Tile Today Issue 114 | September 2022

FULLY ENDORSED BY THE AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL

CONTENTS

INTERNATIONAL MTC

6 The female friendly team at Italian-headquartered International MTC is all about finding solutions for its customers who work in a global tile environment. They know how to get the job done.

PROJECT

8 A villa located in Sardinia, Italy showcases travertine throughout its interior and outside pool area. Architect Fabio Mazzeo emphasises the links between the building and its natural setting.

TECHNICAL

12 Tim Christopher from Consultile Consulting Australia writes that podium tile installations require the accommodation and adoption of installation and product standards to protect the tile industry from failure, safety, and negative durability impacts.

AUSTRALIAN TILE COUNCIL

23 In its chapter on grouting, the Australian Tile Council's "Tiles and Tiling Guide" goes over the fundamentals.

STATISTICS

27 Ceramic imports data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics data for the FY2021/22 shows a fall in volume but an increase in value, according to Peter Halliday.

RETAIL FOCUS

30 National Tiles' recent advertising campaign was developed by its in-house creative team. Its latest tagline “now you can” is telling consumers "whatever you’re into, now you can" — at National Tiles.

E-COMMERCE

32 Temple & Webster’s The Build is selling tiles online.

Find Tile Today on social media

As Tile Today prepares to launch its new website and e-newsletters, we are also putting together our ideas and strategies for content. As a number of trade professionals have pointed out to me, there is an important place for Tile Today in the industry.

We want to highlight the most interesting and influential work through a Tiler’s Showcase, and our more frequent e-newsletters will focus on newsworthy activities of businesses operating in the tile and hard surfaces sector. You will also find technical articles and statistics that won’t be published anywhere else.

Everything can be accessed easily through the new website, e-newsletter and eventually an app. As a digital publisher, we can also provide more transparency for our advertisers. In 2022, we think this is the way to go.

In a quick overview of this edition, you will read about the team at International MTC that provides solutions for its customers every day. Fabio Mazzeo Architects are the artistic mind behind the villa in Abbiadori (Sardinia) in Italy. Tim Christopher uses his technical expertise to write about podium tile installations, and the Australian Tile Council covers the key points of grouting.

We provide data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on the latest ceramic tile imports for FY2021-22, and feature National Tiles’ most recent advertising campaign. (There are links to the videos from this page.)

Just outside of this industry, The Build is an e-commerce site from Temple & Webster that is selling tiles. It’s worthwhile knowing what competitive factors at play for tile resellers and what can be done to match them.

To be remain informed about the tile industry, just click at this link here to subscribe:

https://bit.ly/3dJ5EBc

Until next time, Betty Tanddo

FRONT COVER IMAGE

Arcana’s Les Bijoux d’Arcana range features powerful marble-effects with a highly polished finish. The range comes in two rectified formats: 790 by 790mm and 593 by 1,193mm. Saphir-R (pictured) was inspired by the blue colour of sapphire jewellery and has an intense polished finish. Spanishbased Arcana Ceramica has been manufacturing tiles since 1997.

TILE TODAY

Proudly produced and distributed in Australia

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD

ABN: 27 006 876 419 PO BOX 800, Templestowe, Victoria, Australia 3106 Ph: + 61 3 9890 0815 Fax: + 61 3 9890 0087 Email: info@elitepublishing.com.au Website: www.tiletodaymagazine.com.au www.elitepublishing.com.au

PUBLISHERS

Georgia Glimour Michelle Cammiade

EDITOR

Betty Tanddo betty.tanddo@elitepublishing.com.au

INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

Joe Simpson

joe.simpson@elitepublishing.com.au

TECHNICAL SPECIALIST

Tim Christopher info@consultile.com.au

GENERAL MANAGER

Georgia Gilmour Georgia.Gilmour@elitepublishing.com.au

CIRCULATION

For circulation enquiries please email: info@elitepublishing.com.au

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Plum Publishing Pty Ltd dave@plumpublishing.com.au

PRODUCTION

For artwork and production enquiries please email: dave@plumpublishing.com.au

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD

PUBLISHERS OF: Flooring Magazine, Discovering Stone Magazine, Finishes & Surfaces Magazine, TileToday Magazine, Supplier Magazine and FB Magazine.

Leading the Industry Endorsed by Australian Tile Council www.australiantilecouncil.com.au

ELITE PUBLISHING CO PTY LTD. All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, transmitted or copied in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without the express prior written consent of Elite Publishing Co Pty Ltd. Viewpoints, opinions, claims, etc expressed in articles appearing in this publication are those of the authors. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the information supplied or for claims made by companies or their representatives regarding product performance, etc or for any errors, omissions, misplacement, alterations, or any subsequent changes, or for any consequences of reliance on this information or this publication.

Please note: Shade variation is an inherent feature of tile production. The Publisher is not liable for any discrepancy between images published in Tile Today and actual products.

Turn to page 8 to read about a luxurious Italian villa set with travertine inside and out

BRICKS

Bricks is a brand-new and vibrant range, covering a rich variety of colors and a glossy and matt finish.

Bricks ranges from the deepest blue tones of the ocean, to the gentle and light shadows of yellow, green and grey.

Bricks is the novel cladding that will give walls a fresh stylish explosion

INTERNATIONAL MTC PLACES ITS CUSTOMERS AT THE CENTRE OF ITS UNIVERSE

The customer facing team is central to the company’s ongoing success as a leading agency of ceramic tile products. It works alongside a very capable marketing manager and representative from its Foshan-based logistics office.

Collaboration is key to making things work smoothly at International MTC’s head office in the ceramic district of Sassuolo in Italy. True to its global nature, the team is led by managing director Stefano Mammi who is based in Sydney, and business partner Roberto Alzari in Melbourne.

For just over 25 years, International MTC has been supplying floor and wall tiles in the Australian and New Zealand markets. In that time, it has developed a network of manufacturers that also includes India to make the company a significant supplier of ceramic tiles from key country sources.

Back in 2000, the company saw an opportunity in Australia’s proximity to China in terms of tile supply and took advantage of it. Now with a long-established presence in Italy, China and Australia, it is uniquely positioned

to provide a high level of service and solutions to its clients.

To help service customers quickly and effectively, it uses the latest digital technologies and backs it up with top executives in Australia and an experienced Italian-based team. Here are some of the professionals (with friendly faces) working in Sassuolo, Italy.

ROBERTA MAZZI, Customer Care

After working close to two decades at International MTC, Roberta has been able to form strong bonds with her colleagues, and enjoys the challenges that her job brings. She told Tile Today: “I started working for MTC 17 years ago, and since then I've always shared my days and my job with the same colleagues. During these years I've shared with them the changes in my professional and personal life,

creating an atmosphere of trust and familiarity. This, of course, translates to our work and makes us a collaborative and close-knit team.

“MTC is a company that is able to change with the times, and sometimes is even able to anticipate them as is often required by today’s market. As a result, our job is ever-changing which gives us the opportunity to receive new inputs and face new challenges.”

MONICA FREGNI, Accounting

Monica works in the accounting department of customer service which requires knowledge of different accounting rules that apply in different countries. She said, “I have been part of International MTC since 2009. Being an active and dynamic person, I've always found the job

ROBERTA MAZZI

MONICA FREGNI

FREDA LEUNG

of merging Italian regulations and additional European ones stimulating. The continuous changes over the years have been a great incentive for my professional growth, and have created a strong, close-knit team.”

FRANCESCA HERMIA, Marketing

As the marketing manager for International MTC, Francesca’s role encompasses the company’s website, e-newsletters, social media and being the IT administer for the Salesforce CRM (customer relationship management) system. She explained her approach to her specific role in this way:

“The will to improve and grow every day, with the awareness that the customer is at the core of International MTC.

“I am part of the MTC team since 2012, so next year will be celebrating my first 10 years here. This has been my first job soon after my university degree, and MTC helped me enter in the world of the work force.

