Product Feature: LATAPOXY® Moisture Shield

LATAPOXY® Moisture Shield is a two component, roller applied epoxy coating specifically designed to reduce moisture vapour emissions in concrete and other substrates.

Use over dry and damp concrete and other masonry substrates to reduce the moisture vapour emission to facilitate the correct installation of membranes, tiles, vinyl, timber, adhesives or other floor coverings that require protection from moisture.

Key Features

• Easy to use - rolls on like paint
• Cures in 24 hours
• Can be applied over green concrete (minimum 7 days old)

Click here for more product information.

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

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

Penn State Swimming Pool

Penn State’s men’s and women’s swimming teams compete against the best athletes in the NCAA’s Division 1, and to compete against the best, the school needs the best facilities. Penn State’s main swimming facility features a 1960s-era Olympic-size pool that began to show its age in early 2014. Penn State put the job out to bid, which required a firm that could deliver the highest quality and warranty its work.

To bring the Penn State pool back to life JP Phillips, Inc., a LATICRETE MVP firm, won the job in no small part due to their ability to deliver the coveted LATICRETE 25 year warranty. JP Phillips, Inc., worked with the LATICRETE Technical Services team to design correct procedures for the repair of the pool.

"Penn State needed a warranty on their pool. Our ability to work with the LATICRETE team and design a system capable of getting the coveted LATICRETE warranty was key to landing this important project", said James Pogel, JP Phillips, Inc.

Through a combination of JP Phillips, Inc.’s professionalism and the support of the LATICRETE Technical Services team, Penn State University got the pool its swim teams deserved and the LATICRETE 25 year warranty system the university requested and the results speak for themselves - in the spring of 2015, the Penn State women’s swimming team set a new record in the freestyle relay.

Click here to read the full Project Spotlight.

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

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

Why Are Expansion Joints Important?

Why are expansion joints needed in tile and stone applications? The basic answer is that in the construction world everything moves. Therefore, accommodation for this movement is required to prevent materials from falling apart and causing destructive failure.

It is the Project Designer/Project Architect/Project Engineer’s responsibility to detail and outline the requirements for each specific project. Design Professionals have available to them tables that outline the expansion rates (coefficient of expansion) of most building materials. In their calculations, they can predict how much movement will take place on a given project over a specific substrate using a specific type of adhesive and installation method. As you can imagine, there are countless combinations. There is no way that an installer can know which combination is applicable before they walk onto a project.

Some of the factors that affect the movement of tile installations are as follows. All of these factors cause the tile and stone installation to move. If this movement is not accommodated for, the restriction in movement can allow the grout to crack or powder out or the tile to pop up or “tent” up:

• Physical Building Movement
• Shrinkage of Concrete
• Thermal Movement
• Moisture Expansion
• Encroachment of Dissimilar Building Materials
• Changes of Plane
• Treatment of Existing Movement Joints

All buildings will move. Therefore, accommodation for this movement is necessary. To properly review and place expansion joints, the best time to discuss and deal with the issue is before the installation takes place. This will help to avoid problems and finger pointing after the installation is completed. 

For more information read TDS-1252 Why Are Expansion Joints Needed in Tile and Stone Installations?  

For more information on LATICRETE permanent trouble free installation products, training, or technical advice, contact your local LATICRETE representative on 1800 331 012 - or email: sales@laticrete.com.au.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

LATICRETE STONETECH® Heavy Duty Coating Stripper

LATICRETE STONETECH® Heavy Duty Coating Stripper is specifically formulated to safely break down coatings and epoxy grout haze. It's recommended on natural stone and masonry surfaces such as marble, slate, saltillo tile, ceramic and porcelain tile.

STONETECH Heavy Duty Coating Stripper is a result of the STONETECH Clean range which means that the products are specifically formulated for stone and tile by a team of dedicated scientists. Unlike everyday household cleaners that contain harsh and abrasive ingredients, our gentle water-based, easy to use formula has been designed to care for natural stone and tile on a daily basis. The heavy duty range is designed for tougher jobs but still offers the same water-based, environmentally friendly formula.

