RAISING THE STAND We hear from the experts at BAL on how their new adhesive technology is revolu


Fixers always want to finish an installation as quickly as possible. Often rapid-setting adhesives are preferred to ensure grouting can begin quickly. However, this can provide challenges during installation.


With ever larger tiles growing in popularity, complex designs required, possibly difficult or irregular backgrounds on-site and even hotter temperatures being experienced now in the summer months; the use of a rapid-set adhesive does not provide enough open, working or adjustability time for a fixer.


With its ‘One’ rapid-set technology, BAL has previously helped fixers with its products that provide significantly longer open and working times than all other rapid-set products but are still ready to grout in three hours.


The UK market has seen the launch of other ‘semi-rapid’ products, which are essentially based on over-retarded rapid- set formulations. However, the new BAL technology is the first truly enhanced standard-set technology − developed from traditional standard-set chemistry as a basis.


When traditional rapid-set chemistry is retarded to get a longer open and working time, there is a limit on how much the cement chemistry can be retarded before strength development is adversely affected.


Heavily retarded rapid-sets may also have performance limitations or suffer in on-site conditions where the required working and open times may not be achieved, as the product increases in viscosity and application becomes more difficult.


Long open and working time performance will always be achieved more consistently using a standard set adhesive, or a product using this chemistry as a basis.


In response to customer demand, BAL’s R&D team has developed two enhanced standard set adhesives with a long open time, excellent non-slip properties and may be grouted in as little as four to six hours. Something that has never been achieved before.


SET YOUR OWN PACE BAL Flex One and BAL Flex Fibre Plus give fixers longer working and open times– but a faster set for quicker grouting.


Outperforming ‘semi-rapid’ products with an excellent two-and- a-half to three hour working time and a 45 to 60-minute open time – this means more time to fix in hotter conditions (and less wastage in buckets), more time to adjust larger tiles, and more time when working on particularly complex installations.


From a four to six hour set time, the new adhesives allow fixers to grout in the evening or early the next day – significantly cutting down installation time compared to traditional standard setting products that require up to 24 hours to set.


FREEDOM TO PERFORM Fixer friendly, BAL’s new standard set technology also


28 | PRODUCT FOCUS: ADHESIVES & SEALANTS


provides outstanding usability – helping to overcome the many obstacles that face fixers on a modern project.


With the thickest bed depths on the market for standard sets at 15mm and 20mm,the formulations help fixers to overcome background irregularities where isolated building out may be required.


What’s more, it utilises technology first developed by BAL including super smooth gel rheology, a thixotropic formulation with shape memory, and full wettability where there is no need to adjust the water content to get the full performance benefits.


The new adhesives also have superb non-slip performance, easily exceeding the requirements of EN 12004 for “T” rated adhesives.


A TRUE ALL-ROUNDER Highly flexible with S1 deformability, the adhesives are suitable for use with all tile types including ceramic, porcelain, natural stone – including marble, mosaics, terrazzo, brick slips and uncalibrated stone.


Suitable for interior and exterior applications and in dry and wet environments, the adhesives are particularly recommended for large format wall and floor tiles and may be


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