Become a LATICRETE Product Champion of Your Store!

Adrian from Reece Irrigation Campbeltown All Smiles Now That He Is
 The LATICRETE Product Champion of his Branch

Jesse from Reece Irrigation Oak Flats Receiving
 His LATICRETE Training Certificate 

Last month NSW LATICRETE Technical Sales Rep, Craig Hunter, and LATICRETE Australia Technical Service Manager, Fred Gray, held an exclusive Reece Irrigation Training Day, at the LATICRETE Technical Training Centre in Smeaton Grange, NSW. All those who attended received a LATICRETE Training Certificate and are now trained up to be the LATICRETE product champions of their stores! 

LATICRETE is committed to educating and providing technical support and advice. We provide customised in-store and job-site training and demos for your team, as well as trade events, samples, and customised specifications for YOUR project!

For more info on our upcoming LATICRETE Seminars and Trade Events happening around your area soon, check out the Seminars page on our website, or keep up to date with the Trade Events by following us Facebook.

Contact us to arrange training, a demo or for technical support, call 1800 331 012 or emailsales@laticrete.com.au.

Project Spotlight: Hillsborough County Transfer Waste Station

The Solution: LATICRETE L&M™ Construction Chemicals

Tipping floors found in waste transfer stations and material recovery facilities (MRFs) undergo attacks that are extreme and unique to the solid waste industry. In fact, there isn’t a more abused floor than one found within this space. The attacks come in three forms: abrasion, impact and chemical. The front-loaders from the tractors cause the abrasion and impact, and the waste leachate creates the chemical attack on the concrete surface.

In Hillsborough County, Tampa USA, the existing concrete at the transfer waste centre had worn down as far as the rebar in certain areas - 100 mm in elevation - and was nonexistent in some spaces. Cornerstone Construction Services (CCS), an Orlando-based concrete contractor, was awarded the project. 

CCS had half the floor to work with at any given time. The other half remained operational. This created logistical difficulties working around heavy equipment. Another challenge the CCS crew encountered was environmental. Florida temperatures in the summer are not conducive to good concrete or emery topping placement projects. Therefore, they mixed and placed the new topping at night, when temperatures were at their lowest.

LATICRETE L&M™ Construction Chemicals EMERYTOP 400™ was the chosen solution, and over the course of the two installations, the CCS crew put down over 226,796kg of L&M EMERYTOP 400 material. Hillsborough County management is very pleased with their new L&M EMERYTOP 400 floor topping. CCS gave a 3 year warranty on the new flooring solution. The County’s transfer station is 100% back in operation. Click here to read the full Project Spotlight 

Click here to view/download the LATICRETE Guide to Construction Chemicals Brochure, that provide products for the construction, repair and protection of concrete.

Contact us to discuss your next flooring project or to arrange a mock-up by calling 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Tips From Technical Services

Image depicts a wet substrate that never allowed the membrane to cure which
resulted in a damaged, delaminated membrane.

Moisture Vapour and Damp Substrates With Membranes.

An article by Fred Gray, LATICRETE Australia Technical Service Manager, provides educational insights on moisture vapour transmission rates caused by damp substrates: 

"As we have progressively moved out of the hotter drier weather patterns to more prolonged warmer and wetter or damper conditions, we are starting to see the re-occurrence of a range of issues we have not seen for a while. In particular these resultant warmer, damper, wetter substrates and backgrounds can be problematic with the application of most waterproof membranes. 

The wetter conditions when combined with warmer temperatures accelerate moisture vapour transmission rates that get trapped under the membrane. The transmission of moisture vapour in the substrate under the membrane usually manifests as bubbles in the membrane which means isolated debonding of the membrane occurs.  

So how do we avoid these issues - protection of the works from the elements and allowing drying moisture equalisation is the best way, however construction schedules don’t allow for this, so the use of moisture shielding is considered the pragmatic way to mitigate high moisture vapour rates. LATAPOXY® Moisture Shield should be used on all work exposed to these conditions."  