Features & Benefits:

• Removes tough coatings, lacquers, and varnishes 
• Low odour and non-flammable water-based formula 
• Professional strength

STONETECH Heavy Duty Coating Stripper is best suited for countertops, splashbacks, floors and walls. Click here for more product information.

For information on LATICRETE products, arrange a demo, trade event, technical support or to discuss your next project call 1800 331 012 or contact us here.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

To all of our Customers, Colleagues and Friends! 

The LATICRETE Australia team wishes you a very Merry Christmas! May your day be filled with happiness, good fun, food, family and friends.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

LATICRETE at Your Fingertips!

The LATICRETE Australia Product Information App is an industry-first, full-service reference tool. Whether you're a professional contractor, tile shop, stockist, or a do-it-yourselfer, you will find the application to be a welcome addition to your tool kit!

Want to know what products LATICRETE has to offer? The LATICRETE app gives you access to the Product Selection Catalogue, which has network-updateable product listings with descriptions and direct links to addition product information.

Need to know how much grout to use on your project? LATICRETE has a Grout & Adhesive Coverage Calculator! The calculator can give you quick coverage estimates for LATICRETE grouts and adhesives by simply selecting your desired grout and adhesive, tile size and grout joint width in English or Metric units.

Along with many more great features, you can also easily contact the Technical Services Department via the app if you are after a more personal experience or need in-depth technical advice.

Click here for more information on downloading the LATICRETE Mobile App.

Contact your local LATICRETE Technical Sales Rep for more information on our products by calling 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

LATICRETE SPARTACOTE™ Metallic™ System

LATICRETE has provided the technology, materials and methods for innovative and permanent installations for over 60 years. Architecturally specified and preferred by professional installers, LATICRETE provides solutions for virtually every application.

The LATICRETE SPARTACOTE™ Metallic™ Flooring System is designed to provide one of a kind colour brilliance and depth to concrete flooring. These unique floor coatings may be manipulated in a number of ways to provide designers with the ability to significantly enhance the ambiance of any environment. Their reflective quality, colour variation and durability make them a widely selected choice for any setting.

Features & Benefits:

• 12x vibrant colours
• Gloss, satin or matte finish
• Easy to install 3-coat system
• Single day application with next-day return to service
• Unique application techniques

Common applications include retail showrooms, entry-ways, lobbies, hallways, residential, shopping malls and car dealerships. For more information on SPARTACOTE Metallic Systems click here.

Got a concrete flooring project in mind? Contact us to discuss your next flooring project or to arrange a mock-up, call 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

The Crossroads Business Park

The Crossroads Business Park is a modern, 139,352 m2 office and retail space in Southern California. It features a host of modern amenities and a progressive design that includes large format travertine natural stone tile on the facade of the building. The developers were committed to a sustainable building process and employed a number of innovative approaches in the construction that posed several challenges. The building is four stories tall and was built using concrete, tilt-up walls, meaning that the walls were poured horizontally and then hoisted into place and tied together. LATICRETE was brought in early in the process to identify the best materials and implementation to achieve the desired results for the exterior tiling.

“The stone tile is the highlight of the building as visitor’s approach, so we needed the best possible installation that will hold up over time. LATICRETE products give us the performance we need and give the project’s owners peace of mind”, said Architect John R. Burroughs, LEED AP Commerce Construction Co., L.P.

The installation took a little more than three months to complete and utilised a range of LATICRETE materials including HYDRO BAN®, PERMACOLOR® Grout, LATASIL™ and 254 Platinum Adhesive. With the right products, Commerce Construction was able to achieve the elegant look the client wanted while achieving an installation that will hold up well to the constant heat and occasional rain of the area. The building is a success and is a centerpiece of the business park, helping to draw a variety of tenants who appreciate the outstanding construction quality.