“What makes MTC strong is that its primary purpose is satisfying and looking after customers, and I can say I grew up within this company sharing the same values. We have faced many challenges throughout the years,

but I can confirm after a decade working here that we have never lost focus on what is most important: kindness, dedication, and the spirit of sacrifice.”

FREDA LEUNG, Logistics

Freda is the member of the International MTC team who represents the Foshan (China) part of the business and works as part of the logistics office. As she explains, “It is a great pleasure working in International MTC, a very well-known company in the Foshan ceramic industry.

“We are a high-efficiency team. As the only Chinese girl, I am trying my best to catch up with their rhythm. During the last three years in MTC, I have learned quite a lot.

“International MTC helped me grow not only in terms of product knowledge, but also my other skills and working methods improved. This has challenged me and made me stronger day after day."

ANNA RONCAGLIA, Customer Care

As one of the long-time staffers at the company, Anna can clearly see the benefits of putting customers and employees at the centre of

everything you do. She provides her perspective by saying, “To become great, every company starts from the satisfaction of its employees.

“I've been working for MTC for over 20 years, and I am proud to be part of a strong company, capable of facing and overcoming any change and challenge we've encountered so far. We are very lucky to always have the support and trust of our customers.”

ALESSANDRA GIBELLINI, Customer Care

A true veteran of International MTC, Alessandra has spent three decades working for the company. She said, “I literally grew up with International MTC as I’m now entering my 30th year of work here, and I have experienced all the changes and mutations that have taken place inside our company.

“Working in a small company is like being part of a family. This is one of the reasons for this long co-operation, in addition to the fact that during all these years the job has changed a lot, and always presents new challenges to face.”

FRANCESCA HERMIA

ANNA RONCAGLIA

ALESSANDRA GIBELLINI

A SCULPTURAL ITALIAN VILLA DOMINATED BY TRAVERTINE

THIS STRIKING WORK, DESIGNED BY FABIO MAZZEO ARCHITECTS, STANDS OUT FOR ITS VISIONARY CHARACTER, AND FOR THE WAY IT EMPHASISES THE LINKS BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND ITS NATURAL SETTING

The unifying theme of the design is travertine, which completely covers the villa and continues in the interior. A palette of fine marble that alternates between Navona travertine, walnut, sandblasted, bush hammered and polished finishes, brings movement and light to the structure along with full-height windows that capture ever-changing views.

The home’s fluid volumes look as though they were sculpted by the wind, following the contours of the land in a compelling interaction with the natural setting. The 1300sqm building unfolds over three levels, in a harmonious symbiosis with the 5000sqm of terraced garden and the panoramic infinity pool. Conceived as a dynamic

polyhedron, the villa evokes different emotion responses from every side. The west facade, visible from afar and much more symmetrical and regular than the others, offers the classic and imposing image of a fortress silhouetted against the horizon. Its starkness is softened by the presence of ancient olive trees

and the organic development of the architecture.

The south facade, almost completely transparent, opens to the view of Pevero beach and facing islands, while the large windows of the east facade act as a light filter between the interior and the garden.

To the north, the main entrance immediately catches the eye. The marble moulded frame with its asymmetrical embrasure converges towards the portal which, like a textural painting in polished and sandblasted steel, evokes a panorama of sails. From here the interiors unfold, rich in theatrical details like the backdrop that surrounds the home theatre room: hand-plastered panels with gold and silver leaf decorations echo the skyline of Cala Volpe, part of the evocation of natural elements that characterises the home’s interior.

Bleached oak panelling and reflective surfaces give light and 10

PROJECT

charm to the entire second floor, designed as a vast open space where each space flows seamlessly into the next, from the entryway to the living and dining rooms.

Throughout the villa are many furnishings designed specifically for this project by Fabio Mazzeo’s team and realised by the finest Italian artisan craftsmen. These unique pieces are juxtaposed with jewels of contemporary design such as the Living Divani seats in the living room area.

The lighting design creates striking scenes, with sumptuous and delicate chandeliers by Vistosi, jewel chandeliers by Lolli and Memmoli, ultra-modern wall lights by Catellani&Smith and artistic wall sconces by Visionnaire. Each object is chosen with extreme care, from the pair of sinuous metal vases by De Castelli, which create chiaroscuro effects in the lobby, to the elegant and precious Porada mirrors in the night area, where bedside tables, chairs and chests of drawers by Opera Contemporary are paired with beds by Twils, fabrics by Rubelli and armchairs by Fendi Casa.

The master bedroom area includes two crystalline marble bathrooms with sea-toned mosaic decorations by SICIS and elegant washbasins by Villeroy & Boch. These striking pieces also appear

in the guest bathrooms, along with the botanically-inspired mosaics, also by SICIS.

The surrounding landscape pervades the design, from the lounges to the guest and master bedrooms and the kitchen. The effect is almost overwhelming, offering ever-changing views where light and greenery become an integral part of the architecture. This intense dialogue with nature reaches its climax in the relaxation areas of the garden and swimming pool, and in the terrace roof with its floorboards that reach towards the Mediterranean.

The villa lies on the promontory of Abbiadori, overlooking the Cala Volpe in one of the most beautiful panoramas of Sardinia. It is architecture created with a tailor’s precision because design takes place on many different scales, down to the tiniest detail, to shape a unique style.

Art, design, and craftsmanship interweave in a delicate balance in this project, overseen by Fabio Mazzeo. He said: “Our way of designing and building is deeply rooted in an ideal of Italian beauty that is never static, but rather is translated each time into a unique style that grows out of the customer’s desires. This is a goal we achieve by engaging cross-functional talent and skills. Artists, artisans, decorators, painters, creatives and designers of the team work together in a holistic and organic vision of architecture.”

n

With 20 years of experience and a significant international presence, Fabio Mazzeo Architects design and create extraordinary spaces. It is always experimenting with new forms of beauty, and constantly searching for talents, technologies, experiences and arts that can contribute to the project.

Like a modern take on the classic Renaissance workshop and led by the passion for Italian elegance that distinguishes all its works, Fabio Mazzeo Architects takes on projects from the macro to the micro level, from the architectural structure to the interior design, to the objects, to the furniture, to the site-specific decoration of the interior surfaces. It is a vision that translates into tailored designs expressing new forms of beauty, all timeless and exciting for those who live and experience them.

fabiomazzeoarchitects.com

About Fabio Mazzeo Architects

PODIUM TILE INSTALLATIONS: POTENTIAL PROBLEMS DUE TO LACK OF APPLICABLE STANDARDS

The introduction of podium tile installation systems represents a forward-thinking development in the tile and building industry. While these systems provide solutions to many building and tile problems, they cannot eliminate traditional tile installation methods altogether, according to Tim Christopher, principal at Consultile Consulting Australia.

Podium tile installations require the accommodation and adoption of installation and product standards to protect the tile industry from failure, safety, and negative durability impacts. The rigorous adoption of current standards and establishment of new podium tile specific standards will ensure the reputation of tiles as a quality building element continues to be one of high regard.

Podium tile installations have gained popularity in the recent years. Installing tiles on height adjustable pedestals has eliminated the requirement for traditional sand and cement screed layers and subsequent bonding of tiles to substrates. This new installation practice is used primarily in external installations such as balconies and walkways.

Common podium tile installations are used in large public areas such as this 420 unit apartment block ‘Sky Park’ on level 5 13

I have observed an increased use of podium and “pedestal” tile installations. These installations have also become increasingly ambitious in area and pedestrian intensive scenarios. A typical private balcony installation may be 8 to 10 m2, (86 to 107 square feet), but podium systems are increasingly being utilised in larger areas, such as commercial areas for building entryways, and public spaces. I have seen areas of approximately 500 m2 (5,381 square feet) at apartment blocks in facilities designated as common use areas.

