ADHESIVES & GROUTS BEYOND THE TILE
Sian O’Neill, Head of Marketing at Topps Tiles, explains how the finishing touches of any job can be just as important as the tiling itself.
With inspiration at a customer’s fingertips thanks to the likes of Pinterest and Instagram, customers are now coming to tilers with a preconceived idea of how they want their room to look, accessories included.
Whilst selecting the right tile is crucial for any project, a number of customers are now looking beyond the tile. It is this attention to detail that creates an individual look for each customer, and can even help to secure a job, whether this is by playing around with different tones of grout or by introducing a metallic trim for a luxurious project. If you can demonstrate experience in attention to detail, your potential customers are sure to notice.
Locking the project in
Finding the right adhesive is key to achieving the perfect finish and prolonging the life of your tiles.
Adhesive is a great alternative to using sand and cement when it comes to a tile installation. Not only will it keep the tiles in place, but there are a wide range of tile adhesives to fit different job specs.
For example, as part of our ongoing relationship with BAL, we have extended our current range of adhesives, which are exclusive to Topps Tiles customers. These include the new BAL PTB Fibre plus adhesive that rapidly sets in just three hours and is ideal for large format and natural stone tiles. It’s also especially beneficial for tiles with uneven thickness and/or when fixing uneven surfaces.
Along with this, we have also added the BAL New Floor adhesive, which is suitable for fixing ceramics, porcelain and vitrified tiles in dry or wet interior and exterior environments. Unlike other adhesives, it can be used on new cement, on sand screeds after 24 hours and on concrete after just seven days to enable a faster installation. Furthermore, it is water and frost resistant and can be grouted after 20 hours. Additionally, with a pot life of five hours, it’s ideal for use on larger installations.
Getting to grips with grout
Over the past few years, grout has become just as important for customers as their choice in tile. In fact, the colour of grout can play a crucial role in achieving a look that is more personal; instantly transforming a tile and creating a very different style or trend to the usual standard white grout.
Grout has a significant overall effect on the look and feel of the tiles, whether your customer is choosing a coordinating shade to provide a seamless finish, or a contrasting tone to add structure and definition.
“FINDING THE RIGHT ADHESIVE IS KEY TO
ACHIEVING THE PERFECT
FINISH AND PROLONGING THE LIFE OF YOUR TILES.”
It’s details like this that make the use of this product ideal for producing a range of different looks; from industrial textures, through to the ‘fusion’ of mixed materials, and even a more urban look using brick-format tiles. This proves you should no longer simply look to the design of the tile itself, but factor in how a simple grout can help to rejuvenate a room as well.
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Topps Tiles Matrix Alaska White Foundry Tarnish Box Trim & Patchwalk
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When selecting the right shade of grout, it’s important that tilers consider how the space is going to be used. For example, darker grouts are ideal for areas of the home exposed to food spills or a build up of grease, such as kitchen splashbacks. These shades offer a more low-maintenance solution compared to their white counterparts, which can show stains more easily.
www.tomorrowstileandstone.co.uk
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