Premium Unmodified Thin set mortars

[Hammy]

Is laticrete 317 equal to the multipurpose they sell at lowes, or the megabond? Need something I can get locally for ditra
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Jason Wollbrink

According to my information....317 and Megabond are the same product. Multipurpose is the same as Laticrete Gold. Hammy

[John Bridge]

Royce,

When they say 10 to 40 percent cement content they don't mean that it varys much. They mean that they don't want you or anyone else to know their exact recipe. They are being vague deliberately. And that's on the MSDS, which is primarily meant as a safety sheet.

I'll let CX or someone else design specific tests, but I thinks it's possible that the same tests (if kept simple) can be performed all around the country with results being reported back here. At that point others should be encouraged to perform similar tests on the same products and report back. Again, these tests would not be scientifically reliable, but they might give us a rough indication of how various products perform. Just thinking out loud here.

I don't see that we'll be able to do shear bond tests. That would require everyone building or accumulating identical facilities and tools, duplicating conditions, etc. Whatever we do should be done with simple tools and equipment we all have on hand.

[Hammy]

Who's going to start the new testing thread? Hammy

[Davestone]

Thanx for volunteering Hammy,we know you'll give it your all.

[Hammy]

ok, its done http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/...548#post862548

Hammy

[Davestone]

Okay new orders, this thread here will be the thread for future test results.

[TGR]

I did a sort of test on two mortars. I took a margin trowel full of mortar and put it in a Ziploc bag. I removed as much air out of the Ziploc as I could. The mortar sample in the bag was about ½ think by a few square inches. I let the sample cure for just less than 24 hours. I then took the sample out of the bag and submerged them in water for an additional 24 hours. After the 24 hours with out air both mortars became quite hard. After 24 hours in water both mortars did not show any signs of deterioration. I was particularly looking for a slippery feel or color change, maybe an indication of polymer re-emulsification (is that even a real word)? After the water test both mortars still were in great shape and felt quite cured. I did this test with Flextile 61 and Mapei UF2.

Not sure what all this tells me but as a tile geek among tile geeks I found it interesting. I expected the samples to so signs of deterioration after 24 hours under water after only a 24 hour cure with little to no air especially sense both mortars are reported to have a high polymer content.

I guess this mortar testing by forum members doen’t have much steam but I gained some confidence in some of my frequently used mortars.

I have some Laticrete 254 on site I think I will test too.

ToDd

[Hammy]

Mod's Please move this post / reply to the test result thread. Hammy

[ceramictec]

lol..................Dave's post #81 supersedes you Hammy.

Originally Posted by Hammy

Link to test results
ok, its done http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/...548#post862548

plus your thread.

Invalid Thread specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator

isnt there.

[Hammy]

I clicked on the thread from my email and it by passed post 81. Guess Im day late & dollar short. Hammy

[TGR]

OK so I did the same test on a few more thinset mortars. I place properly mixed mortar in an airtight plastic bag for just under 24 hours. I then took the mortar out of the airtight plastic and submerged them in water for an additional 24 hours. All the mortars I tested cured to quite a hard mass after a 24 hour cure without air. After an addition 24 hours under water all mortars still felt quite well cured with no signs of weekness or any feeling of dissolving.

So far I have tested

Flextile 61, This mortar is polymer modified

Flextile 52 This mortar is highly polymer modified

Laticrete 254, This mortar is like crazy stuff and extremely modified

Custom versabond, this is most likely low on the modified scale

Mapei UF2, once again polymer modified.

So what gives? I expected much different results (less performance) with all the above mortars. I guess a modified mortar will cure quite well in the absence of air and will not completely dissolve if it is introduced to water before an extended cure time.

Todd

[Bruce Johnson]

So where did the post go?
Did versabond really do as well?
I am starting a project next week I would like to be accurate with the Kerdi warranty, but I have glass mosaics also I think I need some mod. It would be easier to just buy the one type. Orange Big box carries only Custom non mod. Blue box carries Mapie keraset, Laticrete multipurpose.
Thanks

[cx]

Bruce, Versabond has long been known, through individual testing, to work quite well with Schluter products. Warranty information below.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Bruce Johnson]

Thanks CX,
I bought the Versa bond.
I am curious about the outcome of the experiments.
B

[John Bridge]

Hi Bruce,

This seems to be another one that got away from us. I don't think there has been an recent testing.

One of our guys tested VersaBond and other thin sets several years ago. We chose not to make the test results public because the testing was not done under strict scientific conditions. I can tell you this, though. VersaBond was tested between Ditra and dense porcelain 12X12 tiles to see if there was any problem with it setting up without much air. There was no problem -- it set up firm overnight, about like you would expect a dry set to set under those conditions.

Shear bond was good at 7, 15 and 30 days. At the end of the 30-day period the sample boards were cut up and a couple of the specimens were placed in buckets of water and left there to make sure the product would not re-emulsify when wet for extended periods. It did not. And through my own informal testing I have determined that VersaBond will set up under water. Takes a while, but it will do it.

But I still can't get you the Schluter guarantee.