Crack Suppression and Isolation Methods for Tiles from Laticrete

Cracks in concrete surfaces or other backgrounds can and often do cause telegraphing of the crack or reflective cracking into the tile finish. Crack reflection into tiled surfaces is a defect and is seen as the responsibility of the system designer or tiler to eliminate its occurrence.

It also does not reflect very well on the tiling industry as a whole.

With the fast-pace and competitive environment of today's concrete industry, crack free concrete is difficult to achieve. The same can be said about tiler's standard mortar beds. Shrinkage crack control of these surfaces are often lacking, resulting in uncontrolled cracking that may be obvious, may not occur immediately or persists for many years as the concrete or mortar continues to shrink and crack during its life under the tile finish.

Modern adhesives can accommodate a certain amount deformation, horizontal to the plane the tiles are laid on, but there is a limit to their abilities. There is even LATICRETE Antifracture adhesives that deliver crack isolation in some service duty cycles.

However, employing a loadbearing crack suppression membrane offers a unique buffering layer, which allows further deformation, increasing the amount of allowable movement in a tile installation.

After recognising this you could be excused for thinking that there is a good case for always using crack suppression membranes over masonry and other surfaces that are susceptible to shrinkage cracking. For more information on crack suppression or isolation methods, see TDS-1019.

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