TEC 1 Flex Crack-Isolation Mortar

[charles2]

Is anybody using this instead of crack-isolation membranes? What's the consensus out there?

[Davestone]

I've never used it, myself.

[stullis]

I've tried it. I prefer a separate crack iso.

The 1 Flex seems to work though. Messy to work with, very very sticky.

[muskymike]

Like Scott says, very sticky worse than tar. Good stuff though. Also very expensive.

[charles2]

Looks like Custom is out with something similar called MegaLite. It's hard to believe these can span cracks of up to 1/8". Does anyone believe these claims?

[cx]

Custom and Tec do.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Originally Posted by charles2

Looks like Custom is out with something similar called MegaLite. It's hard to believe these can span cracks of up to 1/8". Does anyone believe these claims?

Been there, done that.

[charles2]

Been where? Done what?

Have you guys actually seen this stuff work? Are you still using membranes because you don't trust it? Or just because it's messy?

[cx]

Won't help, Charles, that's pure Bowdark you're hammerin' on, there.

I don't know what he meant either, but it's either positive or negative, best I can guess.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Clear as mud, I was. Lemme try again. MegaLite = good stuff that allows for lateral movement just like it says it does.

Case in point: there was a floor I repaired last January due to substrate movement. It caused a line of tiles across the bathroom to crack. Instead of tearing out the whole floor and installing a membrane, I only replaced the cracked tiles, and those within 17" of the crack. I then used MegaLite to set them and....presto....the cracks haven't returned. Consider the facts of this job: The tiles took only 3 weeks to crack after install...then I was called in. It has now been almost a year with no cracks. I've checked, and know the homeowner personally, so I am certain this repair is holding well. The MegaLite is preventing the substrate movement from cracking the tiles. In this particular case, I used it because a membrane would have raised the new tiles unacceptably higher than the tiles that remained. The alternative was tearing out the whole floor, so this relatively easy fix wouldn't have wasted much $$ if it did fail. This option served us well.

Just remember: Products are all about options. No one product is everything to every project. And MegaLite is no different.

[stullis]

MegaLite is far easier to work with than Tec 1Flex.
Yes I do believe they work.
Try some 1Flex and see why I believe for yourself.

[charles2]

Scott, if MegaLite is easy to work with and does what it claims, why would you prefer a separate membrane?

[ss3964spd]

TG, if I understand what I'm reading (and there's no guarantee there), this fancy-schmancy Megalite stuff can be used in lew of a crack isolation membrane? Hmmm?

If so, this is a good thing. I have some very small, but seeingly stable, hair line cracks where the old slab meets the new 'crete that was used to fill the holes when I relocated the drain lines. I'd rather not use a membrane because I want to continue the hallway tile directly into the bathroom without using a threshold.

Will the MegaLite do the trick?

Dan

[tileguynky]

Megalite and Tec1 flex will do. As far as I understand (please correct me if I am wrong) Megalite and Megaflex are the same type of product, doing the same type of thing (acting as a crack isolation). The only big difference is their compostion (the parts used to get the desired result). Tec 1 Flex has to be mixed all at once (the whole bag, whether you need all of it or not, I belive). Went to a seminar from TEC on a product that you mix the entire bag and used it for crack isolation. Trade cost of one bag was around $80. Went to a seminar at local Daltile on Megaflex, sounded the same as the TEC product, only you did not have to mix entire bag. Never really used the TEC after that. My uncle specs it for his guys on any job that a crack isolation is required.

[stullis]

Originally Posted by charles2

Scott, if MegaLite is easy to work with and does what it claims, why would you prefer a separate membrane?

First, personally I believe the TEC 1 Flex would do a better job than Megalite as far as crack suppression but Megalite is more affordable and far easier to work with as well as having other properties that I like. Tec 3n1 is more like Megaflex but doesn't have the crack suppression properties.

Why do I prefer a seperate membrane? I feel that some will do a better job at crack suppression and may have other benefits such as waterproofing properties that I may want.