Things “Not To Do”

We answer a number of questions daily in our technical service department. The following list is a compilation of information from some of those calls.

• Perhaps the most important is not to begin a project without reading the instructions. This is at the root of most problems. If you are confused, contact us and ask questions to ensure you install the product properly. Most of our instructions indicate that you should also follow industry standards, TCNA guidelines and local building codes. You should know what those are before commencing an installation.
• Do not use a product for an application that is not indicated in our literature. One example is not to use NobleSeal membranes as a wearing (walking) surface. Also, do not use Chloraloy Shower Pan Liner as a bonded membrane.
• Do not penetrate waterproofing membranes below the water level without properly repairing the penetration. One common area where this happens is on the interior side of the curb, where people often secure the membrane with nails and forget to seal the penetrations. It is recommended to secure the membrane on the outside face of the curb.
• Do not allow weep holes in a clamping ring drain to become plugged. Weep holes can get clogged with mortar, sealants, etc. Use pea gravel, broken tiles or a Positive Weep Protector to keep weep holes open.
• Do not forget that grout and thin-set are not waterproof. If creating decorative items such as niches and benches, remember to waterproof these items or use preformed items (such as Noble Niches and Benches) which are waterproof and ready-to-tile. The image below is of a shower bench that was not properly waterproofed and resulted in a mold issue.

• Do not try to embed NobleSeal sheet membranes into NobleBond 21 without waiting until the adhesive has flashed off liquids and become sufficiently tacky.
• Do not exceed deflection requirements for the flooring you are installing. NobleSeal sheet can bridge horizontal movement > 1/8”, but our membranes cannot protect tile from cracking due to deflection.
• Do not cut a drain hole that is wider than the opening in the drain body.
• If you are installing NobleSeal SIS, don’t forget to isolate perimeters and penetrations to prevent flanking noise.
• Crack isolation – Do not forget to install movement joints in the tile field. Follow TCNA detail EJ171.
• Remember to follow recommendations for exterior applications if an interior installation is exposed to sunlight or moisture.
• Do not hire contractors that are not qualified to install Noble sheet membranes. Noble Company does not have “certified installers”, but contractors should have experience and knowledge of industry standards, TCNA guidelines, local building codes and Noble’s current printed instructions. If you are a contractor and have concerns about aspects of a project, you should state those issues in written communication to the GC, architect or owner.
  

Pre-project advice with after-the-sale support is a hallmark of Noble Company’s customer philosophy. With experienced tile industry experts on staff, Noble is ready to help you plan your project, offer problem solving, and walk you through any size installation. Let us help to save you valuable time and money. Just call Noble toll free 1-800-878-5788, and ask for the Technical Support.

Waterproofing Shower Walls - When, Why and How

Growing numbers of people are waterproofing shower walls. Although it is not required by code for residential showers, many in the tile industry believe that it helps reduce the potential for mold and other moisture related risks. NobleSeal® TS is ideal for the application.

• It is a sheet membrane which ensures uniform quality and thickness.


• It’s a moisture/vapor barrier with the lowest permeation rate of membranes used for waterproofing showers (0.050 perms). It will keep moisture from cavities and help prevent the growth of mold.


• TS can be installed on the front side of backer board (without penetrations). In most cases this should negate the need for a vapor barrier behind the backer board.
  

When we are asked for a recommendation on how to install TS on walls, we suggested a horizontal installation. The are a number of benefits for this method including:

• Sheets can be shingle overlapped and seamed with NobleSealant 150. Compare this with multiple seams required for vertical installations (approximately every 3’ for a sheet that is a meter wide).
  
• TS is sturdy enough to stand on end, and will hold a crease.


• Installation is easy - (see our video demonstration on TS)
  - Crease TS to size outside the shower.
  - Apply bonding agent (NobleBond EXT or latex modified thin-set) to walls.
  - Embed TS into bonding agent.

For further information on NobleSeal TS or Noble's other waterproof shower accessories, please visit our website or call us at 1-800-878-5788.
® NobleSeal is a registered trademark of Noble Company, Grand Haven, MI.

Written by Richard Maurer, Director of Marketing of Noble Company.

Critical Waterproofing for Health Care and Educational Facilities

Waterproofing Wet Areas: NobleSeal TS Offers Solutions to the Challenges.