Installing a podium tile installation on an increasingly large and intensive use scale introduces the need for a higher degree of design consideration. Safety, longevity, and serviceability are some aspects to accommodate when specifying a podium tile installation on a construction project. External applications require many functional and environmental use aspects to be accommodated by such a tile installation. Some use aspects and installation characteristics are different from those a traditional tiling installation would experience and be expected to accommodate. Some of these are discussed below.

GENERAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Any tile installation requires the design to consider and accommodate any related building elements which may be impacted by it. Waterproofing membranes, storm water drainage configuration and gradient slopes are required by individual national building code boards to be constructed in a way that provides functional performance, rather than just meeting a technical specification.

Insufficient quantity of drainage outlets will require more depth in the substrate to allow adequate fall within the surface to prevent water accumulation. The drainage point will require protection from ingress of debris which will cause blockages. The type of membrane becomes a critical consideration. When used as a trafficable surface friction and vibration will be

produced through the pedestals. Additionally, UV penetration and degradation through retention of surface contaminants will have an impact on a podium tile installation.

The pedestals themselves also vary greatly in design, manufacture methods and performance recommendations.

In my experience, some of these pedestals appear to lose adjustment over time, causing tiles to rock and then create lips, which are a trip hazard. There is little guidance on expected maintenance or interval requirements for a podium installation.

WIND

Podium tile systems are installed at many different locations globally. Balcony installations which are at elevated positions such as on high-rise apartments are subject to exposure to high wind forces, equivalent to those experienced along the sea front or under alpine conditions. The force of the wind in these areas is capable of lifting tiles which are installed on a podium/pedestal system if the tiles are not fixed down.

In some situations I have observed, tiles which are 600mm x 600mm and 20mm (in inches, 24 x 24 x 0.78) thick will flip over

completely. This leaves a safety hazard where there is effectively a void for pedestrians to fall into.

Common construction standards and guides for wind loadings are written to aid the construction of roofs and wall/truss type junctions, and are specific for structural guidance. I examined the Building Code of Australia, Australian and ISO standards relating to the installation of tile and waterproofing design/ installation documents, but was unable to find guidance relating to this balcony wind scenario.

Wind related references provide guidance to determine the set down distances for external floor levels in relation to the door sill heights. This guidance is specific to prevent ingress of water aided by wind energy. (See Photograph 2 which depicts mechanical fixings used to restrain tiles which were flipping over in windy conditions.)

Many manufactures of podium systems provide adaptive fixing systems to anchor tiles down in a way that prevents the installations from allowing the tile to lift and flip. When researching podium manufacturers' installation instructions, I was unable to find information or reference to any guidance documents which

PHOTOGRAPH 2 depicts a mechanical fixing system to prevent dislodgement of tiles that were previously flipping over in high winds

TECHNICAL PODIUM TILING

provide the technical information on how to determine the wind loads which would dictate the addition of mechanical fixing methods to prevent tiles becoming dislodged. There is no information giving guidance on the extent of mechanical fixing required in each scenario. For example, are all tiles required to be fixed down, or are several rows closest to the windward face of the installation sufficient?

Establishing the applicable wind impact on an individual installation and the standards which apply may not be possible to determine in the design stages. There is a lack of available guidance on tile or podium limitations when designing an installation which may be impacted by wind. Instead, this problem often only becomes apparent after the installation is completed and the wind impacts are experienced on the site.

MAINTENANCE – TILE LIPPAGE

Higher pedestrian traffic exposes the tiles to a higher friction and differential movement action events on the face of the tiles. A small balcony may limit human and tile movement by its restrictive area; a large common area space, by contrast, enables a higher volume of people and more movement.

The likelihood of children using the surface to run, the introduction of prams, children’s bikes and scooters require consideration for the design. Some of these examples may be excessive or outside the suitability of a podium installation in general, but even this guidance is not readily available and not in a calculable format which could be applied to building design.

Multiple pedestrian movements place pressure by foot movement impact which can be projected at varying angles to the tiles. This type of pressure will place differential pressure on the installation which in time, can create movement of the pedestals and subsequent loss of adjustment and retention of the tile in its desired plane.

This creates problems such as tiles that can rock from side to side and lippage between tiles (see Photograph 3). This can

be addressed by subsequent adjustment of the pedestals but in doing so, creates a maintenance requirement. In the instance of this type of maintenance, there is no guidance on the requirements in relation to intervals, qualifications required of the servicing contractor or expected frequency of such maintenance. One manufacturer of the pedestal systems data sheet states movement in excess of 3mm (1/8 inch) will void the podium system warranty [1].

MAINTENANCE – DEBRIS AND SUBSURFACE CONTAMINATION

The nature of a podium installation provides that there is no requirement for grout between the tiles. Joint size between the tiles is 3-5mm (0.11 to 0.19 inches). This gap facilitates drainage, but also allows for a degree of environmental debris to be accumulated beneath the tiles. Where dirt and debris do accumulate on the surface of the tiles, regular sweeping or even vacuuming will not remove all the contaminants and some debris will in time cause an increasing build-up beneath the tiles. The installation of a podium tile system also necessitates adequate room for movement between the tiles and adjacent perimeter walls. Wind driven debris accumulates at this location (see Photograph 4).

On removing tiles which have been in situ for approximately three to four years, I have observed

a higher amount of dirt, organic matter and dust under tile installations than expected. This creates a need to clean beneath the tiles to facilitate the ongoing drainage function, and to prevent damage to the waterproofing membrane, if present.

Cleaning beneath heavy tiles and/or a large area of tiles is beyond what the typical resident should be expected to carry out. The tiles are typically 600mm x 600mm x 20mm (in inches: 24 x 24 x 0.8) thick porcelain, which weighs 16.3kg. To lift and replace a tile of this weight is not a practical expectation of a homeowner particularly for a large area of 50 to 60 m2 (540 to 645 square feet).

That means a proficient contractor would be required to lift and replace the tiles during cleaning. This process will require some of the reinstalled tile pedestals to be readjusted to maintain a lippage free surface, as once multiple tiles are removed, the tile heights will be out of alignment.

This is not a cost or process that is considered in specifying a podium tile installation. If the installation is several hundred square metres (several thousand square feet), this is a major undertaking. This process further risks breakage and damage to tiles as they are subject to manual handling. There is no guidance available on the necessity or frequency of this maintenance.

The accumulation of debris under the tiles is not necessarily a fault

PHOTOGRAPH 3 depicts lippage between tiles subject to foot traffic

with the installation, but it does introduce additional design considerations.

BREAKAGE/DURABILITY

The testing of tiles relating to breaking strength is outlined in ISO10545.4 (2020) standards – Method 4 Determination of modulus of rupture and breaking strength [2].

This standard outlines the testing method required to determine breaking characteristics of a tile sample. The test method is applying a force of pressure to the centre of a sample tile which is supported by the two edges of the opposing side of the tile sample. This test method can be used to establish the breaking load which can be placed on the tile before it breaks. A typical 20mm (0.78 inch) thick porcelain tile can have a tensile breaking load of 11,000N (newtons) compared to 2500N of a 10mm (0.39-inch) thick tile). This load is measured by applying a consistently increasing amount of pressure on the tile.

The ISO Standard which is currently used to determine the impact resistance of tiles is ISO 10545-5 Ceramic Tiles – Part 5 Determination of impact resistance by measurement of coefficient of restitution. This test method applies to tile samples of 75mm x 75mm (2.9 x 2,9 inch) in size which are adhered to a concrete substrate and consequently supported by epoxy adhesion. This test procedure is effective in measuring the durability of the tile surface in relation to the test.

The test constitutes dropping a 20mm steel ball onto the tile surface and subsequently measuring the rebound heights and observing damage to the tile surface due to the impacts. This test is not used to measure impact and breakage resistance of a large tile such as a common 600mm x 600m x 20mm (24 x 24 x 0.8inch) in size.

