volume 29 the parameter · 2020. 3. 16. · email: [email protected] csi directory . 6 the...

T H E P A R A M E T E R

www.csiboston.org

Issue 03 - March 2020

The Newsletter of the Boston Chapter of CSI

Volume 29

T H E P A R A M E T E R

Boston Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

M O N T H L Y P R O G R A M : L A R G E

F O R M A T T I L E A N D S T O N E I N -S T A L L A T I O N : T H E D O ’ S A N D D O N ' T ’ S O F S P E C I F Y I N G A N D T H E C U R R E N T I N D U S T R Y S T A N D A R D S T O E N S U R E S U C -C E S S F U L P R O J E C T S

1

C O N T A C T U S 2

O F F I C E R S & C O M M I T T E E M E M -B E R S

5

A R T I C L E : W O R K I N G W I T H

L A R G E F O R M A T T I L E S 7 - 8

V O L U M E 2 9 , I S S U E 0 3

Knowledge for Creating

and Sustaining

the Built Environment

CSI — Boston Chapter

Since 1956

March 11th, 2020 Meeting Deta i l s :

Place: University of Massachusetts Club

One Beacon Street, 32nd Floor, Boston

Time: Board Meeting 4:15-5:15 PM

Networking and Table Tops 5:15-6:00 PM

Dinner and Presentation 6:00-8:00 PM

Parking: One Beacon Street Garage and

Center Plaza Garage

RSVP: For more information or to RSVP go to

www.csiboston.org

Please join the CSI Boston Chapter on Wednesday, March 11th

for a presentation and panel discussion on Large Format Tile and Stone

Installation.

Title:

LARGE FORMAT TILE AND STONE INSTALLATION: THE

DO’S AND DONT’S OF SPECIFYING AND THE CURRENT IN-

DUSTRY STANDARDS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS.

Presenters:

Andrew Ferraiuolo, Commercial Architectural Repre-

sentative with Custom Building Products.

Program Description:

Andrew will cover surface preparation, substrate deflection, installation procedures and grouting issues of large format tile & stone. Learn where and how large tile and stone should be specified, how well it will perform and the importance of understanding the subject of surface preparation, substrate deflection, installation procedures, and the use of proper mor-

tars and grouting.

Volume 29 - Issue 03 The Parameter 3

tion you can e-mail Kristin Norwood at

[email protected].

2” H x 3-5/8” W (business card)

3-1/8” H x 3-5/8” W

4-1/4” H x 3-5/8” W

4-7/8” H x 3-5/8” W (quarter page)

4-7/8” H x 7-1/2” W (half page)

CSI Boston’s meets on the second

Wednesday of the month except August

MEETING PROGRAMS

All suggestions for future meetings should be addressed to the Program Di-rector; Craig Boucher at

[email protected].

TABLETOPS

Tabletops are a great way to get your products noticed! Spots are available at

all CSI meetings. Current rates are:

$50 for advertisers,

$100 for CSI members, or

CONTACT US!

THE EDITOR

All correspondence including opinions, articles, announcements, or corrections, should be e-mailed to the Editor at

[email protected]

The last day for submissions for the next

issue is the third Friday

SUBSCRIPTIONS

All subscriptions are based upon the membership of the Boston Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute. To become a member visit our web site at

www.csiboston.org.

BACK ISSUES

Back issues can be found on the web at

https://csiboston.org/Newsletters

ADVERTISING

We currently offer several advertising options, listed below. For more informa-

$180 for non-members!

To reserve your tabletop for an upcom-ing meeting contact Tony Devito at

[email protected]

ARTICLES

All technical articles can be sent to the Editor at [email protected]. Articles should be approximately 500,

900, or 1500 words.

The Parameter is published by the Bos-ton Chapter of CSI, a nonprofit organiza-tion, for the sole use of chapter mem-bers. Copy appearing in the Parameter is not to be construed as a Boston Chapter CSI endorsement of any product, ser-vice, company, or individual. Opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the Boston Chapter CSI or the Construction Specifications Institute. Articles appearing in the Parameter may not be reproduced without permission of

the Editor.

