Emilceramica’s Golden Wood range is a ceramic parquet ofrefined simplicity. It features the warm colours of naturalwoods, with bleached and burned shades provided tomeet more modern preferences. The vein patterns ofwood are achieved using state-of-the-art digital technology.Golden Touch comes in five colours (white, teak, oak,wengé and burned) in four sizes (225 by 900, 150 by 900,150 by 600 and 150 by 150mm). The decorative tiles featureelegant, modern, two-colour patterns, sanding withgold and silver coloured fillings, and mosaics with crisscrossveining.Jasba’s new Highlands range was inspired by the Scottish region. The range featuressubtle decor options: Lines, Pattern, Silver Grain, Flowers and Check. Colours includecloudy white, natural beige, peat grey and crimson red. The range offers a varied rangeof formats. Any of the colours is available as mosaic 10 by 10mm (mix), 20 by 20mm(mono-coloured and mix), 50 by 50mm (mono-coloured and slip-resistant Secura version)and 100 by 100mm (mono-coloured). The medium size is 200 by 200mm (mono-coloured)and 300 by 600 and 600 by 600mm tiles (both mono-coloured) complete the range.Lea Ceramiche exhibited severalcollections that showed the company’seffort to offer innovative, originaldecorations. Among these wasthe Solaris collection: a reinterpretationof Brera stone that offers aminimalist sumptuousness to anyenvironment, complementing bothclassical and contemporary interiors.Thanks to Lea’s Full HD technology,this new collection in grésporcelain accurately reproducesstones in all their details, includingtheir most delicate nuances, as theBrera stone characterises, or eventhe details of the mineral inclusionsof Sandstone.Iris’ new Petra Aeterna range is ideal for indoor and outdoor,residential and contract environments due to itsstructured anti-slip surface. It comes in Quarzite Silver,Quarzite Dorada, Quarzite Alpes and Quarzite Dark in 600by 600, 600 by 300 and 300 by 300mm mosaic.46 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

REVIEW: CERSAIEOne of the outstanding new tiles at the show, Villeroy & Boch’s La Diva is a premium qualityrange with both Asiatic and European influences. It is offered in elegant colours suchtulipe noire and pearl with gold accents. The main format is 300 by 900mm, complementedby 300 by 300mm mosaics and 50 by 300 and 15 by 300mm trims. The relief tile withmetal accents, above, is particularly striking.Portinari’s Eco Botanic range encapsulates the kind ofdesign that aims to turn the house into a safe haven.Inspired by wooden graphics, with modern and naturaldesigns, Botanic’s elongated format is ideal for creatingelegant environments. This porcelain range comes in 225by 900, 150 by 900 and 110 by 900mm rectified formats.Accessories include 110 by 900mm baseboards, 300 by450mm step rebate and mosaics in 300 by 300, 50 by 300and 150 by 150mm. There are three colours: Noce, Beigeand Brown.Provenza’s Q-Stone range is inspired by quartzites from different parts of the world. Q-Stone comes in five colours (Ice, Blonde, Grey, Sand and Walnut) in three sizes (450 by900, 600 by 600 and 300 by 600mm) and in natural, honed and structured finishes.The collection also features the Opus and Opus Maxi (shown above in a lapatto version)multi-size combinations, comprising five and nine sizes respectively, mixed and boxedfor varied, extremely natural looking, installations.Materia by Rako is a range withstrong contrasts. The plain whitetiles and the black decorated tileswith a skew structure have a modernlook. The large formats andborders with their lines inred/black/white feature a glazingtechnique that gives the range anunusual feel. Rectified, the walltiles are available matt or gloss in300 by 600mm. Decorated tilescome in the same format, complementedby tiles with a black skewoptical effect in 450 by 110mm.Complementary floor tiles in 450by 450mm are available, plus 300by 600mm for wall or floor use.Banksy by Peronda is perhaps the most striking exampleof the factory’s experimentation with the design possibilitiesof graffiti, as exhibited by the Chic range. This has silkbase tiles in 333 by 600, 320 by 590, 333 by 910 and 320 by900mm with cement textures, with matching floor tiles.48 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

