Porcelain/Fully Vitrified Tiles

Fully vitrified tiles which can either be unglazed or glazed, characterised by the tile's low water absorption below 0.5% (BIa). Porcelain tiles are normally dry pressed using a body made from Kaolin clays, feldspar, silica and colouring oxides fired to around 1200 degrees.

Vitrified and Semi-Vitrified Tiles Tiles, which can either be unglazed or glazed. Tiles in this category can be either dry pressed or extruded and have water absorption of between 0.5 to 3%(vitrified) Class BIb – dry pressed, and 3% to 6% (semi-vitrified), Class BIIa – dry pressed.

Tile Fixing

Full guidance is given in British Standard, BS5385 Wall and Floor Tiling. The following points should be remembered:

• The ideal background is cement/sand rendering.
• Weight restrictions for tiling onto plaster and plasterboard are defined in BS5385:1, i.e. 32 kg/m2on plasterboard, and 20 kg/m2 on plaster.
• The background to receive tiling should be fully cured, dry, clean, sound and nominally flat.
• Tolerances for surface flatness are defined in BS5385.
• In a dry area a minimum area of contact of 75% should be achieved.
• In wet areas solid bed fixing is required. NOTE: Larger format tiles with a surface area greater than 0.1m2 may need additional mechanical fixing when used above 3 metres.

Use a polymer enhanced adhesive meeting the requirements for a cementitious Class C2 adhesive defined in BS EN 12004. Grout meeting the requirements of BS EN 13888 should be applied as defined in BS5385.

The Tile Association have published a Technical Advice Note on this subject of which the above is an extract. It can be found on the TTA website at www.tiles.org.uk/help/answer-porcelain.shtml?hilite=plasterboard.

For further information contact a TTA member tile supplier or look on TTA website at www.tiles.org.uk.

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