Artisan

Installation

and Maintenance

Guide

Artisan Installation and Maintenance Guide

IMPORTANT

These instructions are a general guide for installing

Equipe products.

Some jobs may require different or more detailed

specications.

Hardly ever problems in a ceramic surface are due to

the ceramic product, they are usually due to a poor

laying process, so please read and understand these

instructions before beginning to install our products.

No claims will be accepted if the products are not installed

following these instructions.

If there is any problem related to defective tiles, you

should detect it before installation, so it is completely

necessary to check all tiles before installation.

Open and check every box of tiles before laying them,

because we will absolutely not accept claims regarding

installation costs.

Please take in mind that this product has a signicant

shade variation, and an importan manual texture.

I) Receiving the tiles

If there is any problem related to defective tiles, you should detect

it BEFORE INSTALLATION, so

it is completely necessary to

check all tiles before installation.

Open and check every box of tiles before laying them, because

we will absolutely not accept claims regarding

installation costs.

If you are installing eld tiles and special pieces or decos,

make sure that the tone of all products is compatible,

taking in mind that there might be slight shade differences

that will not affect the nal result.

II) Installation

Do not use these tiles for floors!!

Use only for indoors!!

If you have any doubt, stop laying the tiles and contact us.

Problems are always much easier to solve if tiles are not

installed!!

1) Surface of installation

It is the surface that you will apply the bonding material

on.

The surface must be completely clean before starting

the laying of the tiles. Any residue that is not eliminated

will create weak bonding points that may generate

future problems.

It is also necessary that the surface is perfectly dry (less

than 3%), vertical and plane (less than 3 mm deviation

and 2 m length, along any direction).

The surface also has to have a good cohesion.

Finally, it is essential that the surface is stable,

because surface shrinking, expansion or warping would

be disastrous for the tiles.

The water-sensitive substrates (wood and chipboard,

plaster and precast gypsum, etc.) may require a

waterproong primer.

If you are installing intermediate layers (insulation or

waterproong), check instructions for these products

before start tiling.

2) Selecting bonding materials

Check the following table to choose the better bonding

material, according to the kind of surface you are tiling.

Anyway, it is always a good idea to ask to the

manufacturer or distributor of the bonding material for

the most suitable material to be used.

Surface to be

tiled

Type of

adhesive

Comments

Ceramic

brick or

concrete

blocks

- It is recommended use adhesive with extended open time

(E), and do not use type F (fast cement)

- Better with reduced vertical displacement (T)

- You may need to use deformable adhesives (S1 or S2)

R - Use when chemical resistance is needed

Cement

- It is recommended use adhesive with extended open time

(E), and do not use type F (fast cement)

- Better with reduced vertical displacement (T)

- You may need to use deformable adhesives (S1 or S2)

R - Use when chemical resistance is needed

Flat concrete

surfaces

- It is recommended use adhesive with extended open time

(E), and do not use type F (fast cement)

- Better with reduced vertical displacement (T)

- You may need to use deformable adhesives (S1 or S2)

R - Use when chemical resistance is needed

Plaster and

precast

gypsum

(S1 ó S2)

- It is recommended use adhesive with extended open time

(E), and do not use type F (fast cement)

- Better with reduced vertical displacement (T)

D1 - Use D2 for wet rooms

deformable

- Use when chemical resistance is needed

Ceramic

tiles,

terrazzo

or natural

stone

- It is recommended use adhesive with extended open time

(E), and do not use type F (fast cement)

- Better with reduced vertical displacement (T)

R - Use when chemical resistance is needed

Artisan Installation and Maintenance Guide

3) Tiling

3.1.- Before you start

Do not hurry, do things slowly and safely, and arrange all

materials and tools before starting the job.

If this is the rst time you lay ceramic tiles, or you have

limited experience, we recommend that you start tiling

in a “hidden spot” (a part of the wall that will be covered

by furniture, for example), as test area.

Basically, the tools you need are: meter, rule, level,

carpenter’s square, pails to prepare materials, notched

trowel, rigid rubber plate, rubber hammer, rubber trowel,

rigid sponges, cutter (manual or electric). And for your

safety, at least: gloves, security glasses and steel toe

boots.

All products and tools must be used according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.

During installation, the better weather conditions are:

• Temperature between 5 and 30 ºC.

• Avoid rain or high humidity.

• Avoid risk of frost.

• Avoid strong wind.

• Do not wet the surface until 48 hours after tiling.