Click here to read the full Project Spotlight.

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

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

Product Feature: LATAPOXY® 300 Adhesive

Strength and Performance Like No Other!

Problematic tile or substrate? No problem for us - LATAPOXY® 300 Adhesive will bond mostly anything to almost anything. Really! If you need to bond metal tiles, reactive tiles, dimensionally unstable tiles, moisture staining tiles, wooden tiles, tiles with backings to steel, glass, polyester, epoxy and most plastics then LATAPOXY 300 Adhesive will do it, with strength and performance like no other.

LATAPOXY 300 is also ideal for tile installations that require chemical resistance that other types of adhesives can’t deliver, such as industrial environments, commercial kitchens or immersed installations and those alike. 

LATAPOXY 300 Adhesive is a chemical resistant, epoxy adhesive that will bond to most sound, clean surfaces. The adhesive spreads easily and cleans with water while fresh. LATAPOXY 300 Adhesive is a factory-proportioned kit consisting of epoxy resin, hardener and chemical resistant silica filler. LATAPOXY 300 Adhesive can be used in interior and exterior (see limitations) walls and floors, wet and dry areas. 

Click here to view/download LATAPOXY 300 Adhesive Product Data Sheet.

Are you getting ready to start a project? Contact us about your next project or to arrange free samples. Call 1800 331 012 or email us here.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

STONETECH® Surface Care Product Selection Guide

Your investment in natural stone or premium tile deserves the right product to ensure it retains its beauty and function over the long term. LATICRETE STONETECH® makes caring for your natural stone or tile easy. You can be confident that you will extend the life and preserve the value of your investment. 

This brochure provides an overview of tile & stone installation materials to protect, clean and transform your natural stone, tile and masonry – and ensure the quality of your work for years to come! It also contains an easy-to-understand product list for you to find the right STONETECH product for your needs. 

Click here to view/download the STONETECH Stone & Tile Care Guide.

For information on LATICRETE products, arrange a demo, trade event, technical support or to discuss your next project call 1800 331 012 or contact us here.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here. 

Best Wishes from LATICRETE Australia

As the holiday season is upon us, we find ourselves reflecting on the past year and those who have helped shape our business. It has been quite an eventful year for LATICRETE Australia in 2018, and we want to thank you for your continued support and partnership - we look forward to working with you in the years to come! 

The team at LATICRETE Australia wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a very happy, prosperous New Year!

Don't forget we are taking a break - click here to view/download the LATICRETE Australia 2018 Holiday Schedule.

If you have any questions regarding the LATICRETE Australia 2018 Holiday Schedule, please do not hesitate to contact us. Call 1800 331 012, email sales@laticrete.com.au or chat with your local LATICRETE Sales Rep!

Head in to Bayset Coopers Plains Today!

Bayset in Coopers Plains, QLD, is a preferred stockist for all your LATICRETE installation materials. Head in and chat with the friendly team about the wide range of LATICRETE products they stock, including PERMACOLOR® Select!

PERMACOLOR Select 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 and interior applications. 

Address: 1/76 Postle St, Coopers Plains, QLD 4108

​Phone: (07) 3722 3822

Trading Hours: Monday to Friday from 6.30am to 4.00pm

LATICRETE is proud of its commitment to supplying tilers with the most up-to-date information and products available in the ceramic tile and stone installation industry today. Our products are engineered to be fast and productive for the tiler to install. 

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

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

The Shields Street Heart Project

Cairns is the most northern regional commercial centre on the Australian eastern seaboard and is the closest mainland city for Australia’s neighbours in the Coral Sea. Artists Philomena Yeatman, Edna Ambrym and Valmai Pollard from the nearby Indigenous community of Yarrabah were selected by the Cairns Council to produce artworks for a $700,000 public art mosaic project to be featured on eight walls around landscaped gardens in the main mall in Cairns, QLD. Don Macdonald and his Orchid Group* team were appointed as the installing contractors due to their extensive mosaic experience and Artistic Solutions Group as the Creative Consultants to ensure artistic integrity was maintained as the canvas paintings were translated into mosaics and adapted to the vast expanse of the eight walls.