REVIEW: CERSAIETau unveiled the latest version of its highly successful Corten range: Corten Energy andCorten Night, Developed using new manufacturing techniques which can polish thematerial to create a fire-like appearance, both models are available in 450 by 450, 450 by900, 600 by 600 and 300 by 600mm formats, and in two finishes: natural and polished.Corten Night adheres to the canons of the TAU ecotile range with over 45% of the tile’s’composition using recycled materials. Tau has also designed Corten Energy in theTauFine version, the new ultrathin porcelain with a reduced thickness of just 5 mm.Graniti Fiandre’s Wave is the result of sophisticated research into design at its most modernand sophisticated, resulting in an exclusive line of innovative projects. Its signatureis the delightful irregularity of the relief texture in a range of essential colours that allowlight to mimic the shimmering movement of the setting sun dancing across the risingwaves, with the skilfully designed texture creating shifting, twinkling light effects on thesurface. The playful texture of Wave can be found in three shades: White, Grey and Black:basic colours specially chosen to draw attention to the original undulating effect. Waveis available in three formats: 1,500 by 750, 750 by 750 and 750 by 375mm.Agrob Buchtal’s Chroma Play! is either ingeniously simpleor simply ingenious, depending on how one views it. Therange offers unlimited possibilities with only one geometricstylistic device, the quadrant. This quadrant is representedon a ceramic tile in the format of 250 by 250mm yetallows the creation of circles, undulated structures or sinuouslines by varying the combinations, which can bearranged horizontally, vertically or diagonally. This intelligentvariability also impressed the expert jury of the iF-Award when the preliminary design developed by thecommunication and design agency Drid was awarded thiscoveted prize. At the official market launch as of thebeginning of 2010, Chroma Play! will be offered in white asbasic colour with quadrants glazed on it in the ninecolours of the Chroma II range: yellow, green, turquoise,azure, blue, lavender, grey, beige and cotto. Variants theopposite way around can be produced for specific projects,i.e. with a basic shade in one of the nine colours mentionedabove with quadrants in white glazed on it.CERSAIE 2010 DATESCersaie 2010 will run in Bologna from the 28thSeptember to 2nd October 2010. Given the strength ofthis year’s show, one should expect a full turnout of UKbuyers next year.OCTOBER 2009 TSJ 49

IT SYSTEMSCreated by CADCraig Rothwell, Managing Director of Planit Fusionexplores the huge potential of computer aided design totoday’s interior designers and ceramic tile retailers.Above: Craig Rothwell,Managing Director, PlanitFusion: “Incorporating tilinginto a room design takes somecareful planning andconsideration in order toachieve the right end result. Achange of mind once the tilingis on the wall or floor can be anexpensive, time consuming andsimply impractical task; whilstliving with the wrong resultmay be an even more painfulexperience.’Tiles are always one of the biggest considerations interms of room design, given that they are likely tocover a large expanse of the room, whether they areused on walls, on the floor, or on both. Also, with somany colours, styles and sizes of tiles to choose from,getting the look just right has never been more essential.Thankfully, there are tools available to help the designerand the consumer through the decision process, helpingthem visualise what patterns and styles will work wellwithin their design. One such tool is computer aideddesign (CAD) software which, as well as being a particularlypopular aid to kitchen and bathroom design, is nowalso being used ever more frequently as part of the tiledesign process.CAD software, such as Fusion, enables the user toexperiment with various tile designs to their heart’s content.By integrating the latest catalogues from leadingtile distributors and manufacturers into its software,Fusion enables the user to quickly and simply select froma huge array of tile products to find the perfect solutionfor each particular room design. Planit Fusion works inpartnership with a wide spectrum of manufacturers,helping the user to choose the very latest products andtrends available.Fusion allows colours, textures and sizes to be quicklyselected from the visual palette and added to the roomdesign, allowing the user to explore the full range ofproducts available in order to achieve the desired result.However, the true benefit of using such software is that itenables the customer to actively visualise the end resultlong before the grout hits the walls, something that haslong been a stumbling block with the more humble tilesample method. Fusion’s cutting edge graphics nowmeans it is possible for designers to generate photo-realisticimpressions of the tiles and indeed the whole roomitself, providing a real-life representation of what the finalresult will be.As software becomes increasingly advanced, so do thearguments continue to grow in favour of CAD for tilingforming an integral part of one’s business. With therelease of ‘Version 16’, this latest edition of the softwareboasts an even greater