As the season for carrying out exterior works (and in particular the landscaping season) is well and truly underway, thoughts turn to projects to get ready to enjoy the summer months.
The trend for making more extensive use of external space continues, where internal tiled spaces can be extended to terrace or patio areas externally. This in turn is part of a long-term lifestyle trend to enhance living areas by making better use of outdoor space – bringing the inside out.
Traditionally, such areas might be finished with concrete pavers or timber decking. However, not only can these look tired quite quickly, but current fashion is favouring the use of 20mm external porcelain and stone tiles, which are very much on trend.
The Rock-Tite Exterior Porcelain & Stone System from Palace Chemicals is designed for use by landscapers and garden designers, as well as tile fixers, to enable them to capitalise on this trend.
The latest generation of 20mm porcelain and stone tiles also have a number of advantages, compared to alternative solutions. The key benefit is that they allow a seamless transition from internal to external space, which is perfectly aligned with the leading style trend of the moment and they help create extra living space either in the home or equally they can be used in high traffic commercial spaces.
Most porcelain tiles are also moisture, rot and frost resistant, resistant to UV rays, are easier to clean and offer good slip resistance, provided they are kept clean.
Now available as an improved 3-part system, Rock-Tite Exterior Porcelain & Stone System comprises a Primer, a choice of Mortars and a choice of Brush-In or Flow Grout.
The Rock-Tite system is designed to be simple to use by anyone who wants to create a seamless transition from internal to external living space, whether they are an experienced tiler, a builder, a landscaper or a DIY enthusiast.
The system itself comprises five separate products:
- Palace Rock-Tite Porcelain Primer- a fibre-reinforced, polymer modified cement-based primer which improves adhesion and bond strength when applied to the underside of porcelain and other low-absorption types of paving.
- Palace Rock-Tite Mortar- a fibre-reinforced sand-cement mortar which bonds concrete, natural stone and porcelain paving slabs to both hardcore and solid bases. The mortar only requires the addition of water and contains Rock-Tite additives to improve bond performance, workability and freeze/thaw resistance of the mortar mix. It is supplied in a 20kg bag, complete with sand.
2A. Palace Rock-Tite Mortar Additive is a fibre reinforced cement mortar additive which is available as an alternative to Rock-Tite Mortar and needs to be mixed with sharp sand and water, to enable it to provide a high strength mortar for bonding concrete, natural stone and porcelain paving slabs to both hardcore and solid bases.
- Palace Rock-Tite Brush-In Groutis a cement-free brush-in permeable jointing compound designed for filling joints from 3mm wide between concrete, natural stone and porcelain paving slabs which have been laid onto a solid permeable base usingPalace Rock-Tite Mortar. It matches the Palace 4 into 1 and Flexible Wide Joint Grout colours to complement tiles used indoors and to create a continuous living space. It is easy to use and waste-free. Any left-over grout can be poured back into the tub and stored by covering with water to at least 50mm above its surface.
3A. Palace Rock-Tite Flow-Grout is available as an alternative to the Brush-In Grout. It mixes readily with water to give a highly flowable joint filling and grouting mortar ideal for use on floor surfaces where a high early strength, resilient, compact grout joint is needed, particularly in areas subject to early and sustained trafficking. It is available in a range of distinct colours and is suitable for grouting joints internally and externally around porcelain and ceramic tiling and clay paving slabs, filling joints from 5mm up to 25mm wide with a minimum joint depth of 20mm. It has a workable open time of up to one hour and sets to allow foot traffic within three hours, curing rapidly to give a high early strength shrinkage compensated durable mortar.
“The Rock-Tite System has been made very straightforward to use – in fact it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3”, says Steve Ball, Commercial Director. “It allows home designers to come up with a durable and effective solution for working with the new generation of 20mm porcelain and stone tiles, so that they can complete jobs which accord with current fashions and are entirely on trend.”
Rock-Tite from Palace Chemicals is supported by a range of promotional material, including a new brochure and a video, which can be viewed at:
Palace Chemicals Rock-Tite Video
