TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
| CARACTÉRISTIQUES TECHNIQUES
| TECHNISCHE MERKMALE
CARACTERÍSTICAS TÉCNICAS
278
LAYING, CLEANING MAINTENANCE AND RECYCLING
RECER’s range of ceramic products fall into three groups: porcelain tiles, glazed tiles
and white body wall tiles, which meet the requirements of standard EN14411.
These items come with various finishes and in dierent formats, which must be borne
in mind when choosing a specific product for a desired use.
Considerations before ordering
It is important that the tiles chosen for a particular application satisfy both the taste
of users and the requirements of the use to which they will be put. For that, given the
anticipated conditions of use, the most suitable product should be chosen by exami-
ning the technical characteristics of the products with those usage conditions. The
technical characteristics of RECER products are those set out in its catalogues.
When ordering, we advise buying more than the estimated quantity, amounting to
between 5 and 10% of the area it is planned to cover, so as to cope with the following
circumstances:
materials damaged as a result of cutting, drilling, accidents, etc., during the execution
of the work;
inaccurate measurements;
possible future intervention, arising from the need to carry out minor works involving
the destruction of the material applied.
Checking the product before laying
Before starting to lay the product, check the quantity received and inspect the con-
tent of some of the boxes, chosen at random, so as to confirm that the product, its
size, the batch and the colour match those ordered.
Next, make a panel with pieces taken from several boxes/pallets to see if the pieces
vary in terms of colour shade.
Some of the series in RECER’s product range replicate or are inspired by natural pro-
ducts and so dierences in shade are intentional, with the purpose of aesthetically
enhancing the final panel. For the above reasons, we recommend mixing tiles from
several boxes when laying them.
Recer only accepts returns or complaints about a product if it is packed in the original
boxes. Complaints about products already laid are not accepted.
During the tile laying
It is essential that the substrate on which the tiles are to be laid is perfectly level-
led, free of any dirt and completely stable. If the product is to be laid on a previous
layer of tiles, you should ensure that this layer has been properly laid, with no loose
material and with a completely clean, level surface. The adhesive used for laying the
tiles should be tested beforehand to check that it adheres well to the surface and, if
in doubt, please seek advice from the supplier of the product. It might be necessary
sometimes to change the surface of the substrate either mechanically or chemically,
to improve the adhesion of the fixing material.
The tools for laying the tiles and spreading the adhesive must meet the specifications
of their manufacturer, particularly with respect to the notches of the trowel, to ensure
that the thickness of the layer of adhesive complies with the manufacturer’s technical
requirements. When tapping the tiles, always use a white rubber mallet so that no
rubber marks are leÉ on the tile surface.
Joints
Tiles are rigid, so any variations in their structure must be accommodated by the
substrate and/or confined to the laying, fractioning or expansion joints.
The laying joints should be at least 3 mm thick (or 2 mm in the case of rectified tiles) so
as to absorb structural movements and expansions and contractions caused by tem-
perature changes or slight dierences in tile size, to minimise adjustments in laying
them, to facilitate their replacement and reduce the risk of damaging adjacent tiles.
Fractioning joints of 10 mm per 12 m2 should be provided for in areas exposed to
direct sunlight, or 15 m2 in shady areas, if the tiles are light coloured. These figures
should be reduced to 9 and 12 m2, respectively, if the tiles are dark coloured. The
limits mentioned are maximum limits, and there is no technical problem if smaller
values are used. These fractioning joints can be placed in window and door apertures,
always on the extension of the lower sides of the lintels and sills.
Under no circumstances should it be possible to transmit loads to wall tiles. Therefo-
re, provision should be made for fractioning joints to follow the lower side of struc-
tural beams. All fractioning joints should be treated appropriately, through the use
of elastomers to maintain the stability of the bedding. Please seek advice from the
manufacturer of these products regarding the best technical and aesthetic solution
for each case.