array of enhanced tiling features.Fusion users can now add individual decorative tiles to astandard tiling zone, create a herringbone pattern usingstandard rectangular shaped tiles and create repeatingpatterns using a variety of different tiles. The software’ssuperior graphics allow the user to clearly see the decorativefeatures of their chosen tiles in detail, even downto the lustre and finish.In addition, with CAD software such as Fusion, over orunder estimating how many tiles will be needed for thedesign, even after the most meticulous of calculations,becomes a thing of the past. Once the tiles have beenchosen and with the room design complete, Fusion willcalculate exactly how many tiles will be required.Craig Rothwell, Managing Director of Planit Fusion, said:“Incorporating tiling into a room design takes some carefulplanning and consideration in order to achieve theright end result. A change of mind once the tiling is onthe wall or floor can be an expensive, time consumingand simply impractical task; whilst living with the wrongresult may be an even more painful experience. Fusionoffers the user endless experimentation and, with theenhanced features of the latest version of our software,there has never been a better time to get on board withCAD software for bathroom, kitchen and tile design.”** Planit is a trademark used under license from Planit Holdings LimitedPlanit FusionT:01233 649700 W: www.2020-fusion.comE: fusionsales@2020.netAbove: This stylish and contemporary bathroom design was created using Planit Fusion CAD software.50 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

PORTFOLIOPRODUCTS IN BRIEFDeVerre Elements,LLC is an Americanmanufacturer of distinctiveglass coverings.DeVerre’s artisansuse a patentpending,handcraftedprocess, tocreate three collections: Stone, Brick, and WoodDeVerre. The products can be used as stand-alone surfacingor continue an existing design of stone, brick, orwood, with the same shapes and textures in glass.DeVerre Elements have rounded edges and are smoothto the touch, making them safe for installation wherethere is physical contact.www.deverre-elements.com'Whispering Grass' isan amazing combinationof acrylicresin and verdant,natural grassesbrought together inan inspired, highlylifelike design thatwill create a relaxing,almost spiritualback drop to anyspace. Availablefrom The Stone & Ceramic Warehouse Whispering Grassis available in 1,200 by 2,400mm panels and a variety ofcolour choices.020 8993 5545 www.sacw.co.ukRAK Ceramics haslaunched an innovativetile series thatcreates a breathtakingimpression forprojects - even inthe dark. RAKLuminos glow in thedark ceramic tilesare energized byabsorbing surroundinglight sources, which the tiles later release aslight energy in the form of a soft, luminescent glow.Once charged, RAK Luminos tiles will glow for up to 12hours, depending on the strength of its previous exposureto sunlight or artificial light sources. RAK Luminosis ideal for exterior building facades, helping to create aprime attraction or landmark-type presence. In addition,this luminescent tile collection can be installed inmore fun interior spaces such as nightclubs, discos,restaurants, bars, and hotels, making a statement thatwill truly differentiate an establishment.www.rakceram.comFast set adhesives offer versatilityWhen selecting adhesives for high quality stone installations, Mapei Granirapid andElastorapid are both rapid setting, flexible adhesives that can be used for bonding stone,porcelain, conglomerate marble and resin-bonded tiles. They are suitable for use on allwall and floor substrates and can be used in conjunction with undertile heating, makingthem extremely functional, versatile products. The rapid-setting, extraordinary bondingproperties of Granirapid make it the obvious choice for projects where rapid tiling andresistance to high foot traffic is required. Available in grey and white Granirapid is suitablefor dark or light coloured stone materials.Mapei Elastorapid is rapid-setting and invites project specification with its highlydeformable properties and extended open time. The longer open time makes it particularlysuitable for summer use where immediate service is required. The increased flexibility(S2) ensures Elastorapid’s performance even for floors subject to heavy traffic onsubstrates as deformable as timber.0121 508 6970 www.mapei.co.uk.New universal substrate is lightweight and easy to useA new universal substrate for tiles has been developed by Schlüter-Systems. This innovative line serves as a substrateand bonded waterproofing solution. Kerdi-Board gives an absolutely level substrate with straight and preciselyangled internal and external corners, providing an instant base for a perfect tile covering. It creates