The typical 20mm thick tile installed on a podium system is marketed to be able to facilitate up to 1500kg of weight in some scenarios [4]. This refers to dead load (fixed) and the as tested 1100 N load capacity of many tiles

supports this recommendation. However, the constant dead loading of a tile and pedestal beneath it does not consider sudden impacts which may occur. In the scenario where tiles are 600mm x 600mmx 20mm installed on pedestals which support each corner, there are large unsupported sections of tile. It is possible for the tiles to break when impacted from above with a sudden force.

This sudden impact scenario might seem unlikely. However, I have observed situations where this was occurring. A residential tower of twenty floors had pebbles of 20-30mm diameter installed on the roof as ballast to protect the waterproofing membrane beneath. Large birds of the raven and cockatoo variety were filmed dropping the pebbles from the 20th floor roof onto a common area with tiles installed on a podium system on the 5th floor below. The impact of these pebbles caused the tiles to break into two or three pieces. This created a drop in the finished floor height of 180mm to the substrate below the tile, which exposed pedestrians to a safety hazard.

The testing of impact resistance is measured using a fully supported and adhered tile sample. Podium installations do not provide equivalent and comparable characteristics. Typically, 20mm thick porcelain tiles are utilised for these applications. These are high in load carrying capacity, but are still subject to fracture through

impact. The information required to calculate suitability and guidance for such an application is not available in the current standards format.

Using these standards to determine the suitability of a tile for use in a podium system would be a misapplication of these standards. There is a question as to whether a tile merely requires a thickness of 20mm to be suitable for this type of installation. The industry appears to be currently operating on this assumption.

Natural stone and concrete pavers are also not accommodated by any podium manufacturers’ installation recommendations. Indeed, many natural stones and concrete pavers are unsuitable for installation in a self-supporting system such as podium installations.

FIRE COMPLIANCE

There appears to be a lack of guidance on the suitability of the pedestal supports in respect to fire ratings. Only a few pedestal systems I researched were found to be tested in accordance with the European standard EN 13501-1, which ranks construction materials in seven classes with regard to their reaction-to-fire. This standard is used to determine the reaction to heat of specific materials.

The standard measures the reaction of an element to fire/

PHOTOGRAPH 4 depicts debris under a podium system two years after installation

TECHNICAL PODIUM TILING

heat, and the extent to which a product contributes to its own decomposition by fire under specified conditions (not to be confused with the fire resistance). The podium systems that did have fire test results or classifications are rated as category E in relation to EN 13501. This category definition is ‘Class E combustible materials high contribution to a fire and are only able to resist a small contribution to fire.’ [5]

This is an important requirement when considering the need for a floor area to remain stable in a fire to facilitate any evacuation which may be needed. By decomposing in the presence of fire, a pedestal floor system would become uneven or collapse completely rendering the floor surface a unusable as a trafficable area. Some pedestal systems can facilitate an elevation of the floor height of up to 600mm above the sub floor. A floor even partially collapsing in this configuration would restrict and inhibit the egress of an area in the event of a fire, creating a significant hazard.

As an example of building requirements in the event of a fire, the Australian Building Code 2019 Vol 1-part CP1, which applies to residential units and other commercial buildings requires that ‘a building must have elements which will, to the degree necessary, maintain structural stability during a fire appropriate to the function or the use of a building and the evacuation time’ [6].

When researching podium systems, most manufacturers' data sheets did not provide any guidance or test methods in relation to fire ratings or resistance. The lack of consistency relating to fire ratings contributes to the potential for fire hazards. While the fire hazard is not present in every scenario where podium systems are used, the accumulation of flammable debris under the tiles and the impact of other flammable building and environmental elements do create the possibility.

Calculating the risk and specifying a satisfactory system is difficult with the absence of supporting testing or performance standards for these pedestal

PHOTOGRAPH 5 depicts water retention on a podium tile installation during the morning at 10 am after a night of rain

systems. It was observed that the more cost efficient the podium systems were, the less technical supporting information on fire testing or resistance was available. Indeed, many systems had no reference to fire at all.

WATER RETENTION

Podium tile systems necessitate that the tiles are installed in a level plane. Curvature of tiles becomes an issue when an application requires a level installation. When the surface of a large format tile such as 600mm x 600mm is concave, the potential for surface water retention becomes more likely (see Photograph 5). This creates slip, health, and maintenance issues. In locations with sub-zero temperatures, potential slip hazards due to ice formation are created. There is no guidance as to limitations on the tile or installation process to control this issue. Are tiles which exhibit certain concave

characteristics unsuitable for use with podium installations due to curvature?

Building codes and standards require falls to be installed on horizontal surfaces to accommodate drainage. The installation of a podium system relies on the drainage function to be performed underneath the tile surface on the sub floor beneath. The necessity to install tiles in a level plane creates an uncommon situation in general building practice. As there is no facility in the podium tile systems to grade falls on the surface, water retention from surface tension and allowable curvature from the tile manufacturing process occurs.

In the situation where tiled areas are sheltered from winds and the building shadow, this provides an environment where a volume of water is retained on the tile surface for some time. In cold conditions, the surface of the tile may not dry out for a long period. Additionally,

potential slip hazards are created if surface water is to freeze. Surface water retention will exacerbate the retention of dust, promote the growth of moss and or lichen type organisms which create additional pedestrian slip potential, along with cleaning and maintenance requirements (see Photograph 6).

Additional building maintenance adds costs to the residents which may not be taken into account when considering a podium system in the building design stage.

WATERPROOFING COMPATIBILITY

Many podium tile installations are used on balconies, which require the pedestals to sit on waterproofing membranes. The types and number of waterproofing membranes suitable for an external balcony installation cover a wide and varying selection range. The utilisation of a membrane under a podium system requires more consideration than simply being described as suitable for balcony applications by a membrane manufacturer. Some considerations which need to be accommodated are:

- Does the membrane require trafficable surface durability to resist friction caused by movement of the pedestals caused by human activity such as pedestrian movement?

While the individual pedestals are designed by manufacturers to be stable, regularly trafficked public areas are exposed to angular impacts through natural foot traffic. If an individual were to run or jog, this would place further pressure on the tiles. In this instance the base of the pedestal allows slight movement or friction on the surface of the membrane.

Many membrane specification sheets list “balconies” as a suitable application. However, there is no information available on the expected amount of friction likely to be present and which types of membranes are warranted under a podium tile installation where the possibility of pedestal friction and movement is present. Over time, this may create an abrasive effect on the membrane on which the pedestal sits. This friction is

PHOTOGRAPH 7 shows dirt and debris accumulated on the waterproofing membrane beneath the tiles after approximately 2 years. In this image, the dirt was cleaned off the membrane to examine a failure in the membrane beneath

exacerbated by the build-up of dirt and debris. The membrane used in this scenario would be required to be resistant to this type of friction and movement.

- Does the degree of debris which may accumulate under the tiles degrade the membrane and/ or affect the suitability of the membrane in the long term?

While researching this paper, I attended several webinars on external waterproofing membranes from several prominent waterproofing manufacturers. On questioning the warranty provided on different types of membranes when exposed to continual dirt and dust exposure and accumulation, it was stated that most waterproofing membranes are not

warranted for this scenario and some polyurethane membranes would be expected to break down in the long term in this type of environment (see Photograph 7). It is difficult to quantify the level of dirt and debris expected under a podium tile installation and what period of time such a situation might develop.

- Given the membranes are to be directly in contact with all drainage water, is the surface adequate to ensure drainage without ponding and retaining surface water beneath the tile?

The collaboration of the contractors when designing the waterproofing, sub floor construction and podium systems

PHOTOGRAPH 6 depicts water retention on the surface of a podium tile installation

TECHNICAL PODIUM TILING

is essential. Many membranes are unsuitable to be installed where water retention is a regular occurrence (see Photograph 11). This necessitates that the entire subfloor falls to the drainage outlets from all the extremities of the floor area.

Installing a gradual and consistent gradient during a large concrete placing process is difficult or impossible when considering timing and volume of material to be installed at the concreting stage. Often the concrete slabs which have podium systems installed do not have consistent fall and only drain from limited areas or over a reduced distance as was dictated by the concrete placing process.