4 The Parameter Volume 29 - Issue 03


CSI BOSTON 2018-2019 OFFICERS, COMMITTEES, ACTIVE MEMBERS AND VOLUNTEERS

PRESIDENT

Bob McEachern, CSI, CCPR Roof Tech Sales, LLC. Phone: 603-494-3757 Email: [email protected]

PRESIDENT ELECT

Susan Borne Sherwin-Williams Phone: 603-268-5848 Email: [email protected]

VICE PRESIDENT

Kelsey McMenamy, EIT, CDT Gale Associates Phone: 781-335-6465 Email: [email protected]

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Cynie Linton, Associate AIA, LEED AP Kalin Associates, Inc.

Phone: 617-964-5788 ex 28 Email: [email protected]

N. E. REGION DIRECTOR


TREASURER

Viesturs H. ULE, CSI, CCS

Phone: 617-981-2505

Email: [email protected]

SECRETARY

Craig Boucher GCP Applied Technologies

Phone: 617-285-2468 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Alain Stanislas Dorken Systems Inc. Phone: 413-302-3109 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Tara Ikenouye Wiss, Janney, Elstner Phone: 503-740-5934 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Arnel Catalan, CSI, AIA, LEED AP MVG Architects Phone: 781-213-5030 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Gary Brock HMFH Architects Inc. Phone: 617-844-2151 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Len Anastasi EXO-TEX Manufacturing, Inc. Phone: 781-344-9794 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Andrew Jeffrey, PE, LEED AP Simpson Gumpertz & Heger Phone: 781-907-9000 Email: [email protected]

DIRECTOR

Kristin Norwood, AIA, CSI, CDT SMMA Phone: 617-575-0317 Email: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP

Co-Chairperson

Kristin Norwood SMMA Phone: 617-575-0317 Email: [email protected]

Co-Chairperson

Jared Gorman Atas Phone: 484-553-5109 Email: [email protected]

HOUSE

Hospitality

Heidi Jandris Jandris & Sons, Inc. Phone: 646-812-0860 Email: [email protected]

CERTIFICATION

Chairperson

Thomas A. Scarlata, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc. Phone: 617-456-2222 Email: [email protected]

Spring CDT Class Leader

Thomas A. Scarlata, CSI, CCS, CCCA, AIA Bargmann Hendrie + Archetype, Inc. Phone: 617-456-2222 Email: [email protected]

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

Liaison -BAC

Cynie Linton, Associate AIA, LEED AP Kalin Associates, Inc.

Phone: 617-964-5788 ex 28 Email: [email protected]

Liaison -Wentworth

Don Bannon, CSI, CDT

FINANCE

Chairperson

Viesturs H. ULE, CSI, CCS

Phone: 617-981-2505

Email: [email protected]

AWARDS

Chapter Awards


Speaker Awards

Don Bannon, CSI, CDT

SPECIAL PROJECTS

Chairperson

Howie Levine Ducan Galvanizing Phone: 617-389-8440 Email: [email protected]

COMMUNICATION

Chairperson


Parameter Editor

Jay Ford, CSI, LEED AP Kalin Associates, Inc. Phone: 617-964-5477 Email: [email protected]

Parameter Production

Chris Vance, AIA, LEED AP Forbo Flooring Phone: 802-310-0201 E-mail: [email protected]

Website Editor

E-vite Coordinator

Kelsey McMenamy, EIT, CDT Gale Associates Phone: 781-335-6465 Email: [email protected]

Tabletops Coordinator

Tony Devito Gaco Phone: 617-571-8900 Email: [email protected]

PROGRAM

Chairperson

Craig Boucher

GCP Applied Technologies Phone: 617-285-2468 Email: [email protected]

CHAPTER HISTORIAN

Chairperson


CSI DIRECTORY


CSI BOSTON WEBINARS

CSI Webinars are 90-minute interactive tele-phone/Internet education sessions that provide convenient, quality learning at an affordable price – you’ll be able to see materials, hear an instructor and ask questions in real time. Par-ticipants are charged by site, which means you can invite colleagues to attend the session with

you and share the cost!