Click here for the LATAPOXY Moisture Shield Data Sheet.

For more information or for Technical Support call 1800 331 012 or email sales@laticrete.com.au to arrange a demo or a FREE sample.

Join us at Coverings Expo '17

LATICRETE provides industry leading, innovative installation materials, methods and technologies for building installation systems. LATICRETE will be at the premier international trade event and expo in Orlando, Florida, dedicated exclusively to showcasing the newest in ceramic tile and natural stone. Join us for demonstrations and information seminars on the latest industry products!  

Expo Details: 

When: 4-7 April, 2017

Where: Orange County Convention Center 

Address: 9800 International Dr, Orlando, Florida 32819

Booth: #3131  

Exhibit Hours:

Tuesday - Thursday: 10:00am - 5:30pm

Friday: 10:00am - 3:00pm

Click here for more information.

To discuss your next project, for technical support or to arrange FREE samples or a demo, call 1800 331 012 or contact us here.

Onshore Tiling Pool Project

This incredible pool, spa and feature wall project in Ascot, QLD, is currently being installed by Blair from Onshore Tiling, along with pool builders Performance Pool & Spa. The detailed custom mosaic pool features crystal pearl mosaics with individually placed gold mosaics throughout, supplied by The Pool Tile Company. The project also consists of a feature wall and infinity spa. Blair has used a range of LATICRETE materials including:  

• HYDRO BAN® - a thin, load bearing waterproofing/crack isolation membrane that DOES NOT require the use of fabric in the field, coves or corners. HYDRO BAN is a single component, self curing liquid rubber polymer that forms a flexible, seamless waterproofing membrane. HYDRO BAN bonds directly to a wide variety of substrates.

• 335 Premium Flexible Adhesive - a high performance thin-bed adhesive for installing a wide range of tiles and stone including low absorption ceramic tile, porcelain tile, natural and manufactured stone using thin-set method of installation. Exceeds the requirements of AS ISO13007.1&2 classification C2TES1. Excellent for exterior and underwater applications, supeior bond to masonry.  

Thanks for sharing this project with us Blair, we can't wait to see the finished result! 

Click here to view/download the LATICRETE Pools, Spas and Fountains System Brochure.

Are you getting ready to start a project? Contact us for technical support or to arrange free samples. Call 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Walkway & Pond Project Progress

Last year we shared in the progress of a great looking walkway and pond project on the go in Noosa, QLD, by Don Macdonald and his team at The Orchid Group. The project is progressing nicely and consists of a walkway and stairs laid with travertine, an entry path laid with granite, and a pond featuring Bisazza mosaics. 

The project has been installed using a wide range of LATICRETE materials including:

• STRATA_MAT™ - a next generation high performance uncoupling mat for use under tile and stone installations for both residential and commercial applications. Designed to replace traditional underlayment materials.
• 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed - a polymer fortified blend of carefully selected polymers, Portland cement and graded aggregates. 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed does not require the use of latex admix, you only need to add water to produce thick bed mortar with exceptional strength. 
• HYDRO BAN® - a thin, load bearing waterproofing/crack isolation membrane that DOES NOT require the use of fabric in the field, coves or corners. 
• 254 Platinum - The ultimate one-step, polymer fortified, thin-set adhesive. For interior and exterior installation of ceramic and stone tile, reduced thickness porcelain, quarry tile, pavers and thin brick. 
• LATAPOXY® SP-100 - a stainless, pigment free, colourfast epoxy grout for grouting floor installations of ceramic tile, brick, and stone. Can be used for interior and exterior applications. 
• SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout - a patented, high performance epoxy grout that offers colour uniformity, durability and stain resistance with extraordinary ease of use. Designed for use on ceramic tile, glass tile and stone applications, both residential and commercial.

Contact us to discuss your next project, visit your job site or to arrange free samples. Call 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Solutions for Animal Care Clinics & More

Before and After

Did you know LATICRETE SPARTACOTE™ has a concrete coating system which is an excellent choice for dog kennels and animal care facilities? 