• The temperature of the water used to prepare

bonding materials is important, check the

manufacturer’s recommendations.

Do not use the thick-layer installation method, always install

tiles following the thin-layer technique (3-5 mm thickness

of bonding material layer).

Besides, it is recommendable to use the double-bonding

method (apply adhesive also to the back side of the

pieces), so the back of the tiles is completely covered by

the bonding material.

The laying joints must be at least 1.5 mm wide.

Do not submerge the tiles in water before installation.

3.2. General planning and stakeout

First of all, check that the laying surface is dry, stable,

vertical, plane and has good cohesion.

Do not start tiling if any of these characteristics is not

correct, because the result may be a complete disaster,

and very difcult to correct.

Do a thorough cleaning of the installation surface. This

is essential. Eliminate all remaining plaster, grease, wax,

globs of mortar, organic substances and dust.

Any particle that you do not clean may reduce the

adherence of the adhesive and let tiles fall off in the

future.

Usually real measurements are quite different from

dimensions shown in plans (sometimes even some cm),

so once the surface is completely clean check again all

measurements, including gaps (windows, doors, etc.),

and set the movement intermediate joints, if necessary.

These joints are essential in big surfaces, for walls

being more than 8 m long (or 10 m

We also recommend the setting of perimeter joints in

surfaces greater than 10 m

, specially for unstable

surfaces (plasterboards, wood, etc.).

The next step is to calculate the pattern of the laying joints,

to avoid an asymmetric pattern of joins (respect to the

perimeter of the surface), avoid narrow strips of tiles,

and to try to cut as less pieces as possible.

If this job is well done, you will save a lot of work and the

nal result will be much better.

It is very useful to draw a sketch (even freehand), scale

1:50, so you can see exactly how the surface will look

like before you lay the tiles.

A common way of laying tiles consists of starting setting

whole tiles next to the corner or edge that will be more

visible. Check if this is the best option for you, because

Sometimes this creates a very ugly nal result, full of

narrow strips of cut tiles.

Finally, organize all tools, materials and tiles in the

room, to be able to work comfortably. It is a good idea to

distribute groups of boxes of tiles throughout the room,

so you will not have to be constantly going for tiles as

installation goes on.

3.3. Adhesive preparation

Prepare the xing material, always following the

manufacturer’s instructions, using an electric low speed

mixer, until you get an homogeneous and lump-free paste,

without bubbles.

The adhesive manufacturer will inform you about the

quantity you will need per square meter.

Do not mix all the adhesive you will need at once, take

in mind that, once mixed, adhesives have a limited

lifespan.

It should be at least 2 months old.

It should be at least 1 month old.

Specially if the laying surface is less than 1 month old.

It may require a waterproong primer.

Make sure that existing tiles are well attached to the surface and completely clean.

It may require a primer to enhance adherence

Artisan Installation and Maintenance Guide

Prepare only the quantity you can use during that

lifespan.

a) Cement adhesives (type C)

• Always drop powder adhesive on water (previously

prepared in the mixing pail), and not water on

powder.

• If you notice hard lumps in the powder, do not use

that sack of adhesive. It means that it was hydrated

and might have lost its adhesive properties.

• For this same reason, do not keep adhesives for a

long time once opened.

• Once the mix is done, do not add more water, in any

case and under any circumstances.

• After mixing, wait for the repose time of the adhesive

(set by manufacturer) before using it. After this time

has passed, slightly stir the adhesive again.

b) Reactive resins (type R)

• They usually consist of two separated ingredients.

Mix them pouring the minor component (hardener)

on the major component (resin, previously prepared

in the mixing pail).

• They usually do not require repose time

3.4. Laying the tiles

Apply the adhesive on the laying surface, using the

straight side of the notched trowel, in a small area, for

no more than 4 or 5 tiles, according to the open time of

the adhesive (maximum time during which the adhesive

can be used, from the moment it is applied).

Next, “comb” this adhesive, using the notched side of the

trowel. The manufacturer of the adhesive must inform

you about the most suitable kind of notched trowel to

use. Usually a U6 (V6 for type D adhesives) is correct.

Comb the adhesive always creating straight lines,

perpendicular to one side of the tiles.

This combing is important to get a uniform thickness

of the adhesive layer, and to get a maximum contact of the

back of the tiles with the adhesive.

If the back of the tiles is not completely covered by

adhesive, you will regret it in the future (tiles that fall off,

grouting material that falls off, tiles that broken when hit

or drilled, etc.).

