Construction World July 2019

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

The first large format tiling seminar on African soil has been a resounding success with the organiser, Mapei, receiving positive recognition for its innovation from the country’s leading building and design professionals. Paving way for LARGE-FORMAT TILING

T he popularity of large format tiling has boomed in markets such as Europe and the United States in recent years and the local market has been following hot-on-their-heels. However, until now, skills and training has not followed suit and the seminar has given a timeous injection of knowhow to the industry. For this reason the seminar, held at Mapei’s state-of-the- art training facility in Germiston, was organised and aimed at professionals including architects, designers, quantity surveyors, as well as flooring experts with the aim of shedding light on the materials, tools and techniques required to manage successful large format tiling projects. Industry first Mapei South Africa product manager for ceramic line, Zamaswazi Ntobela, says that as a leading supplier of adhesives and grouts for large format tiling, the company sees the upskilling and promotion of best practices as key ingredients to moving the industry forwards. “The seminar and workshops were open to everyone in the industry and provided an opportunity for delegates to interact with Mapei as well as other suppliers of tiles, tools and other components to find out more about this specialised type of tiling. CPD-accredited workshops were also held over the two days in parallel with the event and were specifically aimed at training installers and applicators,” Ntobela said. Derk Borneman, Corporate Area Manager for Mapei from Italy, was proud of the achievement. The seminar had a much more fundamental quality for him as it was of utmost importance to architects, quantity surveyors and the specifying community at large. “If the application is done the right way it will last for up to 20 or 30 years. We are showing them how to avoid failures on-site,” he asserted. Feedback from exhibitors He was also impressed by the feedback. The Mapei team has been approached to do one-on-one training and technical training as a result. “Mapei technical support will be available to assist in specifying the right product for the right job. Not only that, but we have the online tools and systems to ensure specifiers and installers make the right choice,” said Borneman. Feedback from all involved in the event was positive. Exhibitors too were excited about the opportunity given to them to demonstrate their products and technologies that are available to assist large-format tile installers. Masimo Vassaroti, director of Avanga, said the seminar was timeous to get architects and specifiers to understand the many different types of application from flooring to cladding, furniture design and much more. The stunning aesthetics of large format tiles makes them an attractive choice for all manner of applications and

their heat, scratch and stain resistance makes them hard wearing and durable enough to last for decades – even in the tough applications. “Large format-tiles are also greener alternatives to natural stone with thinner profiles and lighter weight that makes them far easier to work with than stone slabs,” he said, and emphasised that with the right adhesives and techniques the finishes are long lasting and well worth the investment. Role players Paula Dubruyn and Bobby Dimitrova from San Marco were excited about the exposure placed on large format tiling and agreed that the emphasis on correct usage of tools, adhesives and techniques that were discussed at the seminar was invaluable. “Best practice, knowledge, and skills development has been lacking in the market up until now and we feel that Mapei’s seminar has provided a much- networking opportunities during the seminar were well received and gave companies the chance to share ideas and strike-up new agreements with suppliers and service providers. She also lauded the opportunity for contractors to upskill their teams, as well as the emphasis placed on assisting architects and designers to correctly specifying materials and resources required for large format tiling. Well-known tools supplier in the tiling industry, Mactool, was also at the seminar. As agents for Raimondi, the company’s specialised tiling equipment drew a lot of attention. With a range of tools specially developed for large format tiling, the company put on display examples of lifting, transporting, cutting, shaping and drilling tools and were on-hand to explain how to use them. Getting it right “Tiling starts from the transport stages all the way to unpacking on site, to placement and installation. It’s really about the whole process and having the right tools available to do the job more quickly and efficiently while minimising the risk of breaking tiles that can cost tens-of-thousands of Rands each. “Seminars like these are invaluable as our teams get to meet the right people and actually demonstrate our products in operation,” says McTool Managing Director Anthony Mc Lea. He observed that after the seminar and workshops many of the contractors approached the company to enquire about the right tools for the job. Mapei’s modern range of ceramic and porcelain adhesives and grouts as well as waterproofing products were also on display. “It was an interactive, informal environment where delegates networked and communicated for the betterment of the industry,” Ntobela concluded.  needed kickstart to really popularise large format tiles.” Northern Wholesale Tiles’ Candice Freddie added that

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD JULY 2019