Floor and Wall tiling

• AS 3958.1 Ceramic tiles - Guide to the installation of ceramic tiles
• AS 3958.2 Ceramic tiles - Guide to the selection of a ceramic tiling system
• AS/NZS 4586 Slip resistance clarification of new pedestrian surface materials
• AS/NZS 4663 Slip resistance measurement of existing pedestrian surfaces
• AS 3740 Waterproofing of wet areas within residential buildings
• AS 2870 Residential Slab and footings - Construction

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• AS 4992.1 Ceramic Tiles: Grouts and adhesives – Terms, definitions and specifications for adhesives
• AS 4992.2 Ceramic Tiles: Grouts and adhesives – Test methods for adhesives (ISO 13007-2:2005, MOD)
• AS 4992.3 Ceramic Tiles: Products for installation – Grouts: Definitions and specifications
• AS 4992.4 Ceramic Tiles: Products for installation – Grouts: Test methods

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• AS 2358 Adhesives - For fixing ceramic tiles
• AS 3972 Portland and blended cements
• AS 1672.1 Limes and Limestone - Limes for building
• AS 2758.1 Aggregates and rock for engineering purposes - Concrete aggregates

Tiles shall be installed in accordance with the Building Regulations, including where appropriate the wet area requirements.

Samples

When required by the contract, the Contractor shall submit labelled samples of tiles, including fittings, accessories, plastic trim, grout and sealants, illustrating the range of variation in colour and finish.

Trial Set-Out

When required by the contract, or when the area to be tiled or the pattern is particularly complicated, the Contractor shall prepare a trial set-out for each area. If minor variations in joint widths or overall dimensions will avoid cutting tiles, the Contractor shall advise the Builder.

Concrete Substrates

No tiles shall be fixed to concrete slabs until the concrete has cured for at least 6 weeks. If the slab does not include additional reinforcement to inhibit shrinkage, the laying of tiles shall be delayed until 12 weeks have elapsed from the date of slab construction.

Concrete Masonry Substrates

No tiles shall be fixed to concrete masonry until it has cured for at least 28 days.

Clay Masonry Substrates

A sand-cement render coat shall be applied to clay masonry substrates. The render shall be allowed to cure for at least seven days before tiles are applied.

Timber Substrate

The deflection of timber floors shall be not more than Span/360 under the design loading.

Substrate Preparation

The substrate shall be prepared as follows:

• Remove deleterious and loose material and leave the surface dust-free and clean.
• For mortar bedding wet the substrate as necessary to achieve suitable suction. Alternatively apply a bonding agent to the substrate to improve adhesion.

Sequence

Wall tiles shall be fixed before floor tiles.
To compensate for colour variations, tiles shall be drawn alternatively from several batches.

Setting Out

Tiles shall be set out to a tolerance of  4 mm in 2.0 m from the design alignment to give uniform widths within the following limits:

• Internal wall tiles: 1.5 - 3.0 mm
• Internal floor tiles: 3.0 - 6.0 mm
• External tiling: 6.0 - 10.0 mm

Whole tiles shall be used at the edges, otherwise set out to give equal margins of cut tiles. Cuts shall be located where they are least noticeable. Where practical, penetrations shall be made to coincide with the intersection of joints. Unless noted otherwise, tiles shall be continuous behind and under fixtures.

Falls and Levels

Floor tiles shall have a uniform grade and, where required, fall uniformly to floor wastes.
Unless noted otherwise, the fall in showers shall be 1 in 60 and elsewhere a maximum of 1 in 100.
Unless noted otherwise, the tolerance on falls and levels shall be, for between points of contact under a 2.0 m straight edge laid in any direction on an area of uniform grade, 1:300 or 3 mm, whichever is the lesser.
The finished level shall be continuous across changes of floor finish, including at carpets.

Cutting

Tiles shall be cut neatly to fit around fixtures and fittings and at the edges. Edges of cut tiles shall be rubbed smooth.

Laying

Tiles shall be returned into sills, reveals and openings. They shall abut returns, frames, fittings, and other finishes. Where grout beds are exposed, they shall be struck and pointed.

Preparation of Tiles

For adhesive bedding, tiles shall be fixed dry.
For mortar bedding, non-porous tiles shall be laid dry. Porous tiles shall be soaked in water for half an hour and then drained until the surface water has disappeared.

Bedding

Bedding methods and materials shall be used such that they are appropriate for the tile, substrate and service. Falls in the bed shall be consistent with falls in the substrate.

Thin Adhesive Beds

Thin adhesive beds shall be 1.5 to 3 mm thick and shall not be used if the substrate deviation exceeds 3 mm over a 2 metre length. The adhesive shall cover the entire back of the tile when the tile is bedded.

Thick Adhesive Beds

Thick adhesive beds shall have a nominal thickness of 6 mm and may be used for substrates with deviations up to 6 mm over a 2 metre length and for tiles with deep keys or frogs.

Mortar Beds

Mortar beds shall have a nominal thickness of 25 mm. Mortar shall not be used after initial set.
For floor tiles, lightly dust the bed with dry cement and trowel level until the cement is damp, or spread a thin slurry of neat cement or cement-based thin bed adhesive, on the tile back.
For wall tiles, apply the bed to the substrate as a floated coat, bring up to a true surface with a wood float and allow to stiffen for up to 2 hours. Apply a back-up skim coat (1 - 2 mm thick) of 1:2 mortar to the bed, or butter the tile with 1:2 mortar or a cement-based then bed adhesive, before applying the tile to the bed. The nominal thickness shall be 15mm.