SPARTACOTE FLEX PURE CLINICAL PLUS coating system offers silver ion antimicrobial technology to mitigate harmful bacteria and odours such as pet urine. It acts as an added layer of protection within the SPARTACOTE concrete coating system for prepared surfaces. These systems offer animal facility owners customisable colours and textures, and fast return to service. SPARTACOTE PURE Clinical Plus is tested, vetted and proven in environments where cleanliness is a top priority, such as hospitals, clinics, animal shelters, veterinary facilities, pharmaceutical production areas, bathrooms, locker rooms, and food production.

Coatings applicator, Collins Concrete Coatings, in Ashburn, USA, recently applied SPARTACOTE CLINICAL PLUS coating in a dog kennel in Leesburg. This coating system included a base medium gray coat. It was then top coated with CLINICAL PLUS Clear, giving the floor excellent abrasion resistance, easy to clean properties, and silver ion antimicrobial technology. The project was approximately 112m2. Read the full story here. 

For more information on SPARTACOTE flooring systems click here.

Got a concrete flooring project in mind? Contact us to discuss your next project - Call 1800 331 012 or email us here. 

TIBA gets behind LATICRETE®

Waterproof Training in TAS

The Tasmanian Independent Builders Association (TIBA) gets behind their members to ensure they are adhering to the National Construction Code across Australia. There are regulations and standards that are just not negotiable and one of them is Internal & External Under Tile Waterproofing. 

LATICRETE is committed to education and training and have collaborated with TIBA to educate and train their members in Tasmania. Erin Fraser, LATICRETE Technical Sales Rep and Neil Warden spent time in Ulverstone, Hobart and Launceston, training TIBA members on Internal & External Under Tile Waterproofing using HYDRO BAN® a thin, load bearing waterproofing/crack isolation membrane.

TIBA members who attended the training were taken through the regulations and standards, contractor responsibilities, waterproofing issues and had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with HYDRO BAN. At the end of the training, learners were assessed and accredited in using HYDRO BAN.

Are you or your team up to date on the regulations and standards on Internal & External Under Tile Waterproofing? Contact us to arrange training for you or your team - email: technicalservice@laticrete.com.au or call 1800 331 012 for more info.

Plunge Pool Complete

All finished and filled up

LATICRETE Technical Sales Rep with the 15 year Warranty

This little guy is ready for a swim!

We are excited to share the QLD Spring Hill Plunge Pool Project we have been blogging on is now complete and looks amazing! This beautiful glass mosaic pool was installed by Sam Gardener from Sam Gardener Tiling, is filled up and ready to be enjoyed. LATICRETE QLD Technical Sales Rep, Mitchell Haw was on the project site to hand over the 15 year LATICRETE Pool Tiling Installation System Warranty to the owners! 

To qualify for the LATICRETE Pool Installation System Warranty the following LATICRETE products were used:

• 226 Thick Bed Mortar - A factory prepared blend of carefully selected raw materials, Portland cement and graded aggregates. 226 Thick Bed Mortar was designed for use with 3701 Mortar Admix to produce a latex Portland cement mortar that has exceptional strength. 
• 3701 Mortar Admix -  Used in place of water, 3701 Mortar Admix improves the working and physical properties of any cement mix and provides an economical and easy way to make permanent, trouble-free installations of ceramic tile, brick and natural stone.
• HYDRO BAN® - A thin, load bearing waterproofing/crack isolation membrane that DOES NOT require the use of fabric in the field, coves or corners. HYDRO BAN is a single component, self curing liquid rubber polymer that forms a flexible, seamless waterproofing membrane. 