Structural joints must not be prevented from functioning, therefore their space must
never, in any circumstances, be filled with any rigid material (such as cementitious
adhesive). The best practice available must be followed when treating these joints
so that the structural elements can properly fulfil their function. The elastomer bead
thickness, especially, must comply with the manufacturer’s instructions.
Particular care must be taken when using coloured grouts to fill the joints (for instan-
ce, it is best to avoid using shades of black that contain micronized charcoal), espe-
cially on light and/or polished and semi-polished tiles. The surface of porcelain has
a slight roughness (on matt finish) or micro-porosity (on polished or semi-polished
finish) that can make it hard to clean any traces of the grout once it has dried.
Once the grout material has dried, any excess should be cleaned away, following the
product manufacturer’s instructions very carefully.
Alignment
The use of spacers or wedges is recommended to facilitate proper alignment of the
product. We recommend the use of self-levelling spacers/crosspieces, especially for
large rectified slabs, applied in an alternating layout.
Adhesives
The type of adhesive you use depends on the nature of the work (installing on a floor
or wall, type of usage of the site, etc.), on the bonding of the substrate and the kind of
tiles or slabs to be laid. Environmental conditions, such as temperature, relative hu-
midity and wind, can influence the open time of the adhesive and the bonding quality.
The product must be applied by experienced professionals and the recommendations
of the manufacturer must be followed.
Because of their almost zero porosity, porcelain tiles need special care in the choice
of adhesive and in the bonding process. An adhesive with a mixture of bonding agents
(cement and resin) is usually recommended, in a twin layer (i.e. applied to the back of
the piece and to the substrate), for pieces of 900 cm2 or more. Some pieces should
be removed from time to time during laying, so as to check the eectiveness of the
bonding (the presence of crystals indicates a good bond).
Product application
The “alternating layout” should be tried out prior to final laying to confirm the ulti-
mate outcome; small dierences in the flatness of these products (which is natural for
this type of material, as established in European standard EN 14411) are accentuated
in this kind of laying.
The amount of osetting should not exceed 1/5 of the length of the longer side of
rectangular pieces, and 1/3 of the length of the side of square pieces.
Finishes
Do not mark unglazed tiles (porcelain, polished and semi-polished) with permanent
marker pens or scratch their surface with metal objects.
Polished and semi-polished products are protected with anti-stain waterproofing
to facilitate cleaning during and aÉer the work. Nonetheless, the material should be
cleaned carefully, as soon as possible.
Recer recommends the careful use of polished products, which should not be laid in
high-traÀc areas, without protection.
Mats should be placed at doors leading directly outsider to ensure the removal of
abrasive particles (sand, stones, etc.) from footwear.
In high-traÀc areas where polished porcelain tiles are laid, as well as placing a
mat, there should be an intermediate area of rougher floor tiles to create a smooth
transition from the outer area to the inner area of the polished porcelain tiles. This will
be safer for the users and enhance the durability of the polished material.
The polished product must be carefully maintained. The periodic application of
surface waterproofing agents is recommended, carefully following themanufacturer’s
instructions. This procedure will preserve the initial appearance of the polished
material and extend its useful life.
Porcelain tiles can be used with mechanical fastening systems (such as on raised
floors or cladding on ventilated façades).
End of work
Most of the problems found aÉer the work has finished are caused by poor cleaning
aÉer laying. Daily cleaning is therefore recommended, so that waste material from
the work does not stay on the product for a long time.
At the end of the work, the entire surface must be cleaned to get rid of traces of
cement, adhesives, grout and any other dirt. For this, we advise using a commercial
acid-based descaling agent, respecting the drying times recommended by the
manufacturer of the adhesive and the grout, since the acid can spoil these materials
and stain the surface of the product, if the adhesives are not cured. Finally, wash the
whole surface with plenty of water.
If there is still work to be carried out on the site that could scratch or cause other
damage to the surface of the product, protect it properly with cardboard or thick
plastic, for example.
