A "Setter ?"

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Latapoxy 310 Spot On

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Who wants a sample ?  Send me an email: hbrothberg@laticrete.com

Born In The USA !

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Lippage Free Installation Technology

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MLT System Installation of 24" x 24" - 600 x 600mm tiles

Click here for more information regarding the MLT System
What is the MLT tile leveling system?
MLT allows for the lippage free installation of large body ceramic and stone tiles on floors, walls and ceilings, using a mechanical tile edge system of two reusable components. The MLT system is economical and environmentally friendly. It aids contractors in achieving tile installations that are both eye pleasing and technically correct.

NXT is awesome !!

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Message received from a tile contractor:

NXT is awesome !!

Latilevel was my go to self leveling, but this NXT is something else. I'm in the process of quoting 1300 sft of tile over tile, I spoke to Jeffrey Carder and he quickly replied by emailing me all the info on how to approach this.

I'd say 50 bags, more or less on this project of NXT.

Laticrete NXT Level is a cement-based Self-Leveling Underlayment for use in leveling interior substrates. Produces a flat, smooth and hard surface for the installation of finished flooring. Can be placed from 1/8–3" (3–76 mm) in a single application. Laticrete NXT Level is a Laticrete approved substitute for LATICRETE 84 LATILEVEL.

Click here for more info.

SureSet Promo in Australia

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Laticrete SureSet is a superior polymer fortified thin-set & medium-bed adhesive. Use SureSet on your tile & stone installations and eliminate the need for back buttering large format tile and stone. 
SureSet mixed with water results in unique wetting characteristics which yield maximum "back wetting & contact" on larger tile and stone. This allows the installer to quickly and easily install tile in a drop, adjust and go method. Highly Productive & Fast !
SureSet is designed for interior installations on floors for large format tile and stone allowing complete tile-back-contact without back buttering. Can be used in thin bed or medium bed applications in both wet and dry areas. If you are in Australia click here for a few free bags for your next installation.

More Swag. What is it ?

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Who plays golf ?  Who wants one of these ? Send me an email with your full name and UPS street shipping address. hbrothberg@laticrete.com

Tractor Pull & Car Show

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Laticrete International is once again the major sponsor of the Bethany Car, Truck and Bike Show to support the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department and Auxiliary! 
The event will be held  Saturday, June 22 (rain date Sunday, June 23) from 11:00am - 5:00pm at the Old Bethany Airport in Bethany CT, USA.

NASCAR at Laticrete Bethany

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Interested in NASCAR ?  Join us at Laticrete Bethany this Friday !  Call me and let me know that you are coming !  (203) 988-1814.

Mosaic Artists & Laticrete

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Some Tile Contractors Have It Good !

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I received a message from a tile contractor:
Working on a project in Napili, Maui.
Our mobile office and the view.
Isaac Homza
Higher Standard Tile & Stone
www.higherstandardtile.com

PermaColor, YES !

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Laticrete PermaColor Grout is a high performance, fast setting grout that provides a grout joint that is dense, hard and color consistent. Mixes with water and installs & cleans quickly.  A highly productive grout to use.
Click here for more info.

Cupcakes In NYC

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Fresh-from-the-oven, tasty cupcakes in NYC at Magnolia Bakery

Time Management

Time management

Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity

Effective time management is a primary means to a less stressful life. These practices can help you reduce your stress and reclaim your personal life.

·         Plan each day. Planning your day can help you accomplish more and feel more in control of your life.

·         Prioritize your tasks. Prioritizing tasks will ensure that you spend your time and energy on those that are truly important to you.

·         Say no to nonessential tasks. Consider your goals and schedule before agreeing to take on additional work.

·         Delegate. Take a look at your to-do list and consider what you can pass on to someone else.

·         Take the time you need to do a quality job. Doing work right the first time may take more time upfront.

·         Break large, time-consuming tasks into smaller tasks. Work on them a few minutes at a time until you get them all done.

·         Practice the 10-minute rule. Work on a dreaded task for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find you can finish it.

·         Evaluate how you're spending your time. Keep a diary of everything you do for three days to determine how you're spending your time.

·         Limit distractions. Block out time on your calendar for big projects. During that time, close your door and turn off your phone, pager and email.

·         Get plenty of sleep, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. A healthy lifestyle can improve your focus and concentration.

·         Take a time management course. If your employer offers continuing education, take a time management class.

·         Take a break when needed. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized.

Info courtesy of The Mayo Clinic

Laticrete Swag Time

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Time for Laticrete swag for you and / or your crew ?  Send me an email - hbrothberg@laticrete.com - with shirt sizes and your street / UPS shipping address.  Your email address and cell phone number also, please.

Latapoxy Spot-On !