• 254 Platinum (Previously 345 Platinum) - The ultimate one-step, polymer fortified, thin-set adhesive. For interior and exterior installation of ceramic and stone tile, reduced thickness porcelain, quarry tile, pavers and thin brick. 254 Platinum provides long open time with unsurpassed adhesion and workability. 
• SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout - A patented, high performance epoxy grout that offers colour uniformity, durability and stain resistance with extraordinary ease of use.Designed for use on ceramic tile, glass tile and stone applications, both residential and commercial. 
• LATASIL™ 9118 Primer - A one component primer designed to increase adhesion of LATASIL to various substrates
• LATASIL™ - A high performance, one component, neutral cure, 100% silicone sealant designed for ceramic tile and  stone applications. 

Click here to view/download the LATICRETE Swimming Pool System Warranty
Click here to view/download the LATICRETE Pools, Spas and Fountains System Brochure.

Are you getting ready to start a pool project? Contact us to discuss your next project or arrange a demo. Call 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Pukalani Elementary Mosaic Mural

Credits: Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts.
Photo Credits: Kealoha Bower & Calley O'Neil 

'Na Wao A’O Pi’ilani' - The Life Giving Forests of Maui

This incredible Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts stained glass mosaic 14'x52' mural was installed for the Pukalani Elementary School in Hawaii. 260 school children and community members helped to create the lei aloha border and the remainder was completed by artist, Calley O'Neill, installer Isaac Homza & the team at Higher Standard Tile & Stone. This project took almost 2 years to complete from inception and has been installed using a range of LATICRETE materials including 254 Platinum (previously 345 Platinum) and PERMACOLOR® Select grout.

PERMACOLOR Select was used to show the different parts of the island with 5 different colours. The panels of the mosaics were then attached to the wall with 254 Platinum. 

This beautiful mural comes with a very meaningful message: 

'The mural seeks to inspire children to nurture their connection with each other and the land, teach the children who they are, where they come from, and how to support life, so that they can communicate this and pass it on to the next generation. The children that understand this will become wise and great innovators and leaders, for there is great work to be done to create a healthy and truly abundant future. There is infinite potential for all the children and their children’s children to thrive and make a positive difference in the place we love the most  -  home!'. - Calley O'Neill. 

Contact us to discuss your next project, arrange a demo or your FREE samples by calling 1800 331 012 or contact us here.

Bayset Campbellfield Now Stocks LATICRETE!

We are excited to extend a warm welcome to the Bayset, Campbellfield team in VIC, as a preferred LATICRETE stockist. Head down to the Campbellfield branch and chat with the friendly team at Bayset about LATICRETE tile and stone installation materials.

Address: 2/109 Metrolink Circuit, Campbellfield  VIC  3061

​Phone: (03) 9308 7962  

Email: melbourne@bayset.com.au

Hours of operation: Mon. - Fri. 6:30am to 3:30pm

LATICRETE tile and stone installation materials is now available at Bayset branches in: 

• VIC: Campbellfield. 
• QLD: Coopers Plains, Geebung, Burleigh Heads and Warana. 

For more information on using LATICRETE in your projects, arrange product demos, samples or technical support please contact LATICRETE on 1800 331 012, email sales@laticrete.com.au or visit www.laticrete.com.au.

Trowels and the outcome of your project

In a technical article featured in Tile Today #92, Fred Gray, LATICRETE Australia Technical Service Manager, provides an informative discussion on the importance of trowel selection and the direct influence it has on the outcome of the tile project.

"For some time now, the tile industry has seen a shift in the size of tile that is used to clad a wall or floor. Historically, a tile was labelled as large format if it was larger 200mm x 200mm and improvements in manufacturing technology have made it possible to make a tile that is larger than 1m x 1m (not taking into account the thin pocelain veneer panel) that can weigh as much as 45kg.

In comparison, it would be difficult to consider a 200mm x 200mm tile as being large, but proper installation methods and materials can help to ensure that any size ceramic or stone tile, masonry veneer, or thin brick is installed in such a way as to meet the project and industry requirements for adhesive coverage, distribution and thickness.

While an increasing demand for greater surface tolerances is critical to the success of the application, having suitable adhesive coverage, distribution and depth under the tile is as critical to the finished installation, as the flatness and structural integrity of the substrate." Click here to continue reading.