IMPACTS OF ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT

Although covered by tiles, is this sufficient protection from ultraviolet (UV) light which can penetrate through the tile joints?

While the exposure to UV light by the pedestals themselves is reduced due to the cover of the tiles, I have observed damage to the spacer lugs which keep the individual tiles separated and evenly spaced out. The UV levels in the daytime hours in Australia are some of the strongest globally (up to 15% higher than Europe) [7] and subsequently degrade many plastics through the action of breaking down polymers. The plastics which make up the pedestal construction are listed in technical data sheets as UV resistant. However, there is no accompanying information as to whether this prolongs the time for damage to occur, or indicates a consistent high level of protection provided.

The damage through UV seems trivial on face value, until the resulting tile movement due to broken spacer lugs is considered. Once the spacing between the tiles is absent the tiles could move under foot traffic, allowing the tile to become chipped (see Photograph 8, 9 and 10). The adjustment of the individual pedestals is then knocked out of balance by pedestrian movement, allowing the tiles to rock from side to side and lips to occur. This results in

PHOTOGRAPH 8 shows chipped tile from differential movement

PHOTOGRAPH 11 shows water retention beneath the tiles due to insufficient gradients

trip hazards developing between adjacent tiles.

CONCLUSION

Podium tile systems provide many solutions to current building problems. Podium tile installations eliminate the requirement for sand and cement screeds layers to achieve substrate drainage as well as the subsequent requirement for the use of tile adhesives.

Efflorescence, where salts leach from within the cementitious tile system elements and become a maintenance issue for the tile surface, are effectively eliminated. By thus removing the requirement for a bonded element within the tile installation, there is a cost advantage in relation to installation time and material costs. Storm water drainage takes place below the tile surface, which eliminates the problems associated with installing large format tiles and achieving falls to drainage points, which may be installed in problematic locations.

Traditionally, tiles of 600mm x

600mm in size would be required to be split to ‘bend’ falls in the substrate and achieve a lip free surface when the drainage point is close to walls or other adjacent building elements. The use of a podium system facilitates multiple drainage points, and can be installed wherever necessary without

impacting the subsequent tile installation.

These advantages have opened the way for various building code committees to consider podium tile installations as a solution to many current building failures. Balcony tile failures have many causes such as: 20

PHOTOGRAPH 9 shows broken spacer lug

TECHNICAL PODIUM TILING

1/ Insufficient set down of the balcony substrate in relation to internal floor heights to allow for falls in the substrate to be achieved without creating height issues at external doorways. The further the drainage point is from a location such as a doorway, the more depth is required to apply a sand and cement screed to achieve a continual gradient such as 1cm in 1m (0.39 inch in 3.2 ft).

2/ Some polyurethane and torchon waterproofing membranes are not compatible with tiling systems and cannot be bonded with tiling adhesives. This then requires the use of unbonded systems which need greater set down heights at door threshold to maintain tiling system strength to support itself in the unbonded application.

3/ Efflorescence and latex leeching from cementitious products, curing and setting times are eliminated by the removal of adhesives, grouts, and screeds.

4/ Workmanship error and subsequent installation problems are reduced.

These advantages are attractive and currently used as the justification for an argument in Australia to eliminate external adhesive and screed tile installations. However, the issues outlined in this paper suggest there are more considerations which need to be accounted for if this type of conclusion is to be reached.

Podium tile installations are useful alternatives to traditional sand and cement/adhesive installations, but the issues outlined above suggest these installations are not necessarily a substitute which can be applied to all building situations. Building designers and tile installers require adequate standards and codes to establish the suitability and situational requirements to make informed decisions on tile installation and performance suitability.

While there are currently podium installations which are performing as intended, what available standards and documentation is available

to consistently design a long-lasting installation?

Specific environmental and maintenance issues are unable to be consistently and accurately evaluated by using the standards which are currently available.

It is not possible to utilise existing standards, such as ISO (International Standards Organization) standards, to specify an application that provides indemnity for the building designers and subsequent building owners involved on a performance basis. The individuals responsible for design and installation cannot provide a measurable or expected performance time frame. In the long term this has potential to cause damage to the tile industry through significant insurance and compensation claims, personal injury accidents, unexpected maintenance, and failure.

RECOMMENDATIONS

There are five recommendations that can be made in relation to the installation of podium systems. These are not necessarily solutions available for all the problems outlined above. Water retention on the tile surface is a consideration that can only be addressed after

taking into account each and every installation, scenario and environment. Some suggestions for standards are:

- Installation standards to set the minimum acceptable installation requirements

These could consider tolerances of finished surfaces and substrates which require minimum and maximum slopes to remain stable, the quantity of pedestals required per tile size and expected foot traffic present after installing the tiles. The qualifications for the contractor who installs the system needs to be stipulated, for example some data sheet advice ranges from a requirement for ‘threeyears building experience of the installation contractor’ to no advice at all [8].

- A manufacturing standard for the individual pedestals which includes fire rating, durability, point loading capability and UV stability

These characteristics can all be defined to give some guidance. The expected lifespan of a pedestal before it is not warrantable to perform in accordance with the performance standard could also be implemented to provide

PHOTOGRAPH 10 shows missing spacer lugs

a continuing safety performance level.

- Tile standards could be related to the suitability for use in a podium installation

Minimum thicknesses may be defined to provide the durability and safety performance expected. Currently 20mm (0.78 inch), appears to be the accepted thickness for tiles. (However it is not stipulated as a minimum nor is the existence of any parameters to determine suitability.)

- The waterproofing membrane compatibility element is critical to consider when specifying which membranes are suitable

It is not possible to establish this by using the standards

References

available and requires a manufacturer's input to establish which membranes are suitable. This also includes concrete subfloor construction for the gradients to allow drainage.

- Maintenance intervals required for inspection under tiles for debris and cleaning, adjustment intervals

The stipulation of what qualifications are required for the individuals who are performing this work should be provided. These issues need to be clearly defined by manufacturers of national standards committees to provide adequate maintenance and lifespan of the installation as it relates to the respective building codes.

The introduction of podium tile installation systems represents a forward-thinking development in the tile and building industry. While these systems provide solutions to many building and tile problems, they are not an alternative which can eliminate traditional tile installation methods altogether. Podium tile installations require the accommodation and adaptation of installation and product standards to protect the tile industry from failure, safety, and negative durability impacts. The rigorous adoption of current standards and establishment of new Podium tile specific standards will ensure the continuity of the good reputation of tiles as a quality building element. n

[1] ‘Tile Tech Hybrid Pedestal System’ 2017 Spec Section 07760, section 2,3 ‘Perimeter and Support’.

[2] International Standards Organisation ISO10545.4 (2020) – Method 4 Determination of modulus of rupture and breaking strength.

[3] Google search 2/10/21 ribacpd.com (UK} Essential CPD information for the construction industry: ‘How and When To Use 20mm Outdoor Porcelain Pavers’, Section 1.0 ‘Product characteristics and intended areas of use’

[4] Multipod International, Data sheet 001 ‘Load Ratings, NATA accredited for compliance with ISO/IEC 17025 by ATTAR – Advanced Technology Testing and Research’

[5] European Standards, ‘Fire classification of construction products and building elements’ 2018 EN 13501. ‘Class E combustible materials’

[6] Australian Building Code 2019 Vol 1, part CP1 ‘Fire resistance’ page 61.

[7] Google search 7/10 21, Specialist clinics Australia ‘Why is skin cancer higher in Australia?’

