Level Set® 500 HF Self-Leveling Underlayment
TEC® Products Support Expanded Cancer Care in Southwestern Michigan
Best Practice Tips for Successful High Flow SLU Installations
Use Build My Submittal to collect all documents into one convenient file to support substitution requests
What do you tell your customers who have a concrete subfloor and want to install hardwood? We recommend an engineered hardwood for several important reasons. One, it’s much less sensitive to changes in humidity compared to wood that can swell with moisture and temperature. Two, it can be installed at any grade level – including below grade. And three, it’s better than traditional plank for installing over in-floor heating systems.
Introducing our new guest blogger, Luke Miller, founder of the Tile Money podcast. Read what he has to say about how Tile Contractors are navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Even within the busy hospital environment, the Memorial Hospital Miramar’s flooring renovation proceeded seamlessly, thanks to FlorTech's expertise and the labor-saving benefits of TEC and Parabond installation products from H.B. Fuller. The project not only exceeded expectations for the aesthetics but also delivered on-time, on-budget results –showcasing the tangible impact of strategic partnerships and innovative solutions.
Tile is among the oldest building materials – and the most beautiful. While many processes in the building industry have become more automated, handmade tile provides a unique aesthetic desirable for all sorts of installations, from residential backsplashes to public art projects.
When Benjamin Franklin famously said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he certainly wasn’t describing the process of installing tile over concrete. But he could have been, because properly evaluating and preparing your concrete substrate prior to laying tile will prevent countless – and costly –post-installation problems. Here are two tips on how to evaluate and address a few common conditions pre-installation.
When Brian Green from Fabulous Floors in Dallas first surveyed the site that was about to be renovated into a large car dealership, he quickly saw that creating a new, completely level floor wasn’t going to be easy.
It doesn’t get much more high-profile than this. Southern Methodist University (SMU) planned to renovate its Meadows School of the Arts—a sprawling connection of rooms and buildings, including a center for the visual arts with studios, classrooms, a performing arts center and an outdoor plaza and courtyard. The most dramatic addition was a remodel of the east entry into a stunning, modern multi-story atrium with a lighted ceiling, expansive windows and grand pillars.
Tiling a pool is a great way to enhance a property and adds value by showcasing intricate detail and design. In fact, according to Bankrate, a pool can increase a home value by 5-8%. Not only are tiled pools beautiful, they require very little maintenance compared to plaster or aggregate pools. An accent band can be added to the waterline, or the entire tank shell can be tiled with stunning results.
The new Global Learning Center at Walsh University in North Canton, Ohio will truly be a communications hub for students and faculty. The two-story atrium building has an open, modern design to encourage and support maximum interaction. The sunlight-filled facility will house student labs for fast-growing technology-based fields of study such as computer engineering or video production; a space for two of Walsh’s important research institutes; an atrium café; meeting areas and more.
This course covers the challenges of installing large format tile, and provides recommendations and precautions to prevent issues both when installing, and for the life of the application.
When designers lack in-depth knowledge of your trade, it can lead to unrealistic expectations – and ultimately, disappointment. Designers might show building owners pictures and idea boards of concepts that wow the client aesthetically, but miss the boat with functionality and practicality. While it’s nice to work with a designer who has faith in your abilities, the mantra “the installer will make it work” can lead to disgruntled designers, disappointed building owners and frustrated installers.
To commercial and residential building owners, water damage from interior leaks is an out-of-sight, out-of-mind problem until they see evidence such as a water spot on a ceiling. For the flooring contractor that failed to seal openings in flooring material around plumbing fixtures, for example, the damage is also out of sight and out of mind—until they hear from an angry building owner with an immediate callback demand.
Moisture mitigation is an increasingly important step in many large commercial flooring and tile jobs. Because the potential effects of excessive moisture vapor emission rates can be so costly, you should carefully take all jobsite conditions into account prior to the application of a moisture vapor barrier. Use the TEC® Moisture Mitigation Pre-Installation Checklist before beginning your next large installation.
Michigan State University’s football team finished 2013 undefeated in Big Ten Play and won the 2014 Rose Bowl. Its new North End Zone Complex not only celebrates the team’s previous success, but also looks toward future victories with a state-of-the-art recruiting center. The new facility features about 16,000 square feet of tile, set with TEC® products.
“Velocity of Change” is a premise that is disrupting the traditional concept of higher education at Arizona State University. Accelerating technology is the impetus for the change in teaching, and it’s creating new opportunities for lifelong learning. In that same dynamic spirit of change, ASU’s Memorial Union (MU) has recently transformed into a modern and beautiful hub to meet the new ways students, faculty and guests spend their time at this central gathering space. Here, too, technology and knowledge played key roles in how a tile contractor and manufacturer were able to partner to perform beyond traditional expectations.
For years, installers have counted on self-leveling underlayments (SLUs) to prepare subfloors for tile installations. Understanding different technologies can help you select the right SLU and save time and money on your job.