Although construction in most market segments is down, growth is forecast for health care and educational facilities. Given that trend it is important to offer products and services that suit applications in those markets. NobleSeal TS is ideal for waterproofing and crack isolation in hospitals, clinics, schools, etc.

TS is a bondable, load bearing, waterproofing membrane so it can be installed over a vertical or horizontal substrate and tile can be bonded to the TS. It does not require a mortar bed which minimizes the height of the installation. These characteristics make it suitable for renovations, wheelchair accessible showers and other applications where a thin profile is desirable. Waterproofing failures can be catastrophic so product selection is critical.

Since NobleSeal TS is a sheet membrane, there are some inherent benefits. No curing is necessary so the installation can be flood tested as soon as it’s installed. And, quality and thickness are controlled, so variables from workmanship and/or construction (e.g. imperfect substrates) are minimized. We know of no system that can be installed and tested as rapidly as TS, and that is important in projects with fast paced construction schedules.

TS is made from chlorinated polyethylene, which gives TS the lowest moisture/vapor transmission rate of commonly used tile waterproofing products. It also provides crack isolation. In fact, TS is unsurpassed in crack isolation performance. It is rated “Extra Heavy” in ASTM C627. TS has also been tested to ANSI A118.10, the Crack Isolation Standard. It is rated “High Performance” in the System Crack Resistance portion of the Standard.

Noble sheet membranes have been used in some important projects:

• Laguna Honda Hospital, San Francisco, CA
• University of California at Irvine Medical Center
• USC/LA County Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
• University of Arizona Dorms and UC Berkley Dorms

Other NobleSeal sheet membranes can also be appropriate for applications in health care and educational facilities. NobleSeal SIS is an example. In addition to reducing floor to floor impact noise, it can also provide waterproofing and crack isolation. For information about all Noble products, visit http://www.noblecompany.com/ or call 800-878-5788.

®Registered Trademark of Noble Company, Grand Haven, MI

INTRODUCING - PROBASE™ COMPLETE WATERPROOF SHOWER BASE

Noble Company has introduced ProBase™, a waterproof, sloped shower base that is ready to be tiled. There is no need for a mortar bed over the base. ProBase is a composite made from high strength polypropylene honeycomb with a Noble Sheet Membrane laminated to the top. ProBase is packaged with everything needed to ensure a watertight installation. It can be used with standard clamping ring drains, and it allows for up to 2” of adjustment in drain position. ProBase is easy to install: just thin-set to the floor.
For more information, please contact Noble Company.

Products for Successful Shower Renovations and Remodeling

Noble Company produces a variety of products that make shower renovations watertight. Those products also make the job faster and easier to do. Accessories like Noble Shower Benches and Noble Niches provide waterproof surfaces that are ready for tile. Niches provide "tileable", recessed space for shampoo and other essentials. Shower Curbs and Curb Overlays are also available. These accessories install in minutes saving hours of installation time.

Noble also produces waterproof membranes that are time tested, easy to install and ensure uniform quality. Choose NobleSeal® TS or Chloraloy® depending on your installation. For a good overview of the features and benefits of Noble Shower Products, view our shower installation videos by clicking on the following link: http://www.noblecompany.com/TechnicalData/Videos/tabid/70/Default.aspx


These same products can also be used in other applications such as – The Spice Rack Niche for kitchen applications. Use NobleSeal CIS to create a “tileable”, surface over kitchen counters. If the Formica surface is properly bonded, it should provide a substrate for NobleSeal bonded with NobleBond adhesive. NobleSeal for crack isolation and waterproofing in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

For additional information view information on specific products or contact Noble Company’s Technical Service Department.

Moisture Testing

A tile contractor calls us with a question…“The owners want me to do a moisture test…what is this test, and what does this mean to me”?

An architect calls our office and wants to know if a NobleSeal membrane can effectively suppress vapor transmission, and if so, to what extent.

Over the years many tile and stone installations on floor surfaces have failed simply because there was not a clear understanding of how vapor transmission impacts the integrity of the bond between the substrate and any installed flooring system.

Vapor transmission is defined as the flow of water vapor through a material. For the purposes of our discussion, the “material” in question is a concrete substrate, most times the substrate is a “slab on grade”. One should note that there have been instances where vapor transmission concerns have also been noted on “above grade” substrates.