Many courses qualify for CSI Continuing Edu-cation Units and AIA Learning Units.

CSI BOSTON MEMBERSHIP

CSI Boston is made up of a diverse group of professionals working in the construction In-dustry. This diversity provides a great opportu-nity to meet other members in different fields of the Construction Industry and provides a great audience for advertising your company, products, or services. If you are interested in becoming a member, advertising in our publi-cation or setting up a tabletop presentation at one of our meetings, please feel free to contact

us, see page 4.


Working with Large Format Tiles

Improvements in tile-making technologies have resulted in larger and larger tile sizes, especially for porcelain tiles. Porcelain tiles are stronger, tougher, and more stain- and moisture-resistant than other types of ceramic tiles, but because of the need for higher firing temperatures and longer firing times, as well as warping and wedging problems, tile sizes have traditionally been

limited to 1”, 2”, or 3” tiles.

These sizes are ideal for covering the conical slope of shower floors with little or no lippage and bare feet help spread out compressive loads. Even though these small por-celain tiles have exceptional com-pressive strength, outside the shower environment, 1”, 2”, or 3” tile installations have relatively low resistance to point loading, and therefore are not the best choice for

general flooring applications.

One of the reasons that large-format tiles have been difficult to manufac-ture is that relatively wet tile bodies tend to shrink, warp and wedge while they are being fired in a kiln. To counter this, manufacturers now use the dust-press method. Dust-pressed tile bodies contain only enough moisture to remain cohesive during the entire manufacturing process, and some brands are amaz-ingly flat and distortion-free. Porce-lain tiles in 24” and 36” formats are available now, and as technologies improve, no doubt tile sizes will

continue to grow.

Also available are thin porcelain panels designed to be installed over sound, existing tile installations. Although these panels – some of which measure an amazing 1 meter by 3 meters and approximately 3/16” thick – are not considered tiles in the classical sense, they nev-ertheless exhibit properties shared by porcelain tiles such as stain-resistance, durable surface and high

compression strength. Very large-format porcelain panels require special installation equipment and methods that are not covered in

this article

Installing Large-

Format Tiles

Attention to details is essential for a successful installation, and I be-gin a large-format tile installation with a careful layout. Thin cuts are especially unattractive – even if they are larger than half size – so I prefer to use whole tiles only, or those with minimal cutting. I enjoy using 24” tiles, but I use 18”, 16”,

or 14” tiles to minimize cutting.

A super-expensive bridge saw is not necessary when large-format tiles have to be cut. Porcelain tiles have an undeserved reputation for being difficult to trim on a snap cutter, but by painting the score path with kerosene or a low vis-cosity oil beforescoring, straight

cuts are easy (Photo 1).Snap cut-ting can be done indoors without creating a mess, plus the tile back remains dry and can be installed immediately without having to deal with towels or sunlight to dry

the back.

Diagonal cutting a 24” tile requires a very large wet saw, but I use a dry-cutting diamond blade in a small circular saw with a straight-edge and a couple clamps when working with large-format

tiles (Photo 2). To minimize chipped edges, I keep the sole plate of the saw in constant contact with the straightedge, and instead of cut-ting the tile with one pass, which can cause heat-stress breakage (and shorten the life of the blade), I set the blade depth to make several light passes. For circular cuts, I use a diamond blade mounted in an an-gle grinder, and make several light stock-removal passes to minimize

chipping or cracking (Photo

3). When practical, I like to make as many cuts as possible before I

start installing tiles (Photo 4).

