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POSITIONING OF GLAZED CERAMIC AND PORCELANATO FLOORS.

Please, select one of the following topics:

1. - Advises for choosing a ceramic floor
2. - Quality in positioning
    2.1. - Base
    2.2. - Ceramic coats identification
    2.3. - Adherent mortars
    2.4. - Joints
    2.5. - Material for joint positioning
    2.6. - Specialized manual labor
    2.7. - Weather conditions
3. - Conservation, maintenance and cleaning

1. - ADVISES FOR CHOOSING A CERAMIC FLOOR

Many issues should be considered when choosing a ceramic floor: aesthetics, price, kind of environment and duration. Generally, aesthetics is the first issue people pay attention to but sometimes other essential aspects are not so easily seen. Duration and floor condition in time are fundamental topics that can be verified only as time passes. To achieve an optimum duration the first thing to do is defining the wearing the floor.
* Kind of building. Whether it is for permanent or weekend use, and whether it is a house or an appartment.
* Kind of environment. In general, public areas - circulations, living rooms, galleries and terraces - receive a heavier transit and consequently they are much more wore than private areas (bedrooms and bathrooms).
Ceramic floor coats receive people transit, cargo circulation, abrasive dirt, marks, possible impacts, humidity, etc. Ceramic floor pieces can be used for walls as well.
The higher the transit in a given place, the higher the floor resistance to abrasion should be. Resistance to abrasion is represented by resistance to superficial wearing away. The Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) method establishes the following chart for the utilization of glazed products:

PEI	DEMAND RESISTANCE TO WEARING AWAY	LIKELY LOCATIONS FOR UTILIZATION
I	Very weak	Scarce transit or wall coating
II	Weak	Light transit or wall coating
III	Middle	Average transit. Kitchens, corridors, internal areas, rooms, balconies, hotel bathrooms, intensive care hospital rooms, all internal home rooms.
IV	Relatively strong	Heavy transit. Common areas of collective buildings, terraces, external home areas, commerce buildings, private offices, hospital rooms.
V	Strong	Aggressive transit. Banks, hairdressing salons, restaurants, entrance to hotels, shopping centers.

Note: For all the above groups it is recommended the utilization of protections in places where localized friction can occur, v.g.: the kitchen working area.
In order to keep the glazed ceramic floor free from wearing agents and dirtiness it is recommended the utilization of mats, carpets or similar elements in the entrance to rooms from the outside.

Source: IRAM 12626 Regulation

2. - QUALITY IN POSITIONING

The chosen floor can be very beautiful, endure the most intense transit and have a reasonable price, but it will loose guarantees if positioned in an inappropriate manner. Aesthetics mean nothing when there are mistakes in construction. Ceramic coats positioning is frequently considered as a secondary matter in the constructive process - technical issues receive little attention and are delegated to bricklayers. A good positioning guarantees the ceramic coat beauty and duration. Thus it is important to consider the following items (source: IRAM 12575 Regulation).

2.1. - Base: it should be completely cured (14 days, respect settlement times), clean, dry, leveled and free from dust, soluble salts and cohesive-materials-non-compatible products according to technical specifications. In soil pavements, impermeability (humidity) and ground preparation should be taken into account.

2.2. - Ceramic coats identification: Ceramica Alberdi ceramic coat packs contain the most relevant information about the product - caliber, tone, quality, classification date and hour. The person in charge of positioning should verify packages in order to avoid erroneous mix of ceramic pieces and to be sure about their conformance, caliber, tone and quality. The same tone and caliber should be respected. Another important issue is the calculation of the necessary amount of material, including possible looses and cuts.

2.3. - Adherent mortars: (1) To use mark manufactured by well-known companies, of good quality and complying with current technical standards. (2) To choice the mortars you should to be in mind: Recommendation to the adhesive manufacturer. Collocation place: floor, wall, interior, exterior, heating collocation type, etc. Absorption of the tile body. (3) Open times, amount of kg per m2 and flatness recommended by the mortar's manufacturer should be respected according to the ceramic coat measures.

2.4. - Joints: the positioning joints should not be less than 3 mm thick. Use crosspieces or separators if needed. Make floor and wall joints meet. Respect the existing expansion joints so that structural and supports movements will not be transmitted to the pavement. Joints will be practiced in paved floors where tiles change, window openings, structural concrete joints, unions of floors and walls, and they should meet base joints. There should be one joint each 30 m2 in internal areas, or one joint each 10 m2 in external ones. Joints depth should be enough to reach the coat support and they should be filled with an elastic material. They will absorb differential deformations caused by temperature variations among pavement, adhesive material and support. Sometimes it could be useful to separate the floor and its support by means of a sand layer or insulating material in order to avoid structural movements be transmitted to the pavement and cause its loosening.

2.5. - Material for joint positioning: it should be of good quality and comply with current technical standards, manufactured by well-known companies, cleanable, elastic, mould resistant, color stable (don't use plastines with soluble colorants) and removable.

2.6. - Specialized manual labor: utilization of levels, plummet, alignment, fall, etc.

2.7. - Weather conditions: temperature should be considered in order to guarantee an appropriate positioning. High temperature and wind incidence influence in base humidity and adherent mortars open times and, as a consequence, in the number of pieces positioned per adherent mortar section.

3. - CONSERVATION, MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING

Once the work is finished eliminate material remains as soon as possible. If some material capable of producing stains is spilled on the floor it is advisable to clean it immediately in order to prevent the material from drying - which makes a later cleaning harder. For daily cleaning we suggest you should use normal detergent diluted in water. Alberdi produces its ceramic coats aimed to guarantee large lifetimes. That's why you should take some care in their utilization and conservation:

* Clean frequently.
* Use mats or carpets in order to keep the environment free from abrasive dirt.
* Protect the elements that can be dragged over the ceramic coating.
* Avoid overloads and prevent pointed materials from falling on the floor.

Note: Control that materials are applied to an appropriate utilization. If you have any doubt suspend positioning and ask or complain to the manufacturer. It is always better to consult.
A simple advise can prevent mistakes and helps to make good choices.

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