So how does this “flow of water vapor” occur, and when does it become a concern to you the installer? In a typical “slab on grade” situation, excessive vapor transmission can occur on a “green”, uncured slab, or from defects in the vapor barrier installed beneath the slab. Oftentimes existing environmental, as well as man-made soil and site conditions can also contribute to excessive vapor transmission. Slab on-grade projects that are built in moist, humid locales often experience significant vapor transmission issues, especially when HVAC systems within the closed building environment are turned on and start to “pull” the high vapor content that pre-exists in the slab and soil through the finished tile or stone assembly.

Oddly enough, many desert climates have significant ground-water tables that often lie mere feet beneath the desert floor. These shallow aquifers often are fed by grey-water urban and suburban run-off. The end result; excessive vapor transmission that easily penetrates ineffective soil engineering and/or poor vapor barriers and over time literally “blows” the installed flooring system off the floor. The forces of vapor transmission compromise the bonding strength of the tile or stone in place which leads to dislodged flooring and grout joint failures. In some cases, the amount of vapor transmission can cause be discerned as “ponding” of water on the face of tile or stone, as well as “wetgrout joints”.

One must also be aware of landscaping issues that can occur after the building is constructed. In some cases, slabs that were deemed “safe”, later fell victim to excessive vapor transmission issues. Investigation revealed that the landscaping features, (trees, lawns, flowers and bushes), when combined with terraced hillsides, poor drainage and excessive irrigation resulted in on-grade slabs absorbing this excess water and transmitting moisture in a vapor form which ends up saturating the flooring system.

Floor covering installers that work with carpet, wood, and various sheet vinyl and linoleum products have been more aware of the problems vapor transmission can pose for some time now. Increasingly, tile and stone contractors are being more pro-active in identifying this challenging job-site condition.

Currently, the testing method most often used is the “calcium chloride” test. These are available in kit form from most floor covering distribution outlets. While more ceramic tile and stone distributors have started to stock these kits, the vast majority of wholesale distributors still do not carry this essential tool for the installation contractor.

While many contractors and installers think this testing method is a “black art”, in reality the procedure is simple to follow and obtaining consistent, reliable results are arrived at by simply following the instructions provided in each kit. The key to identifying whether your substrate has vapor transmission issues is to make sure you conduct enough tests relative to the square footage of your job. Again, the test kit instructions are clear as to how many tests are needed, based on the size of your project.

Lastly, it is important to reconcile the results of your testing with the recommendations and requirements of the thinset, adhesive, or waterproofing/crack isolation product you will be using on the project. There are upper limits of vapor transmission that a manufacture will deem unacceptable for use with their product. These “allowable” vapor transmission rates can range from 3-5 pounds, but it your responsibility to know the limitations of the products you are using,

In situations where the vapor transmission is unacceptably high, there are a number of remediation methods that can be employed. It is best to consult with your allied product manufacture to obtain the solution best suited for their particular product.

Most importantly, do not proceed with installing any tile or stone product if the results of the test point to a problem. While some contractors will employ these tests on only slabs they believe are suspect, many contractors are realizing the huge liability presented by not conducting these tests, and are making them a standard default procedure as part of their company’s “best practices”.

Written by Dean Moilanen, National Sales Manager of Noble Company.

Read Twice, Install Once

A high-end, national chain hotel had its newly constructed West Michigan property in service for less than a year when the curbs in over 300 showers began to leak. The job had been done originally with a liquid waterproofing membrane. As is the case with many job failures, the problem was that the installer did not follow the written directions for the product he used.

Most liquid membranes have very specific wet film thickness requirements and require that product be gauged to ensure thickness is correct. Drying results in shrinkage up to 50%, so proper gauging is critical. Additionally, most liquid membranes require a fabric at all up turns, corners, etc. These requirements make liquid membranes susceptible to installer variables and errors.

The installer for this West Michigan hotel was not aware that the liquid membrane he installed was outside of the manufactures tolerances. Installing a liquid membrane without a "WET FILM GAUGE" and without checking the coverage puts the contractor and the job at risk.

Flood testing is essential. It can identify a leak and allow for repair. Liquid membranes generally require several days for curing before the pan can be filled with water. Since production schedules are generally fast-paced, testing may be omitted.

Sheet membranes, like NobleSeal TS, arrive at the job site with uniform thickness and quality. They are cured and ready to be installed and can be flood tested immediately after installation. Use NobleSeal TS and get the peace of mind only a sheet membrane can provide when you are doing critical waterproofing projects.

Written by Eric Edelmayer, Sales Manager for Noble Company.