Movement Joints

Movement joints which penetrate right through the substrate, shall be provided:

• over movement joints in the substrate;
• at junctions between different substrates;
• to divide large tiles areas into bays of maximum length of :
• 4.5 m wide for external floor tiles
• 6.0 m for internal floor tiles in sunlight
• 9.0 m for other internal floor tiles
• at the perimeter of floor areas with an area over 10m2
• where wall tiles abut other materials;
• at vertical corners in shower compartments, to a height of 1.8 m;
• any other point of potential cracking.

Movement joints shall be between 6 mm and 10 mm wide and filled with mould resistant, non-hardening polysulphide.
For joints in deep beds or with thick tiles, a compressible closed cell polyethylene foam backing rod with a bond-breaking surface may be incorporated.

Exposed Edges and Corners

Horizontal tiles shall overlap vertical tiles to ensure water is shed from the surface.
At protruding corners or at vertical and horizontal edges, the edge of the tile shall be concealed by the method indicated in the documents. Unless stated otherwise, plastic tile trim compatible with the colour and finish of the surrounding tiles, shall be installed. If trim is not required, tiles shall be mitred to produce a straight neat joint.

Grouted Joints

Grouting shall occur as soon as practical after the adhesive has set, but at least 24 hours. The joints shall be cleaned before grouting. Unless specified otherwise, the joints shall be filled and tooled flush.

Cleaning

Surplus grout shall be cleaned off and the tiles washed down when the grout has set. When grout is dry, the surface shall be polished with a clean cloth.

Spare Tiles

Spare tiles shall be provided and stored on site to match tiles and accessories of each type for future replacement purposes. At least 1% of the quantity of each tile installed shall be supplied as spares.

Protection

Floor tiles shall not be trafficked for a period of seven days after laying.

Ceramic Tiles

Trim

Adhesives for Floor and Wall Tiling

Mortar and Grout

Pigments

Sealants for Floor and Wall Tiling

Membranes

Paving and Decking Support Systems

Non Slip Floor Coatings and Sealers

Inspections and Tests for Floor and Wall Tiling

Slip Resistance of Floor Coverings including Tiles

There are three Standards Australia documents covering the slip resistance of pedestrian surfaces:

• AS/NZS 4586 deals with the classification of the slip resistance of new pedestrian surface materials.
• AS/NZS 4663 deals with the slip resistance of existing pedestrian surface materials.
• Standards Australia handbook HB 197 provides background and guidance, but not mandatory requirements, for the specification of particular slip resistance.

AS/NZS 4586 defines the method of classifying slip resistance of new pedestrian surface materials. Standards Australia Handbook HB 197 provides background and guidance to slip resistance, but does not give mandatory requirements.
The following tables are provided for the assistance of designer, but do not constitute recommendations. They are derived from HB 197 Table 3, together with a proposed amendment to HB 197 Table 3. Items which have been struck out struck out are considered to be too liberal by the authors of this sample specification, and more conservative values have been substituted in italic print.
The designer must take full responsibility for the selection of the appropriate values. This must be done giving full consideration to slope, lighting, volume of traffic, age of pedestrians, gait, maintenance of surface and any other factor likely to affect the probability of slip occurring. The designer should refer to HB 197 and AS/NZS 4586 for full details.
Suggested amendments to HB 197 Table 3

Recesses in Concrete Slabs

In order to achieve falls in tiled floors and to reduce the step between tiled and untiled rooms, it is preferable to recess the concrete slabs. Particular attention to achieve the correct cover on steel reinforcement is required in this case. The location of the recess must be accurately determined at the time of constructing the concrete slab.

Drumminess

If tiles are not fixed correctly, they may become “drummy” and eventually lift off. Before hand-over, each tile should be lightly tapped. Any change of resonance may indicate drumminess. Rolling a marble across the floor and observing the sound will rapidly check large areas of floor tiles.

Substrate Curing

If tiles are fixed to concrete floors that have not been properly cured, or fixed to masonry walls that have not dried out, they could become loose and drummy.

• AS 2870 Clause 5.3.7 has provisions for the detailing of slabs to minimise shrinkage in tiled areas. Tiles should not be fixed to concrete slabs until the concrete has cured for at least 6 weeks. If the slab does not include additional reinforcement to inhibit shrinkage, the tiling should be delayed at least 12 weeks.
• Tiles should not be fixed to concrete masonry until it has cured for at least 28 days.
• For clay masonry substrates, a sand-cement render coat should be applied and allowed to cure for at least seven days before tiles are applied.

Substrate Deflection

If tiles are fixed to floors or walls that are particularly flexible, they will become loose and drummy. Ensure that all timber joists, flooring, studs and wall cladding have sufficient stiffness to avoid excessive deflection.

Edge Details

At all steps and other junctions of horizontal and vertical surfaces, the horizontal tiles should protrude past the face of the vertical tiles. This has the advantage of making the joint:

• Less prone to the ingress of water
• Less likely to be loosened in service
• More attractive.

The appearance of the both horizontal and vertical convex joints may be substantially improved by matching or contrasting plastic tile trim.