For more information or for technical support, call LATICRETE on 1800 331 012 or email: sales@laticrete.com.au. Chat to us and arrange a demo or a FREE sample.

LATICRETE Meeting in India

LATICRETE International Management Meeting 2017 

Faisal Salem, Vice President of LATICRETE Int. with
Erno de Bruijn, President & COO of LATICRETE Int.

Neil Warden with Emma Tschannen - LATICRETE Australia

Daniel Rothberg, Faisal Salem and Simone Meadows

2017 LATICRETE Int. Meeting 

Last week Emma Tschannen, General Manager and Neil Warden, National Sales Manager from LATICRETE Australia spent time in India attending the International Management Meeting which hosted LATICRETE team members from all over the globe. 

Featured in the above photo is Daniel Rothberg and Simone Meadows, 3rd generation of the Rothberg family, and employees of LATICRETE Int., had also attended the meeting.

The group had the opportunity to experience some of the local traditions by learning an Indian dance and practicing yoga! 

Knowledge is the Key to Success

LATICRETE Technical Sales Rep, Craig Hunter was recently at Shoalhaven Brick & Tile for a trade and demo afternoon. Installers had the opportunity to chat with Craig and gained a better understanding on LATICRETE systems and warranties and how LATICRETE installation materials are designed to save in time and labour. Products demonstrated on the day included:

• MVIS™ - Masonry Veneer Mortar is a patented, versatile polymer fortified mortar designed specifically for the installation of adhered masonry veneer, stone and thin brick. A high performance mix provides maximum non-sag performance for vertical installations and also obtains maximum bond strength to the substrate and selected veneers.
• PERMACOLOR® Select - High performance cement grout.  is an advanced high performance cement grout that offers the industry’s first dispersible dry pigment solution. PERMACOLOR Select is designed for virtually all types of residential and commercial installations and offers optimum performance on the most demanding exterior or interior applications.

For more info on our upcoming Events happening around your area, check out the Seminars page on our website, or keep up to date with the Trade Events by following us Facebook.

Contact us to arrange a trade event, a demo or for technical support, call 1800 331 012 or email sales@laticrete.com.au.

Residential Pool in Sunshine Beach

A Pool with a View!

This fully tiled pool in Sunshine Beach, QLD has been under construction by Jack Boyd Pools and Calty Construction. The 80m2 pool features 20x20 Bizazza glass mosaic tiles and has been installed using a range of LATICRETE materials to qualify for a 15 year system warranty!

The products used for the installation of this pool include:

• 226 Thick Bed Mortar -  a factory prepared blend of carefully selected raw materials, Portland cement and graded aggregates - designed for use with 3701 Mortar Admix to produce a latex Portland cement mortar that has exceptional strength. 
• 3701 Mortar Admix - a specially designed latex admixture for use with thin-set adhesives, cement grouts, cement mortar beds and other cement mixes.
• LATAPOXY® Moisture Shield - a 2 component, roller applied epoxy coating specifically designed to reduce moisture vapour emissions in concrete and other substrates.
• HYDRO® BAN - a thin, load bearing waterproofing/crack isolation membrane that DOES NOT require the use of fabric in the field, coves or corners.
• 254 Platinum - the ultimate one-step, polymer fortified, thin-set adhesive. For interior and exterior installation of ceramic and stone tile, reduced thickness porcelain, quarry tile, pavers and thin brick.
• SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout - a patented, high performance epoxy grout that offers colour uniformity, durability and stain resistance with extraordinary ease of use.
• LATASIL™ 9118 Primer - a one component primer designed to increase adhesion of LATASIL to various substrates. For all underwater and permanent wet area applications such as pools, fountains, showers, tubs, spas, saunas and steam rooms.
• LATASIL™ - a high performance, one component, neutral cure, 100% silicone sealant designed for ceramic tile & stone applications.

Click here to view/download the LATICRETE Swimming Pool System Warranty. 

Contact us to discuss your next project, arrange a demo or FREE samples by calling 1800 331 012 or contact us here.