Now it is time to lay the tile. Make sure that you do it

before the open time of the adhesive nishes (if not,

the back of the tiles may not be completely covered by

adhesive).

Do not trust the open time given by the manufacturer,

because it might change depending on the real

atmosphere conditions you are working on. Check it

from time to time, pulling up the last tile you just laid to

see if its back is really 100% covered by the adhesive.

Check every tile before laying it, to make sure it does not

have any defect.

The best way to lay tiles is the so-called Tarver Method:

• Apply adhesive also in the back of the tile, in the

case of double-bonding, with the straight side of

the notched trowel.

• Lay the tile more or less in its position, leaving at

least a 1.5 mm wide joint. You can use crosstree

pieces.

• Slide the tile, perpendicular to the grooves of the

adhesive, away from the closest tile, about the

distance of one adhesive groove.

• Slide the tile again to its original position, now laying

it exactly in its nal location, leaving the necessary

laying joints.

Using this method you will let the air in the adhesive

grooves to get away, eliminating bubbles.

Once the tile is in its position, check that it is in the same

plane than the others, with no low or high corners. If

necessary, use a clean rigid rubber plate, and hit it with

a rubber hammer.

Do any needed correction of the position of the tiles

during the adjust time of the adhesive.

Do never force a tile if it is hard to move, the only thing

you will get is a poor adhesion of the tile, so it will easily

fall off in the future.

Clean the excess of adhesive that accumulates in the

spaces of the joints before it hardens, and also the

adhesive in the glazed side of the tiles.

It is also important to remove the crosstree pieces

before the bonding material hardens.

4) Selecting grouting materials (laying

joints)

The kind of grouting material to use depends on the

nal use of the ceramic surface, and on the width of

the joints. It is a good idea to ask the grouting material

manufacturer about the more suitable product.

The most commonly used grouting materials are type GC2,

but it depends on the type of adhesive you used to lay

the tiles:

• If you used C2 adhesive, use CG2 grouting material.

• If you used cement deformable adhesive (C2), or

Artisan Installation and Maintenance Guide

type D adhesive, use deformable grouting materials

(CG S1 or S2).

• For R adhesives, use RG grouting material.

Cement grout maybe used in those areas that do not need

to be cleaned regularly, so it is not recommended for

bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

Use waterproof, anti-mildew grouting materials,

specially for wet areas (showers, baths, etc.). Joints will

be much easier to clean and maintain.

White grouting materials are usually used, but you can

also use coloured grouts, matching the colour of the tiles

or opposite to it. We recommend to spend some time

trying different options, you will see how it substantially

changes the nal look of the ceramic surface.

In any case, do not ever use materials coloured with

black smoke (micronized coal), they are very difcult to

clean.

5) Grouting (laying joints)

5.1. Before you start

The grouting operation deserves as much care and skill as the

laying of the tiles. The durability and aesthetic quality of

the ceramic surface largely depends on this operation.

So, again, do not hurry, do things slowly and safely, and

arrange all materials and tools before starting the job.

If this is the rst time you lay ceramic tiles, or you have

limited experience, as we did for laying the tiles, we

recommend that you start grouting in a “hidden spot”

of the surface.

Use all products and tools according to the

manufacturer’s instructions.

Check that joints are empty and clean of bonding material,

that they are dry (specially for RG materials), and that they

have a uniform depth, equal to the thickness of the tiles.

Wait for the time indicated by the manufacturer of the

adhesive you used before starting grouting.

In order to get a uniform colour of all grouts once the

job is done, try to use all the grouting material from the

same production lot (it must all have the same die lot

code and date of production).

5.2. Grouting material preparation

For CG materials, use exactly the amount of water

indicated by the manufacturer, and, as you did when

preparing the adhesive, pour powder on water (not

water on powder).

For RG materials pour liquid (minor ingredient) on paste

(major ingredient).

Mix using an electric low speed mixer, until you get a

homogeneous colour and texture.

As you did when preparing adhesive, do not prepare all

the quantity of grouting material you will need at once

(these materials also have a lifespan).

For CG materials, wait as indicated by the manufacturer

once the mix is done before using it.

5.3. Grouting

Most manufacturers will show you on their web page

how to apply grouting materials. We will describe the

most common method.

Using a hard rubber trowel, distribute the material along

the surface, always diagonally with respect to the joints.

This way you will ll the joints with the grouting material

uniformly, avoiding the edge of the trowel to get in the

joints, and cleaning the tiles at the same time.