[8] ‘Tile Tech Hybrid Pedestal System’ 2017 Spec Section 07760 Quality Assurance Part B ‘Installer Qualifications’

About the author: This article is based on the observations and work conducted by Tim Christopher. Tim is a current member of the Technical Committee on both the Australian Standards AS3958 (Guide to Ceramic Tiling) and Australian Standards AS3740 (Waterproofing). He also serves as the vice president of TTIAA (Tiles and Tiling Industry Association of Australia), and is a technical advisor for TANZ (Tilers Association of New Zealand). He can be contacted via email: consultileaus@gmail.com

For more information about Consultile, please go to the website: https://www.consultile.com.au

Supporting the tile industry

Getting grout right

While the actual laying of tiles attracts the most attention in the tiling profession, more experienced tilers know that getting the grouting right is crucial to delivering the best possible result. Most tilers are well aware of the basics, but it is worth going over them again. The Australian Tile Council (ATC) provides a section on grouting in its "Tiles and Tiling Guide".

Grout needs to be more than an afterthought. Since the 1980s, as grout colours have proliferated, it has become a more important visual element to every tile project. However, it's important to remember also the basic structural tasks that grout provides in protecting and enhancing tile strength and longevity.

Width of grout

Every tiler is, of course, aware that actual tiles relate to tiles specifications in something more of a hopeful than predetermined manner. That means that grout width plays an important part in delivering the illusion that tiles have been produced perfectly. Much of that comes down to picking the best grout width. While many clients and interior designers would love to see 1mm grout width just about everywhere, the practicality of the tiles themselves means that width needs to respond to tile manufacturing quality.

It's useful to look over the actual standards to see what they have to say about grout width. That pretty much comes down to these statements:

"The recommended joint widths for dust-pressed floor tiles should be 3mm and dust-pressed wall tiles 1.5mm.

"Wider joints may be required to accommodate larger tiles, dimensional irregularities in the tiles or to maintain modular discipline.

"The width of the joint should be wide enough to

accommodate the variances in the size of the tiles as permitted in the manufacturing standards."

[AS3958. 1 & 2.]

Like much in the regulatory world, the real meaning of these statements really comes down to practical experience. Fortunately, the ATC has provided some interpretations that tease out the practical consequences.

The most important element to understand is that tile grout width is actually a complex decision to make, as it relates to a range of factors. These include: variations in tile size; overall size of the tiles; how flat the substrate to the tiles is; warpage of the tiles; potential movement in the substrate; the grouting process itself; and the grout colour.

The decision is complex because all of these factors relate to each other, which means that allowances and compromises need to be considered in what is really a process driven decision, oriented to how the tiles are going to be grouted successfully as much as the desired end look of the tiling.

Size variation

As the ACT states in its "Tiles and Tiling Guide":

"Tight grout joints will highlight any variation from tile to tile. Even small variations can throw off the pattern of the tile if adjustments are not made in the grout joint."

To begin with size and size variations, the ACT points out that larger tiles do tend to have a greater variation in overall size, and suggests that "large" be taken to mean tiles over 500mm to a side.

For pressed edge floor tiles, the ACT recommends at least a 3.0mm grout joint width, ranging up to 5.0mm, which could successfully deal with a variation of 1.5mm in the tiles.

The situation is a little bit better for rectified tiles, which go through a post-kiln process to make them conform more closely to specifications. While the standards are silent as regards rectified, manufacturers' specifications typically recommend 2.0mm joints, with anything under 1.5mm unlikely to work out.

Tile size

In terms of tile size, there's a general sense in the industry that "large" tiles are those that are over 500mm to a side (though some view this as being closer to 400mm). Not only do these tiles tend to have larger size variation in manufacture, but they can also be subject to larger thermal expansion, as well as more sensitive to movement in the substrate.

Substrate: flatness and stability

It's evident that variations in a substrate can play havoc with tile installation, but there are situations where these are difficult to avoid. As the ATC states, this is even more of an issue with rectified tiles, as they do not have a cushion edge.

As the ATC also reminds, substrates can move due to natural environmental factors. The role of the grout is crucial in these circumstances, as it is more elastic than the time material, and designed to absorb these changes without showing damage.

Tile warp

In addition to size variances, there can also be variances in the degree to which tiles are warped by the firing process. Unfortunately, this can interact with a substrate that is not adequately flat to make for evident lippage between tiles. Wider grout joints can help to ameliorate this condition, as the grout can introduce a slope between the different levels, the ATC suggests.

Grout process

As every tiler knows, smaller joints make good grouting more difficult to achieve. If the grout is not adequately compressed into the joints, there's every chance that it will eventually crumble.

Grout colour

The higher the contrast in colour between the grout and the tile, the more the variations will show — there's a good reason why white tiles with a light colour of grout are so popular. In particular, dark grouts used with light tiles highlight every imperfection in the grout.

Grout scratches

Another element to consider is that some tiles can be scratched by using the wrong type of grout. It's important to check the manufacturer's specifications before choosing the exact grout to be used.

Solutions

As the ATC suggests, best practice is to get everyone with a say in the project to agree on the grout colour before the tiles are laid, and to possibly consider laying out a test area to make sure the combination of tiles and grout is going to work out as planned.

Grouting

There are currently three broad types of grout that tilers encounter. The first is the standard grout powder, which is mixed into water to produce grout.

The second is pre-mixed grout, which is comparatively new to Australia, but has been used for about a decade in the US market. This grout does have some apparent benefits, such as easier cleaning with less susceptibility to stains, better resistance to cracks and low off-gassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

The third type is epoxy grout. While this is in more common use, due to advances that have made application easier, it remains a specialist solution, more common in industrial and commercial kitchen applications. The ATC note that the specialised nature of the grout means that it should only be applied by tilers trained and experienced in its use.

The process

There are some basic steps that the ATC recommends to ensure the grouting process goes well:

1/ Make sure that grouting is carried out at least 12 hours after the tiles have been laid. More time may be required, so it's best to check the specifications of the tile adhesive that has been used.

2/ Remove all of the spacer pegs that have been used before commencing grouting.

3/ If there is a lot of excess adhesive visible in the joints of the tiles, it is best to use a retractable blade knife to scrape these out. This is especially important when using light-colour grouts, as the adhesive can show through the grout.

4/ When mixing grout, ensure the receptacle (bucket, etc.) is clean, and the water being used is clean as well. It's important to always add the grout powder to the water, and not the reverse. The goal is a "creamy", pliable mixture. In general, having too much water in the mix is worse than too little.

5/ Grout is, of course, applied with the grout float, the familiar rubber-faced squeegee. With big tiles, the grout can be applied specifically to the joints, but for smaller tiles it is applied across the entire surface.

In hotter weather, it is best to apply grout to smaller areas, to avoid the grout drying so rapidly that it is hard to take off.

6/ That said, of course the grout needs to start to harden before it is removed. It is vital to not use too much water in removing the grout, or else it can be washed out of the joints as well, or cause the same problems as adding too much water to the grout mixture, such as creating pinholes, becoming powdery, or introducing inconsistencies in colour.

7/ The ATC recommends using two buckets of water with the grout float, one to rinse off the float, and the second, always clean bucket to re-moisten the float itself. If the water becomes dirty in the second, replace it immediately, and the first bucket will also need to be refreshed when needed.

8/ The second phase of removing the grout begins after the remaining grout residue forms a light haze over the tiles. This needs to be wiped off with a damp cloth. Once that is completed, the tiles need to be wiped down with a clean cloth. If the haze is not removed successfully during this process, then it may become necessary to use specialised cleaners to remove what remains.

9/ Finally, it is vital that the tiles receive a deep cleaning a few days after the grouting is complete, to remove any lingering traces of the haze. n

As the industry body for tile professionals, the Australian Tile Council is often a go-to resource for the fundamentals of tiling. Its “Tiles & Tiling Guide” has been developed to assist those working in the tile industry as well as the general public to access and understand the main issues relating to tiles and tile installation.

The “Tiles & Tiling Guide” is designed to be a living document and under the direction of a National Technical Committee, it will be regularly revised and updated. Readers should ensure that they always reference the latest edition which is available to members on the ATC website at www.australiantilecouncil.com.au

Tile imports decline while costs increase

The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data for the FY2021/22 shows that ceramic tile imports totalled 42,190,058 square metres with an Australian Customs value of $458,899,335, according to statistics derived by Peter Halliday.

