Managing Deflection

Every tile or stone installation will only be as good as the surface over which it is installed. Tile and stone are very rigid materials and do not accommodate movement well; they may potentially break or delaminate from the substrate if it bends excessively under load. Every installation needs to have a firm, stable surface over which to be applied, and with that in mind, one of the most important things to consider is deflection.

Substrate deflection under all live, dead and impact loads, including concentrated loads, must not exceed L/360 for thin bed ceramic tile/brick installations, or L/480 for thin bed stone installations where L=span length (except where local building codes specify more stringent deflection requirements. The Marble Institute of America and the TCNA suggests a more stringent standard of L/720 for stone installations.

To calculate the maximum allowable movement, divide the number of units in the length of the span by the maximum allowable deflection value.

For more information read Technical Data Sheet TDS-1011.

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.

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