Of the countless innovations related to technology, means and methods of construction, and product development, one notable example is agglomerated stone tiles. Agglomerated stone is used for many applications, such as countertops, tables, wall cladding, and flooring; it is an artificial stone product that is replacing more expensive products such as natural stone or terrazzo. Agglomerated stone tiles have an attractive appearance; they can easily be mistaken for natural stone marble or granite, while actually they are an engineered, man-made material."Agglomerated" means a group or mass of objects loosely thrown or huddled together or gathered into a ball or cluster, such as a mass of volcanic fragments linked through the action of heat. Similarly, agglomerated stones are engineered and manufactured by uniformly mixing natural stone fragments (e.g., marble, quartz, or granite) with a binding material.
- Lightweight concrete over steel decking (concrete thicknesses varied from 4.5 in. to 13 in.
- Cementitious self-leveling underlayment
- Adhesive
- Crack isolation sheet
- Thin set latex cement mortar
- 24x24x1/2-in. agglomerated tiles made up of marble chips and polyester resin.
Agglomerated tiles may be considered as an alternative to natural stone and terrazzo. Our findings should not overshadow the benefits with respect to economics, aesthetics, and performance of using agglomerated tiles installed properly over concrete with acceptable moisture levels. Rather, they should help our industry understand how these products perform so that professionals can make more informed product selection, design, and installation decisions. Specifically, we suggest the following:
- Limit moisture vapor emissions and moisture in the concrete slab. Perform the necessary concrete moisture tests to quantitatively understand the moisture levels in the different materials of the floor assembly. If elevated moisture is found in the concrete slab, a topical moisture vapor mitigation system should be considered prior to installing any floor finishes
- Develop standard industry tests to allow manufacturers to report propensity to curling in a uniform manner. Together with the tests, develop moisture limits for the concrete substrate and curling limits for the tiles below which they will have acceptable performance
- Develop standard industry installation guidelines specifically for agglomerated tiles. Conduct studies using mockups to validate acceptable performance for floor installations
- Limit moisture related to construction. Carefully select mortar and grout products (follow the mortar and grout manufacturers' recommendations on what products to use for highly moisture sensitive agglomerated stone)
- Limit underslab moisture. Moisture accumulation below slabs-on-grade is a common phenomenon due to moisture and vapor drive from the soils below. It is industry standard to install a vapor retarder below a slab-on-grade with sensitive flooring to prevent this moisture from entering the building above.
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