APPOINTMENTS & NEWS 9
19-20 November 25 Excel London
NEWS FEATURE
Why tiles are the sustainable choice
Nick Bratt, manufacturer Palace Chemicals,
national technical sales manager for tile adhesive describes how tiles should be
considered a sustainable option for wall and floor finishes, compared to the alternatives available to specifiers today.
A
lthough various other options are available, tiles have the benefit of a strong sustainability proposition, compared to other types of wall and floor coverings. For a start, they are durable
and longlasting, as well as being fireproof, anti-allergenic, waterproof and scratch-resistant, assuming of course that the area is prepared correctly and they are installed using appropriate high quality adhesives and grouts. According to the Environnmental Product Declaration (EPD) of Confindustria Ceramica of Italy, which represents the Italian tile manufacturing sector, ceramic tiles have a reference service life of 60 years, well beyond many alternatives. From the point of view of a building specifier who is looking to maximise the energy efficiency of a building, tiles also have the key benefit of adding to the thermal mass of the structure, aiding the retention of heat and minimising its loss through walls and floors. In today’s modern builds, underfloor heating is often incorporated into the build-up of floors. Thermal mass, of which tiled surfaces are an important part, combined with the low energy, low heat technologies of underfloor heating, make an important contributon to the modern energy efficient home. Furthermore, tiles are made from naturally occurring raw materials and are fully recyclable at the end of use. While there is concern about VOCs and chemicals used in tile adhesives, grouts, cleaners and preparation products, the manufacturers of these products have made major changes in their product formulations in recent years to improve the environmental performance of their products. Due to advances in technology, there are now for example lightweight adhesives on the market, which are easier and more sustainable to transport to site, requiring less mixing and involving less weight. They are also designed to provide much improved coverage, reducing material usage during installation. Additionally a new generation of levellers is available nowadays, which use recycled material rather than quarried sand, helping improve the sustainability of floor tiling projects. It is interesting to note that the tiling sector, through The Tile Association, is now fully committed to ensuring that its materials, methods and processes are helping to achieve sustainable targets by 2050. The main focus is on circular design, meaning that product development should consider the lifecycle of such in order to extend its use. This involves using longlasting materials, reusing offcuts, introducing take- back schemes and recycling old tiles into rubble for other construction uses. These and other initiatives provide reassurance to architects that they can specify tiles and adhesives, secure in the knowledge that they are a more sustainable choice.
Supplied by Nick Bratt, national technical sales manager for Palace Chemicals
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