Those values represent a fall of 4.6 per cent in volume, but an increase of 4.9 per cent in value over the previous financial year. A graph of tile import volumes and the Australian Customs value over the last financial 10 years is shown in Fig.1. The data presented in Fig. 1. shows a rolling quarter total.

For the most recent financial year FY2021/22, import volumes were similar to both the September and December quarters of FY2020/21, then fell by 12.8 per cent in the March 2022 quarter. The June 2022 quarter imports stabilised just below the June 2021 quarter.

The decline in FY2021/22 follows a fall in building activity, fuelled by various factors which challenged the building industry. These included the ending of the federal government’s HomeBuilder grant in April 2021, shortages of building materials, higher building input costs, interest rate rises in the final quarter and falling consumer confidence during calendar 2022.

Details of the countries of origin, state quantities and total value is shown in Fig.4. The top five source countries, China, Italy, Spain, India and Malaysia, account for just over 94 per cent of all tiles imported.

Whilst the average Australian Customs value per square metre from China was 6 per cent higher in the last 12 months, the average from Spain was almost 30 per cent higher than the previous financial year. The type of tile being purchased as well as higher costs are the likely reasons for this larger-than-average increase. It is also notable that imports from Spain to New South Wales averaged $10.00 per square metre higher than Spanish imports to Victoria and most other states. The average value per square metre from Italy and India was 16 and 14 per cent higher respectively this financial year.

Import volumes from China were almost unchanged when compared with the previous financial year.

Based on ABS data

Based on ABS data

China’s share of imports rose to 75.8 per cent, up from 72.4 per cent in 2020-2021 with an average customs value of $8.45 per square metre. Imports from Italy declined by 8 per cent in volume but rose by 6.9 per cent in value. Italian tiles made up 9 per cent of total volume and 20.8 per cent of total value. The average value was $25.09 per square metre.

Spain was the third largest source of imported tiles again. The volume fell by 8 per cent in 2021-2022 whilst the value increased by a higher-thanaverage 19.6 per cent. Spain supplied 4.9 per cent of total volume and 10 per cent of total value at an average customs value of $22.25.

Imports to Australia from India fell by 14.7 per cent in volume and 2.5 per cent in value over the previous financial year. Indian tiles represented 2.3 per cent of the total volume and 1.9 per cent of the total Australian customs value. The average customs value was $8.94 per square metre.

Imports from Malaysia fell to less than 1 million square metres for the first time. The 58 per cent fall in volume continues the downward trajectory that began in June 2020. Malaysia now represents 2.1 per cent of annual tile imports and 1.5 per cent of the total value. Of the top

FIG.1 AUSTRALIAN CERAMIC TILE IMPORTS 2012- 2022

FIG.2 TOP CERAMIC TILE SOURCE COUNTRIES

IMPORT DESTINATION STATE

Argentina 1,027 1,027 $14,951

Australia (Re-imports)

1,222 768 1,990 $75,330

Bangladesh 1,309 1,309 $41,956

Belgium 5 5 $3,800

Brazil 60,241 9,209 5,555 40,637 10,717 126,359 $1,586,921

Bulgaria 116 116 $3,972

Canada 56 56 $16,151

China (excludes SARs and Taiwan) 12,030,076 328,826 6,907,779 1,484,715 114,074 8,536,089 2,597,177 31,998,736 $270,487,969

Czechia 6,772 11,741 18,512 $199,387

Denmark 0 0 $3,576

Egypt 600 600 $3,960

Estonia 30 30 $1,946

France 18,508 2,722 19,855 10,811 2,773 54,669 $1,669,765

Germany 93,752 5,472 624 3,587 49,894 3,010 156,339 $3,878,781

Greece 96 96 $3,025

Hong Kong (SAR of China) 3,948 3,948 $235,679

Hungary 570 570 $1,124

India 426,383 3,424 124,674 43,828 4,112 226,716 137,661 966,799 $8,642,797

Indonesia 107,061 149,245 12,792 8,189 33,113 44,194 354,594 $3,143,513

Iran 1,425 1,425 $23,511

Israel 10 10 $1,049

Italy 1,544,346 17,701 505,610 136,226 20,105 1,012,248 570,403 3,806,639 $95,524,428

Japan 32,748 24,449 106,870 3,056 167,123 $3,609,340

Korea, Republic of (South) 102,785 1,905 4,160 17 108,868 $967,840

Lebanon 12 3 15 $11,035

Malaysia 154,687 9,706 240,008 102,471 319,358 60,031 886,261 $6,941,656 Malta 1,009 1,009 $57,239

Mexico 5,310 940 55 6,305 $61,175

Morocco 17,955 1,221 262 4,193 456 24,086 $1,653,143

Netherlands 11,055 13 16,412 27,481 $276,396

New Zealand 1,047 248 95 1,390 $89,382 Oman 339 339 $13,810

Poland 1,122 52 1,174 $17,018

Portugal 30,208 14,405 962 25,034 5,824 76,434 $1,551,505

Romania 358 358 $18,054

Russian Federation 3,768 3,768 $196,119

Serbia 906 906 $33,867

Singapore 1,094 1,094 $10,540

South Africa 3 3 $8,340

Spain 876,714 483,666 14,769 19,050 463,083 213,663 2,070,944 $46,083,884

Sri Lanka 53,500 3,457 70,378 2,591 213,872 343,798 $2,922,565

Switzerland 2,472 2,472 $34,449

Taiwan 550 785 428 1,762 $66,006

Thailand 38,581 1,175 30,382 8,818 138,744 11,662 229,361 $2,134,695

Tunisia 12 12 $1,116

Turkey 91,805 44,672 10,867 30,127 27,385 204,855 $1,923,750

United Arab Emirates 129,868 11,071 677 1,037 28,201 75 170,929 $2,232,321

United Kingdom 6,278 105 150 1,313 7,845 $171,078

United States of America 91,689 25,917 1,047 127 118,779 $481,468

Venezuela 5,980 5,980 $61,228

Vietnam 132,493 7,448 44,816 12,131 17,479 18,511 232,878 $1,706,725

11,073,597 3,934,130 42,190,058

Total Square Metres Total Customs Value AUD

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

New South Wales Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia

% change SQM to Previous Year

State Total 2017-2018 18,762,413 359,866 9,542,365 2,017,243 202,181 11,499,975 3,851,270 46,235,311 1.6%

% of annual total

40.6% 0.8% 20.6% 4.4% 0.4% 24.9% 8.3% 100.0%

State Total 2018-2019 17,512,744 249,604 8,012,069 2,012,168 236,768 10,808,548 3,345,253 42,177,154 -8.8%

% of annual total 41.5% 0.6% 19.0% 4.8% 0.6% 25.6% 7.9% 100.0%

State Total 2019-2020 15,509,131 221,068 7,704,671 2,084,898 224,454 10,948,933 3,178,153 39,871,308 -5.5%

% of annual total 38.9% 0.6% 19.3% 5.2% 0.6% 27.5% 8.0% 100.0%

State Total 2020-2021 16,684,646 358,272 9,559,133 2,280,103 218,872 11,433,566 3,701,476 44,236,070 10.9%

% of annual total 37.7% 0.8% 21.6% 5.2% 0.5% 25.8% 8.4% 100.0%

State Total 2021-2022 16,077,515 395,051 8,684,349 1,859,885 165,530 11,073,597 3,934,130 42,190,058 -4.6%

% of annual total 38.1% 0.9% 20.6% 4.4% 0.4% 26.2% 9.3% 100.0%

2021-2022 Change on previous % Change

Based on ABS data -607,131 36,779 -874,784 -420,218 -53,343 -359,969 232,654 -2,046,011 -3.6% 10.3% -9.2% -18.4% -24.4% -3.1% 6.3% -4.6%

ten source countries, only Malaysia (average $7.83) and Vietnam (average $7.33) had an average customs value of below $8.00 per square metre. The five-year history of imports from the top five source countries is shown in Fig.2.

