Close supervision should be provided on both in-process and finishes works, In order to achieve high overall quality of buildings, ic is important that quality control be driven by the site management to ensure that a project can meet its workmanship requirements. Site supervisor should be adequately trained and display competency in his works. Quality conteol starts with good planning. It is a good practice to prepare an Inspection and Test Plan, ITP (see Appendix B) which summaries the project’ inspection, acceptance criteria and the frequency of inspection. Appendix C shows the inspection checklist for tile instalation. Site supervisor should carry out the listed in-process inspection to ensure those steps are being properly done. Holding points should be set at critical stages where unsatisfactory work can be rectified. To prevent poor performance and failure, bedding. ‘materials should be mixed with consistent proportions. ‘When proprietary products are used, the manufacturer's instructions should be followed, especially for the mixing proportions, procedure and slaking time, where applicable, For cement mortar, pre-batched cement and sand mortar is recommended. ‘Only mechanical mixer, clean container and potable water should be used for mixing bedding materials, 10 achieve homogeneous paste free of lumps. To prevent ‘too much air being entrapped in the bedding materials, high-speed mixing should be avoided. A mortar drum, mixer is recommended (see Figure 5-1). The mixing quantity of the bedding material should be limied such, thar the mixed paste could be used up within the pot life of the particular product. Re-tempering with water or solvent after the bedding material has started to set may cause fallure.5.2. LAYING TILES ‘Table 5.1 shows preparation and laying of different type of bedding materials. Site supervisor should ensure the ‘When laying tiles, site supervisors should ensure that | steps are being properly done. the surrounding lighting is adequate for the job. Tiles that are slightly out of alignment may show up badly when lighting falls on them. Table 5.1 Preparation and laying of different type of bedding materials tion and laying of bedding m Sed ‘Water is important to proper hydration of mortar and it should not be absorbed by the substrate. 41.2, Soak porous tiles in clean water for a minimum of 80 minutes land thereafter drain of excess water Soaking of porous tiles prevents the tiles from drawing water ftom the cement mortar, + Test should be cari out on glazed wall ties to cont ‘that soaking would not lead to crazing, pr 2.1, Follow manufacturer's instructions on preparing the substrate, * To observe the open time and pot life of the adhesive used. + Damping the substrate may sti be required by some: ‘cement-based adhesives. However, the substrate should not be damped when using esin-based adhesive Table 5.1 Continues on nes page »Table 5.1 (Continued) Remarks 2.2, Clean back of tila with a damp clot i tis dusty. ‘The dust may become a barrier against proper adhe between the tile and adhesive if not properly cemoved. * Care should be takon to sproad adhosive that can be ‘completed before the surface of adhesive begins to form a skin. If skin develops, scrapes it off and re ‘rowel with fresh adhesive + Tie with der ‘grooves should be filed with adhesive In general, contractors should refer to SS CP 68:1997 for tile fixing methods Once the tiles are put in position, they should be uniformly capped into place to achieve good surface contact. A spirit level should be used to ensure that the tiles are even and level (see Figure 5-2) Appropriate plastic spacers should be used to control the uniformity of joint width. The tiles should only be adjusted within a time specified by the bedding material manufacturer, Once floor tiles are freshly laid, itis important to keep human traffic away from them, When the tiles appear firm enough, usually after 3 hours, they should be cleaned thoroughly with a damp sponge. This is to avoid the bedding materials from staining the tiles. Any excessive bedding material in the tile joine should also be removed at this juncture. The tle bed should be allowed to set for a least 24 hours before grouting. Figure 5.2 see next page ee Installationuo1e]]e3su] nto uniform position Tapping tile g level of tle ‘The mixing method and procedure defined in Section 5.1 should be followed co prepare the grout paste. Dry or semi-dry mix should not be allowed co fill the joints. To achieve consistency of pointing colous, grouting to one location (eg. living room/kitchen) should be carried out in one operation using the same mix ratio, The tile joints should be filled completely with the grout paste by using a sofe trowel (see figure 5-3). ‘The grout should be given sufficient time (specified by the grout manufacturer) to set and the excess grout 2. Removing ex: oshly laid should be removed from the surface. Any remaining grout should be removed with a damp towel or sponge as shown in Figure 5-3. The sponge should be rinsed frequently in clean water, and the process should be repeated until the surface is completely clean, During the first three days of curing, the site supervisor should ensute that the tiles are not subjected to any physical vibration or impact arising from any neighbouring works, For floor tiling, the grout should be protected over sufficient duration (specified by the manufacturer) for proper secing and hardening before foot trafic is allowed. ss grout5.4. MOVEMENT JOINT 5.5. INSPECTION OF COMPLETED INSTALLATION WORKS ‘The depth of the movement joints should be controlled, | ‘The finished works should be inspected to ensure they as specified by the sealant manufacturer, by proper | meet the client's requirements and standards. Table filling material (e.g. polystyrene foam board) and | 5.2 shows the inspection checklist for final inspection compressible backer-rod with closed pores. of ceramic tiling works ‘The joints should be sealed by sealant of adequate durability and movement accommodation factor (MAF). In any case, the instruction from the sealant manufacturer should be followed strictly Table 5.2 Checklist for final inspection of ceramic tiling works 1.1.Tle size should be consistent - within +1%6 or up to 3mm or according to specifications whichever is stricter 41.2, Joints are aligned and consistent with kirting and wall tie Joints aligned with wall tes Figure 5.5 continues next page® a InstallationTable 5.2 (Continued) ees Exec eo 5.1. No hollow sound when tapped with a hard object.