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LATAPOXY® 310 SPOT-ON is a 2 component, high strength adhesive.  Hand mixed and formulated for durable, permanent installation or repair of tile, stone, concrete and masonry.
USES
Spot bonding tile, stone, marble and granite 
Repairs chipped concrete and masonry 
Installation of soap dishes, coves and bases 
Interior and exterior 
ADVANTAGES 
Easy to use – cut, mix and apply 
Rapid set time – 3 to 7 minutes working time 
Fast durable and permanent bond – 60 minutes functional cure 
Superior strength – compressive strength 8,000 psi (55 MPa) 
Irritant free - No solvents/low VOCs 
SUITABLE SUBSTRATES 
Concrete
Concrete masonry units (CMU) 
Brick/masonry
Exterior glue plywood

Cement backer board*

Steel** 

Existing Tile***

* Consult cement backer board manufacturer for specific installation recommendations.

**Steel surface must be cleaned to remove oil, dust oxidation and other bond inhibiting materials.

***Existing tile surface must be scarified and cleaned prior to application.

Mosaic Art !

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This is the first of 7 'Sea Form' mosaics for a new wall at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. The wall will be in the new Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders in the hospital.
Sonia King and Leigh Davis.

S O N I A     K I N G
m o s a i c  a r t i s t
"Mosaic is hard. Art is harder."
http://www.mosaicworks.com
http://www.facebook.com/SoniaKingMosaics

FAST Shower Construction using HYDRO BAN Shower Systems!

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LATICRETE HYDRO BAN® Shower components allow for high quality rapid shower installations. 

Learn more about our tile waterproofing products and shower accessories. 

FloorHeat Line Extension

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History of the World!

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Remember the Mel Brooks Movie - History of the World Part I ?
More info - click here.

Seen on Jobsite

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Panera Bread Jobsite downtown New Haven, CT

Incredible Mosaic Artists World Wide Depend On Laticrete (Wow !)

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Hi Henry,
I just wanted to compliment Art Mintie once again, as well as Frank in the technical department.
I arrived on the job site at the Children's Hospital to start the install today and found a PRIMED WALL, instead of the bare sheetrock as I had specified in my contract and my walk-through.  Egad! 
And then I pulled my ace out of the hole and said 'Let's just call the technical department at Laticrete'.
Art was in a meeting and I spoke to Frank.  Art called me back as soon as he got out of his meeting and confirmed the solution I requested which was fresh bare drywall.  And now that's done and we go back tomorrow and do the install.  I don't have Frank's email but please pass my thanks on to him.
Laticrete to the rescue again!
I'll be posting pics on my Facebook mosaics page of the install and I'll mention Laticrete in the caption  :-)
Here's the first one that will go up in the morning of my trusty assistant Leigh Davis with crates of mosaic mesh sections and plenty of Laticrete MultiMax and grout :-)
Many thanks to all of you, best, Sonia

S O N I A     K I N G
m o s a i c  a r t i s t
"Mosaic is hard. Art is harder."
http://www.mosaicworks.com
http://www.facebook.com/SoniaKingMosaics

Proper installation of large format tiles

One of the major issues facing our industry is the proper installation of large format tiles (including reduced thickness porcelain tiles). Proper substrate preparation becomes even more critical when dealing large module finishes. In order to achieve the end goal… a flat floor without lippage…. reconciliation between Division 3 (concrete specifications) and Division 9 (specifications for ceramic tile finishes) are a must. In the past, a combative sentiment existed between the trades that were contracted to perform their respective work. Cooperative efforts are continuing to improve an understanding of this issue between the two trades.

As the size of finishes keeps increasing, the construction industry has finally recognized that the trades must work together in order to produce a functionally flat floor. The 2013 TCNA Handbook now includes a section entitled “Disparity Between Concrete Flatness Tolerances Based on F-Numbers and the 10-foot Straightedge Method” (attached) in the “Substrates Requirements” section on pages 34 & 35.

In short, this section alerts the specifier than there can be discrepancies between the divisions as to how one trade views and measures the acceptable flatness tolerances versus another trade. Some of the discrepancies include how the concrete trade measures floor flatness (FF). According to ASTM E1155 – Standard Test Method to Determine Floor Flatness (FF) and Floor Levelness (FL) Numbers - FF values take into account many measurements and is an indication of the overall flatness of the concrete. In addition, the concrete industry considers a FF of 35 to be suitable for thin bed ceramic tile installations.

On the other hand Division 9 requirements apply where tile finishes are scheduled to meet a flatness tolerance that is based on localized measurements taken with a 10-foot straightedge, where the tolerance is expressed as a “gap” under the straightedge (e.g. ¼” in 10-feet, 1/8” in 10 feet, etc…).

In addition, there are other factors that further influence the disparity between the two divisions. ASTM E1155 requires that the FF measurements be taken within 72 hours of concrete placement (which is well before concrete curling and shrinkage takes place). Therefore, the concrete may actually meet the desired floor flatness requirements at the time of taking the measurements, however, the flatness tolerances can change significantly (as it cures, curls, shrinks, creeps, etc…) in effect dropping out of tolerance. In addition, no FF measurements are taken within 2 feet of the slab perimeter or at any joints (including construction, isolation, control joints, column block-outs, etc..). These are usually the areas that experience the greatest amount of flatness variation.

Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that there will be areas of a concrete substrate (that is properly placed and finished and meets the specified overall floor flatness (SOFF) requirements) that will not meet the tile setters requirements for a suitable concrete substrate.  The chart below reveals an approximate correlation between specified FF numbers and the traditional 10-foot straightedge method. As indicated, the larger the tile and the narrower the grout joint, the flatter the concrete substrate needs to be.
 

What’s great about this movement, is that the concrete industry also recognizes that reconciliation between the two divisions is necessary. To that end, the American Society of Concrete Contractors has issued a white paper on this matter (attached and as follows):

American Society of Concrete Contractors - Position Statement #35 - The Effects of Curling on Floor Flatness

ACI 117-06 and ACI 117-lO, "Specification for Tolerances for Concrete Construction and Materials," require F-numbers to be measured within 72 hours after slab concrete placement. This was not always the case. ACI 117-90 included no time requirement for the measurement of floor flatness, FF and the commentary stated the reason:

"Since neither deflection nor curling will significantly change a floor's FF value, there is no time limit on the measurement of this characteristic." The statement in the commentary indicating that curling will not significantly change a floor's FF value has since been shown to be incorrect by measurements published in "The Concrete Floor Tolerance/Floor Covering Conundrum," Concrete International, July 2003. This is why ACI 117-06 and ACI 117-lO now require that FF measurements be made within 72 hours. In addition to the measured field data, it's possible to calculate the effect of curling on floor flatness as shown in Chapter 8, Floor Flatness and Levelness, of Tolerances for Cast-in-Place Concrete Buildings published by the American Society of Concrete Contractors in 2009. The calculation method was also included in "The Effect of Curling on Floor Flatness," Concrete Contractor, April/May 2010. This is important because ACI 302.1R-04, "Guide for Concrete Floor and Slab Construction," states:
“Application of present technology permits only a reduction in cracking and curling, not elimination. Even with the best floor designs and proper construction, it is unrealistic to expect crack-free and curl-free floors. Consequently, every owner should be advised by both the designer and contractor that it is normal to expect some amount of cracking and curling on every project, and that such occurrence does not necessarily reflect adversely on either the adequacy of the floor's design or the quality of its construction. Design professionals should consider how curling is to be handled. This position statement from the American Society of Concrete Contractors is presented for reader interest by the editors. Curling occurs because of differential moisture loss that is a time-dependent process; thus, the initial floor flatness produced by the concrete contractor will decrease with time. The table below shows how an initial FF of 51 can decrease to 45, then 35 and finally to 22 as curling occurs and slab edges raise from 1/16, to 1/8 and 1/4 in.:

To deal with changes in floor flatness with time, design professionals can use an allowance for floor grinding and leveling as described in "Division 3 versus Division 9 Floor Flatness Tolerances," ASCC Position Statement #6, Concrete International, June 2003. An additional resource is "Responsibility for Controlling Slab Curling," ASCC Position Statement #30, Concrete International, January 20lO. ASC Concrete contractors will meet the FF specification requirements when measured within 72 hours. The effects of a decrease in floor flatness with time must be addressed by the design professional with respect to the work of follow-up trades.

The end goal of raising awareness and addressing these issues in the TCNA manual is to alert the Project Specifier (and building owner) that they will have to include a bid allowance for any necessary floor preparation to bring the slabs into the required flatness tolerance. This will level (pardon the pun) the playing field for tile setters and their competitors. This provides us with a great opportunity to provide substrate preparation / leveling solutions for these types of projects. Categories and products that can help to address these applications include; self-leveling underlayments (DRYTEK® and LATICRETE® NXT® family of leveling products), patching products (DRYTEK and LATICRETE NXT patch / skim coat products), mortar beds (LATICRETE 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed).

LATICRETE Trade Morning @ Amber Fyshwick

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Smiling guy in the middle is Glenn Mannix, one of the Laticrete Technical Sales Reps for NSW, Australia.

“The elevator to success is out of order. You’ll have to use the stairs…. One step at a time.” - Rande Wilson

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Thank you Joe for the above photo 

10 Secrets to Success

1.       How You Think is Everything:- Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment.

2.       Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals:- Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

3.       Take Action:- Goals are nothing without action.

4.       Never Stop Learning:- Go back to school or read books. Get training & acquire skills.

5.       Be Persistent and Work Hard:- Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

6.       Learn to Analyse Details:- Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

7.       Focus Your Time And Money:- Don’t let other people or things distract you.

8.       Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate:- Be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.

9.       Deal And Communicate With People Effectively:- No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

10.   Be Honest And Dependable:- Take responsibility, otherwise numbers 1 – 9 won’t matter.

POSTED ON JANUARY 17, 2008 BY VICTOR STACHURA. Provided to me by Emma Tschannen

LatiWord of the Week - Focus

fo·cus 

Noun – The centre of interest or activity.

Verb - (of a person or their eyes) Adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly.

Synonyms – noun. center; verb. concentrate.

"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer"  – Denis Waitley.