Nick Bratt, National Technical Sales Manager for tile adhesive manufacturer Palace Chemicals, outlines some of the issues around specifying the new generation of large format tiles.
Large format porcelain panels are now increasingly seen in both commercial and residential installations. With modern digital printing techniques, they offer exciting new design opportunities for architects.
They feature a no-nonsense, sleek and unfussy aesthetic, due to the reduced number of grout lines, allowing a clean and uninterrupted finish. When used in hygiene-sensitive environments, they also offer easier cleaning, along with health and wellbeing benefits.
According to British Standard BS 5385 Part 1:2018, a ceramic panel is a tile with a surface area >1m², with any tile edge >1,200mm, whereas a large format ceramic tile is defined as a ceramic tile with a surface area greater than 3,600cm², but no tile edge greater than 1,200mm.
There are specific requirements relating to the installation of large format tiles and panels, due to their size and weight. What happens ‘behind the tile’ is a very important part of the specification process, so designers need to look beyond the aesthetic aspects. The main requirements are included in the British Standard BS 5385 Part 3:2024. This states that: ‘Thin ceramic panels should be handled with specially designed equipment for supporting them in order to prevent possible fracture during and after removal from the manufacturer’s original packaging, as well as for the actual installation of the panels.’
It will be noted that handling issues can be particularly challenging in refurbishment projects or where it is required to negotiate stairways.
The British Standard also states that: ‘Depending upon the size of the panel, sufficient bedding adhesive should be spread to install one panel at a time to avoid possible “skinning” of the adhesive which could have a detrimental effect upon the performance of the adhesive bond’.
In accordance with BS 5385 Part 1:2018: ‘Where tiles greater than 0.1m² face area are required to be fixed to walls above 3m above floor level they should be secured by mechanical fixings.’
For tiles that are being fitted at heights below 3m, the choice of adhesive is important to ensure that a solid bed is achieved. This will require applying adhesive to the substrate and also back-buttering the tiles. Particular attention should be paid to the application of adhesive to the backs of thin ceramic tiles and panels so that the edges and corners are properly covered with adhesive. We would also advise that the type of adhesive should be specified at the design stage. A lightweight thixotropic adhesives should be considered. It is also important that the substrate should comprise a bespoke tile backerboard to support the additional weight.