“It was the one thing I didn’t have to think about. All the products; 254 Platinum, 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed, 335 Premium Flexible Adhesive, HYDRO BAN®, LATAPOXY® SP-100 and SPECTRALOCK® PRO Grout, performed exceptionally well individually and as a complete system. Equally as important to using the right products is the technical support. The team at LATICRETE provided me with all of the essential background and technical understanding for each of the products which allowed me to execute the installation with confidence knowing I was using the very best products and industry best practice with our methodology”, said Don Macdonald, Orchid Group.

The project was a huge success for the entire team and the project was a significant undertaking with all of its complexities and challenges. LATICRETE remained the undeniable constant throughout the whole process for the reliability, dependability and superior performance of system approach.

Click here to read the full Project Spotlight.

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

*The Orchid Group is also known as Symmetry Mosaics.

LATICRETE Australia Christmas Schedule!

The end of the year is quickly approaching, and LATICRETE Australia will be taking a break over the holidays - Please refer to important dates with regards to No Shipping or Receiving, Last Shipping and Business Day for 2018, and when LATICRETE Australia will Reopen for business in 2019. 

Click here to view/download the 2018 LATICRETE Australia Holiday Schedule.

If you have any questions regarding the LATICRETE Australia 2018 Holiday Schedule, please do not hesitate to contact us. Call 1800 331 012, email sales@laticrete.com.au or chat with your local LATICRETE Sales Rep!

LATICRETE Tips for Hot Weather Tiling

Tiling in Hot Weather 

Things are heating up here in Australia, so make sure you are ready by reading these helpful hints and tips for tiling in hot weather!

You want to ensure the best installation of your projects over the hotter months, and there is a simple rule to follow when an installation is subjected to high temperatures: The 8ºC Rule – for every 8ºC above 21ºC, Portland cement and epoxy based materials take half as long to cure.

General tips for working in hot temperatures:

1.   For best results, always ship and store installation materials at 5ºC – 32ºC to extend the shelf life and working time. Do not store products in direct sunlight. If installation materials are too warm, they should be cooled to the specified temperature range for that specific product. 

2.  Dampen or wet down substrate surfaces to not only clean the area, but to lower the temperature and lower the absorption rate of the substrate. Sweep off excess water just before mortar is applied. This step will extend the working time of the installation materials. 

3.   Stir latex additives thoroughly before mixing with thin-sets, grouts, plasters, stuccos and other Portland cement mortars. 

4.   Due to the rapid rate of moisture loss and Portland cement dehydration at temperatures >32ºC, cover installations with polyethylene sheeting for 1-2 days to allow curing at a more normal rate. 

5.   Low humidity also accelerates the curing process. 

6.   Tent off or provide shade when working in direct sunlight.

7.   Work during cooler periods of the day (e.g. early morning). 

Click here to read more.

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

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.

Product Demo at Reece Irrigation & Pools

LATICRETE Technical Sales Rep, Mitchell Haw, was recently at Reece Irrigation & Pools in Morayfield, QLD doing product demonstrations. Those who attended had the opportunity to chat with Mitchell to gain a better understanding of LATICRETE products, and also get their hands dirty while demonstrating with HYDRO BAN®, 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed, and 335 Premium Flexible Adhesive.

• HYDRO BAN is 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.  
• 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed is a specially designed latex admixture for use with thin-set adhesives, cement grouts, cement mortar beds and other cement mixes. 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.
• 335 Premium Flexible Adhesive is 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.

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.

Our Holiday Schedule is now available to be viewed here.