When working with large-format tiles, I have found the installation goes a lot smoother if I spread only enough thinset mortar for one tile. As well, I back-butter each tile with a thin, hard-pressed film of thinset mortar to improve adhesion, and, depending on the flatness of the


(Photo 5) substrate, add additional mortar to the back of the tile with a

notch trowel (Photos 6 and 7).

On either a wet-area wall or a wet or dry floor, 95% adhesive cover-age is needed with total coverage at the corners. With large-format tiles, I check each one for proper cover-age, and use a soft wood

wedge (Photo 8) to pry the tile off the surface. Because of the mortar’s thicker cross-section, a medium-bed thinset mortar is recommended (organic adhesives should neverbe used to install large-format tiles!), and it is good practice to give the

mortar extra time to setup and

harden (Photo 9).

Installation of large-format tiles can cover a large area quickly, but the substrate (or setting bed) has to be smoother than if small tiles are being installed. Small size tiles – using 1” mosaic tiles as an extreme example – can easily fol-low the contours of a less-than-perfect surface with little or no lippage. Large-format tiles, how-ever, can magnify surface irregu-larities and create a lippage night-

mare.

With the industry flatness stan-dard for regular size tiles at 1/4” in 10’, to ensure a smooth finish when installing large-format tiles the flatness standard has to be tightened incrementally as the tile size increases from 10” up to 24” and larger. When 16” to 24” tiles need to be installed, a quality self-leveling underlayment is highly

recommended.

In my experience, most square large-format tiles are flat enough to be installed with a broken (or staggered) joint. With rectangular shapes, though, broken joint lay-outs with a 50% offset should be avoided because rectangular large-format tiles are often bowed. Thus a broken joint layout positions a tile’s high points (the corners) right next to the neighboring tile’s lowest point (the middle of the tile). Depending on the degree of

Working with Large Format Tiles cont.

bowing, the offset should be re-duced to 40%, 30% or no offset at

all.

Large-format porcelain tiles can be used on walls or floors (if made for floor use), but one of my favorite

locations for this type of tile is on a countertop (Photo 10).The 24” tiles provide a smooth surface that is practical to work on, and with grout joints at 24” intervals, easy to keep clean, too. Large-format tile in-stalled on a countertop are also an

excellent alternative to stone slabs.

Wherever they are used, large-

format porcelain tiles are extremely

durable with a long life expectancy.

With fewer grout joints, they are

easy to maintain, and if installed

carefully, they make a stylish addi-

tion to any home or commercial

building.

Article by:

Michael Bryne

March 5th, 2013

https://www.fcimag.com/articles/89346-

working-with-large-format-tiles


RENEWING AND NEW MEMBERS

Kerry Brooks

Thomas Clarke

Alfred Warren

Pete DiGiovanni

Derek Greska

Jason Bianco

Kristin Norwood

Thomas Ryan

Victor Berliner

55 Year Anniversaries

Hugh O’Neill 3/1/1965

CSI BOSTON - CONTINUING ED

EDUCATION PROGRAM 2019-2020

March 11th, 2020: Large Format Tile and Stone

Installation

April 15th, 2020: Avoiding Failures

May 13th, 2020: Glass Half Full, or Half Empty?

June, TBD, 2020: Summer Social/ Awards Night

ADDITIONAL EVENTS:

May 28th—30th, 2020: Northeast Region Con-

ference


EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all about

it!

Let other CSI Members know what’s going on, submit your origi-nal tech articles for publication. All

ideas are welcome.

Additionally the Parameter is look-ing for articles for our new sections on our members. So help spread the construction knowledge, if you have any of the following items feel free to send them in. All ideas will be

reviewed.

New Product or Service?

Just completed an interesting or

complex project?

Share your unique experience with

a product or construction type.

Company or product announce-

ments

And construction news

For all submissions contact:

If You Have Ideas or

Contributions

for the Parameter

Contact: Jay Ford

email: [email protected]


www.csiboston.org

volume 29 the parameter · 2020. 3. 16. · email: [email protected] csi directory . 6 the...

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