a perfectsubstrate for tile installation in both new build and renovation projects.It is ideal for masonry of all kinds, including green masonry, concrete, existing substrates such as plaster, tilesand painted surfaces, mixed substrates, wood or metal stud frames, partition walls, panelling bathtub surrounds,vanities and shelving and kitchen work surfaces, as well as for concealing pipes.A special version, Schlüter-Kerdi-Board-V, comes with vertical grooves, designed for creating rounded andcurved designs in applications such as self supporting partition walls, tub surrounds, panelling of support structuresand columns and panelling of pipes and installation ducts.The panel comes in seven thicknesses: 5, 9, 12.5, 19, 28, 38 and 50mm. Because of its extremely lightweightconstruction – it contains no cement or fibreglass – it is easy to transport, handle and cut.01530 813396 www.kerdi-board.co.uk52 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

PORTFOLIOTilers can control new adhesive’s setting timeTile Dock improves cutting efficiencyRotoZip has unveiled the latest addition to its range of products designedto make life easier and safer for the Professional Tiler. The Tile Dock is aportable tile setting station created for use with cutting tools and powertools to allow precision cuts in even the toughest of tiling materials.Constructed from heavy-duty structural foam plastic, Tile Dock is highlydurable and impact resistant. It can clamp tiles in virtually any position,eliminating the need for dangerous makeshift methods of clamping. Asa result, tile breakage is reduced, increasing the productivity and profitabilityof each project. Non-slip universal mounts secure the base of theTile Dock to the working surface by way of screw, bolt, clamp, foot or knee,resulting in a comfortable individual working positionwww.RotoZip.comTool kit offers many accessoriesDremel has re-launched itsentry-level toolkit with fiveextra accessories and aneco-friendly 60% reductionin packaging. TheDremel 300-30 multi-toolnow comes with 30 accessories,stored inside a softzipper bag which replacesthe old grey hard case. TheDremel 300 has a comfortablegrip for reduced vibration.It is the ideal tool fortasks like detailed sanding,precise routing, polishingor cutting. The powerful125W motor runs at a variablespeed from 10,000 to33,000 RPM, so the speedcan match the project at hand, and the comfort switches allow for bettercontrol. The accessories supplied with the Dremel 300-30 include a cutterand a grinding stone, polishing wheels and compound, cut-off wheels,plus sanding discs, sanding drum and sanding bands. In total, there are150 attachments and accessories available to rout, cut, saw, sharpen,reach and control.www.dremel.co.uk or www.dremel-direct.comBAL Variset XP is said to bethe world’s first floor adhesiveto offer infinitely variablesetting and workingtimes to suit environmentalconditions. It allows fixersto control exactly howsoon grouting can begin.BAL Variset XP is suppliedin two parts: a 20 kg sack offast-setting adhesive and aone-litre bottle of liquidretarder. When the powderis mixed with water, theamount of retarder addedat the same time determines the setting time. This is controllable toanywhere between 10 and 160 minutes, with a corresponding pot lifefrom 5 to 80 minutes. BAL Variset XP’s major benefit is that more completedtiling is possible within a working day, lowering a project’slabour costs. It also removes the traditional pot life compromise offast-setting adhesives. There is no need to choose between riskingpart of a mix having to be discarded before being used or regularlyinterrupting tiling to mix small batches. Fixers can use BAL Variset XPthroughout, gradually decreasing the amount of retarder added, orstart with a rapid-setting product and switch after a couple of hours.The first rows of tiles can be ready to grout before fixing has finished,while the last rows, setting extremely rapidly, will be ready by the timethat the fixer gets to them. This can remove the need to fix one dayand grout the next. Cold weather delays disappear. With BAL VarisetXP, setting can take as little as an hour, even when the ambient temperatureis as low as 5 o C. Equally, a fixer working on a hot summer’sday at 30 o C can lay their last few rows with BAL Variset XP and groutwithin minutes, rather than having to return the following day.BAL Variset XP is ideal for most types of floor tile, including porcelain,and offers excellent bond strength with good flexibility. It can be usedon both interior and exterior floors and in dry and wet environments,being highly frost and water-resistant.0845 600 1222 www.bal-adhesives.comNew versatile waterproofing membraneLaticrete has launched a new cost-effectivewaterproofing