Sometimes RG materials are quite hard, so you might

need steel spatulas or even an extruder.

Use the appropriate tool to curve the surface of the

joints. For narrow joints this is not necessary, you will

get it when cleaning the joints before they harden.

5.4. Cleaning and nishing

a) CG materials

Once all joints are lled, clean them with water. Wait for

the time indicated by the manufacturer before cleaning the

joints.

Use a wet but well drained rigid sponge (it is better if it

is attached to a trowel), rubbing the surface in circles.

Clean the sponge with water and drain it as many times

as necessary, and change the cleaning water when it

starts to be turbid.

It is very important that the sponge is always well

drained, to avoid different shades of the grout and future

efflorescences.

You may need to do a second cleaning of the joints.

If the rst cleaning was done efciently, this second

cleaning can be done using just a dry cloth or suede.

Do not use espartos for cleaning.

b) RG materials

Cleaning is quite more difcult for these materials, so

make sure that you understand the instructions given

Artisan Installation and Maintenance Guide

by the manufacturer before starting.

Usually, these materials must be emulsied using water

and special sponges, rubbing circles on the surface.

Clean sponges very often.

6) Cutting and drilling

There is a wide range of tools to make all cuts and

drilling you will need to install the tiles.

In general, it is advisable to lay the cut pieces in the

position where the cut is less visible.

The manual cutter is useful for most cuts, but does not

guarantee high accuracy.

Drilling for water intakes or drains should be done with

electric drills, without striker, equipped with diamond-

tipped drill bits, properly cooled by water.

For square holes manual cutter can also be used

(installing a special tungsten carbide punch), but is

always easier to use an electric cutter.

For special pieces (mouldings, torellos, etc.) use always

an electric cutter.

III) Cleaning and maintenance

1) Cleaning after nishing laying works

There are specic commercial products for cleaning

cement, but they should be used with caution as they

usually have higher acid concentrations.

As a general rule, take always into account the following

cautions:

• Never use an acid product if the bonding or grouting

material has not set, because the acid reacts with

the non-set cement, damaging the joints or leaving

insoluble compounds on the surface.

• Carefully read and observe the instructions and

recommendations given by the manufacturers of

cleaning products.

• Before using a cleaning agent, test its effect on the

ceramic tiles and grouts, specially for Gold colour

tiles.

• Protect the surfaces where there are no ceramic tiles,

they may be affected by the cleaning product.

• Never use scrubbers or espartos to clean shiny tiles or

grouts.

• It is important to always use clean water. Change

cleaning water every 15 m

approximately.

To remove the protective wax in the glazed surface of

tiles, use only warm water and a damp cloth. Do not use

scrubbers, blades or sharp objects that could scratch

the surface.

If you used a porous grouting material, non waterproof,

you may want to protect it with a grout sealer, specially if

grouts are white of have a light colour.

2) Daily maintenance

It is very easy to maintain our tiles. Just clean them

usually with warm water or a dilute solution of a common

detergent.

Never use scrubbers or espartos to clean tiles or grouts.

Before using a cleaning agent, test its effect on the ceramic

tiles and grouts, specially for Gold colour tiles.

It is important to always use clean water. Change the

cleaning water every 25 m

approximately.

If green or dark stains appear, it is usually due to humidity

and fungus. Clean the tiles or grouts with bleach, and try

to eliminate the source of humidity.

Apply again the tile sealer for crackle tiles, when

necessary.

3) Extraordinary cleaning of stains and

encrustations

In most cases, the use of household products is enough

to eliminate the most common types of stains.

However, sometimes some products that have strong

colourings may spill or come into contact by chance with

the ceramic surface, producing spots or encrustations

that can not be removed by normal cleaning operations.

In those cases special cleaning agents and procedures

must be used. The choice must be made with caution,

taking into account the nature of the stain.

Before using a special cleaning agent, test its effect

on the ceramic tiles and grouts, specially in the case of

strong cleaning products (high concentrations) or solid

detergents with abrasive particles, and in the case of

Gold colour tiles.

Carefully read and observe the instructions and

recommendations given by the manufacturers of cleaning

products.

It is important to always use clean water. We recommend

changing the cleaning water every 15 m

approximately.

Protect the surfaces where there are no ceramic tiles,

because the cleaning agents may damage certain

materials such as wood, metals, etc.

Warning!

Do not use aggressive cleaning products (such

as bleach or ammonia).