and anti-fracture membranefor fast and profitable interior or exteriorapplications over virtually any substrate.Laticrete Hydro Barrier is a thin, load-bearing,self-curing liquid rubber polymer thatcan be easily applied for flexible, seamlesswaterproofing and anti-fracture protection.Hydro Barrier speeds up installations by not requiring fabric in thefield, and can be flood tested just 24 hours after curing. Easilyapplied with a paint roller, brush or airless sprayer, Laticrete HydroBarrier inhibits the growth of mould and mildew in the membranewith Microban antimicrobial product protection. Easy to clean upwith just a sponge and clean water, it is the ideal product for costeffectivewaterproofing and anti-fracture protection in commercial,industrial or residential bathrooms, swimming pools, spas, steamrooms, food processing areas and similar locations.0871 284 5959 www.laticrete.comOCTOBER 2009 TSJ53

BOOK REVIEWSClassic collectionChris Blanchett reviews the very latest in mosaic literature,plus a classic campaigning publication from 1904.MOSAICO & MOSAICI 2009Various authorsSpilimbergo Mosaic School, ItalyParallel English and Italian96 pages. Colour throughout. £19.95One of the annual events in the world of mosaics is thepublication of the Spilimbergo School Annual and thelatest - the 12th - is one of the best yet. Filled withsuperb examples of mosaics in both traditional andcontemporary style, it should prove to be an inspirationto all mosaicists. The wide range of mosaics includedshow how far-reaching and excellent the school’stuition is and will only serve to enhance their alreadyfine reputation.EXHIBITION CATALOGUES:SPILIMBERGO SCHOOLVarious authorsSpilimbergo Mosaic School, ItalyParallel Italian text72 pages. Colour throughout. £19.95And now we have the two latest Spilimbergo ExhibitionCatalogues too! Full of fantastic examples of the verybest in traditional and contemporary design. The qualityof the work can be fully appreciated as the photographsare so clear and sharp. There are a couple of‘overlaps’ between the two catalogues, but there aremany different mosaics in each catalogue that it is wellworth investing in both.THE PEBBLE MOSAICPRIMER DVDA Basic Course by Maggy HowarthRunning time approx 2 hours, PAL format(NTSC available on request). £30.00THE PEBBLE MOSAICPICTURE SHOW DVDPebble Mosaics Around the WorldRunning time approx 2 hours, PAL format(NTSC available on request). £20.00Probably the world’s leading expert on pebble mosaics,who better than Maggy Howarth to create two superbDVDs on the history and making of pebble mosaics!The Primer takes us through a short history of pebblemosaics from ancient Greece to the present day andthen describes all the tools necessary to make a simplepebble mosaic. The viewer is then led step-by-stepthrough all the stages required to complete a simpleinitial project, with Maggy herself illustrating the techniqueswhich she has developed over 30 years of producingbeautiful mosaics.The Picture Show is just that, being a much expandedand enlarged world tour of pebble mosaics ancient andmodern, each site being described in detail by Maggyherself, and not just the history and technique, but herown personal thoughts about the mosaics, which addsgreatly to the enjoyment of seeing such incrediblework. This is the most comprehensive overview of pebblemosaic ever attempted and deserves a place inevery mosaicist’s collection.LEADLESS DECORATIVE TILES,FAIENCE AND MOSAICWilliam James FurnivalPrivately published by the author. 1904.852 pages. 340 illustrations,37 plates of which 12 in colour.Quarto. 400 copies printed.Towards the end of the 19th century, the tile industrywas infamous for the number of deaths suffered by itsworkers, primarily due to lead-poisoning. Littleattempt had been made to overcome this, one methodbeing to provide a special ‘beer’ which was brewedwith sulphuric acid, to turn the lead oxide which wassoluble, into lead sulphate which was passed naturallyby the body! Needless to say this created more problemsthan it solved. One or two potters were aggrievedat the situation and tried to take steps to abolish theuse of unfritted lead glazes in the industry and one suchwas William James Furnival, the owner of a small potteryin Stoke-on-Trent. He was so disgusted with thesituation that he wrote a small book in 1898 entitledResearches Into Leadless Glazes. Whilst this had someeffect in drawing attention to the seriousness of thematter, he was not satisfied with the results and undertookto write a much more comprehensive work whichwas published six years later.About a third of the book is a detailed study of the historyof ceramic tiles, going right back to their origins inthe far and middle east. This is followed by a short sectionon the rise of the ‘modern’ industry and a detailedaccount of the sources and preparation of ceramicmaterials. The main part of the book however is takenup with his recipes for lead-free bodies and glazes andit is this section which makes the book continue to beso sought after by potteries throughout the world.Furnival was successful in his campaign – shortly afterthe book’s publication, the law was changed to prohibitthe use of old-fashioned poisonous lead glazes, and thelives of about 2000 people per year were saved as aresult. The recipes are still valid, although based on veryold-fashioned measurements of quantity.Buckland Books occasionally has copies of this bookfor sale, usually about £250 to £300 per copy. To go onthe waiting list, use the address below.CONTACTAll these titles are available from:Chris Blanchett Buckland Books01903 717648 buckland.books @tiscali.co.ukwww.bucklandbooks.co.uk54 TSJ OCTOBER 2009

TILING TECHNIQUESLaying thin porcelain tilesAs Cersaie showed, thin porcelain tiles are all the rage. In order to preventinstallation failures, TSJ asked the technical team at Mapei UK to come up with afoolproof step-by-step installation guide for these ultra-slim new tiles.TILING WALLSCeramic tile manufacturing technology is constantlyimproving. In recent years it has become possible toproduce thinner porcelain tiles (4 to 5 mm) with technicaland performance characteristics comparable to conventionalporcelain tiles.These new slim tiles have a number of practical advantages:• Easy to handle, cut and drill.• Renovation work is made easier: lower costs, lessinconvenience and less time required.• When carrying out renovation work, demolitionoperations are eliminated together with thesubsequent removal and disposal of waste material.• Reduction in the weight acting on floor slabs and loadbearingstructures (due to the lower weight per sq. m).• Transport costs are reduced thanks to the material’slower weight per sq. m.Mapei has always paid great attention to market requirementsand innovative technology, and the company’sR&D lab was given a mandate to develop an adhesivespecifically formulated for laying this type of tile:The result is Ultralite S1, a one-component, high-performance,flexible, lightweight, cementitious adhesive withno vertical slip, extended open time, low dust technologyand extremely high yield. It is easy to apply by trowel forthin porcelain tiles and is rated Class C2TE S1 according toEN 12004 standards.Ultralite technology gives this adhesive low density, acharacteristic which leads to the following main advantageswhich may be partly associated with those of thinporcelain tiles:• Higher yield with consumption approximately 60% lowerthan conventional Mapei cementitious adhesives.• Compared with traditional adhesives, Ultralite S1 has alower density, which makes it possible to reduce weightacting on the load-bearing structure and floor slabs.• Bags of Ultralite S1 have the same volume but weigh less(15 kg) than bags of conventional Mapei cementitiousadhesives (25 kg), which reduces transport costs.Ultralite S1 is also characterised by no vertical slip, whichmakes it particularly suitable for laying large-sized tiles onwalls.The product is classified as Class S1 (according to EN12004 standards) flexibility which makes it suitable for layingon façades and on substrates subject to temperaturechanges.The Low Dust technology applied in this productreduces the amount of dust given off during transportand handling operations, which makes it particularly suitablefor restoration work in closed environments or areaswith poor ventilation.Substrates where thin porcelain tiles are to be laid mustbe dry, stable, solid, mechanically strong, perfectly flat andfree of loose materials (dust, grease, oil, wax, strippingcompound and any other material which could potentiallycompromise the bond). They must be suitable for theloads and stresses to which they are subject when in service.Whatever type of substrate is used, it is extremely importantthat the substrate is flat to avoid the formation ofgaps below the tiles which would cause weak points inthe floor covering.If the surface is not perfectly flat, a specific smoothingand levelling mortar from Mapei’s range of products mustbe used to even out all the imperfections.0121 508 6970 www.mapei.co.ukTILING FLOORSLevelling the floor withUltraplan.Fixing and pressing the tileimmediately after laying.Grouting with rubber trowelwith Ultracolor PlusSpreading the adhesive with a9mm round-tooth trowelChecking the complete backbutteringCleaning and finishing thegroutSpreading Ultralite S1 with anotched trowel No. 6.Application of adhesiveto the back of the tile.Spreading Ultralite S1 on theback of tile.The completed floor: flat andperfectly finished.OCTOBER 2009 TSJ 55