A five-year history of state

imports is shown in Fig.3. The largest fall in volume in 2021-2022 was in Queensland (-9.2 per cent), followed by New South Wales (-3.6 per cent), South Australia (-18.4 per cent) and Victoria (-3.1 per cent). Western Australia increased imports by 6.3 per cent as did Northern Territory (+10.3

per cent). Direct imports to Tasmania fell by 24.4 per cent. n

Peter Halliday has a long involvement in ceramic tile design, manufacture, import and distribution of tiles, natural stone, and glass mosaics.

Financial Year New South Wales (inc ACT)

Northern Territory Queensland South Australia Tasmania Victoria Western Australia Combined Total SQM

National Tiles' latest campaign has wide appeal

National Tiles has been gaining more brand exposure on TV screens around Australia with its most recent advertising campaign

The National Tiles brand is cemented in the psyche of Australians, synonymous with founder Frank Walker’s signature catch cry, “Helllooo”. Frank’s voice has become integral to one of the country’s most recognisable radio campaigns, and one of the most successful in the marketplace.

Developed in-house by campaign manager Olivia Hamilton and art director Helen Neville, this new, innovative and inspiring campaign was created in-house, bypassing the usual layers of advertising agency approval to deliver a 15 second brand TVC (TV commercial) and 4 x 15 second retail TVCs. Rounding out this campaign is the social, print, and outdoor advertising follow through.

The curated and considered storylines is expected elevate National Tiles to a place not seen before. Olivia said, “Seeing a production like this come to life was really exciting. We have pushed National Tiles into a new arena, compared to other home improvement companies. It shows we have confidence, creativity, and most all - fantastic product at affordable prices.”

The National Tiles tagline “now you can” has been brought to life with a tongue-in-cheek rendition suggesting that whatever you’re into, now you can — at National Tiles. Helen said, “Our campaign tagline is inclusive and of the zeitgeist. Whatever floats your boat, whatever side of the fence, you are all welcome to come and buy some tiles.”

Darren Taylor, executive general manager –marketing & ecommerce, said, “The new campaign will be pivotal in delivering our brand strategy and making us stand out from our competition. The team has done a fantastic job on delivering a first-class campaign and I am sure we will see the results that we’re hoping for.”

The campaign – including a TVC, BVOD (Broadcaster Video-On-Demand), OOH (Out of Home), print and social – was launched in early August 2022. n

Credits

Executive general manager marketing & ecommerce: Darren Taylor, National Tiles

Campaign manager: Olivia Hamilton, National Tiles

Creative & art direction: Helen Neville

Set build: John Zubovic and Amy Spasojevic, National Tiles

Director: John O’Rourke

Director of photography: Reuben Gates

Production & sound design: Hogarth Australia

Colour Grade: Crayon

Stills photography: Trent Duffy & Nick Astanei

Retouching: Shetouch

Media agency: Gravia Styling: Tia Penney

Furniture: Fenton and Fenton

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY.

Tile Today is the leading publication for Australia’s tile industry.

For tile installers, we provide a mix of indepth technical articles, product guides, the latest trends in design and business, as well as inspiring coverage of Australian and international tile shows and events.

For retailers, we cover all the latest industry news, interview the movers and shakers, and keep you up-to-date on in dustry statistics and forecasts.

For interior designers, architects and building specifiers, we offer an index to best practice and emerging concerns in the building and construction industries as they relate to tiles.

But what we offer to every reader, is a publication that shares your interest and inspiration

• In-depth technical articles

• Business opportunities

• New tile developments

• Guides to adhesives

• Coverage of anti-slip issues

• Waterproofing best practices

• Trends in interior design

Tile Today is now digital, which means you can read it on your smartphone, tab let and PC. Take it everywhere with you. Subscribe to Tile Today for FREE.

Temple & Webster sees opportunity in selling tiles through The Build

Australian ecommerce interior furnishings company Temple & Webster launched a new online store aimed at the "soft" end of the home improvement market, catering to those activities which relate to redecorating as opposed to reconstruction. More recently, it has added tiles and laminate flooring as one of the categories it sells. While still in its early stages, this latest move could presage a coming change in direct business to consumer (B2C) sales of tiles.

The Build (thebuild.com.au), as the Temple & Webster offshoot is named, launched in May 2022, and is already attracting considerable attention. It sells indoor plumbing fittings, including sinks, taps, bathtubs, toilets, bathroom vanities, as well as furniture, wallpaper, small appliances, lighting — and has now added tiles.

While the volume of tile sales is likely quite low, and won't make much of a dent in the market for FY2022/23, it's the potential for the business (and the potential development of similar sites, as success in online ecommerce inevitably

leads to a proliferation of similar enterprises) that tile retailers should pay attention to.

Physical retailers, especially those who have a considerable history in retail, don't always understand exactly how pureplay online retailers like Temple & Webster — and now The Build — really work behind the flashy design of their website pages. Many see the advantages of physical stores to be so strong — especially with products such as tiles, where physical tile retailers offer an immediate touch, feel, see experience of the product — that they disregard online as being all that much of a concern.

That attitude does not take

into account the high level of management and marketing sophistication online retailers have achieved. It also does not comprehend the way in which selling interior design products has changed for younger generations. While it is easy to mock social media such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Tik-Tok, it's a fact that these networks of recommendations (and their associated marketing opportunities) will only continue to increase in importance through the rest of this decade.

The metrics

Before we can examine The Build, it's necessary to first take a quick

look at the sort of metrics online retailers use. Though there are about a dozen key metrics, there are six or so that most online retailers rely on quite heavily.

1. Sales conversion rate (CVR)

This is the number of sessions (visits to the website) that result in purchases, divided by the total number of all sessions. If you think about this in physical store terms, it would be like being able to measure how many times people entered your store every day, and how many of those visits resulted in a purchase.

2. Average order value (AOV)

This is one which all retailers can access, but not all do. It is simply the total revenue for a time period divided by the number of purchases made in that period.

3. Repeat sales

This is a metric that is somewhat tracked by physical retailers, but with less success than online. In online every customer will be paying through a financial services transaction, which includes providing name and address details, and the majority will agree to some kind of "membership" to simplify ordering. Physical retailers have little access to customer data, outside loyalty card memberships, which often have limited penetration.

4. Customer lifetime value (CLV)

While many ecommerce companies consider the CVR to be the most important stat to track, in many cases the CLV is the core stat to pay attention to. It's a fairly simple

formula, but actually difficult to derive. It is average value of purchase, multiplied by number of purchases a year, multiplied by average length (in years) of a customer relationship.

5. Customer acquisition costs (CAC)

The CAC is a guideline in terms of how effective spending on marketing is. The formula is very simply the amount spent on a marketing campaign, divided by the number of new customers acquired.

6. Net promoter score (NPS)

NPS is actually a proprietary term, with the trademark held by Fred Reichheld, a marketing consultant who works for US firm Bain & Company. It is based on

asking one question of customers, usually on completion of a sale

"How likely are you to recommend [the company] to others?", with a ranking from one to 10. Promoters respond with a nine or 10 rating, passives with a seven or eight rating, and the rest are regarded as detractors.

The score is based on subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. So if 20 per cent of respondents score a nine or 10, and 15 per cent score at six and below, the NPS would be +5. (Those scoring seven and eight are not counted.)

The metrics picture

The first three of these metrics — CVR, AOV and repeat sales — are standard performance metrics. CVR is a measure of how well a website is doing at producing sales. It measures both how many visitors eventually make a purchase, and how many visits it takes to generate a sale. It is commonly used in association with A/B testing, where site visitors are exposed to different experiences, and the result assessed through CVR.

AOV is a metric that all retailers make use of. However, it is especially important for

online, as orders typically include a delivery component, and the higher the AOV, the smaller the semi-fixed delivery costs will be as a percentage of the sale. (That's important whether there is a separate shipping fee or not.)

Repeat sales is both a performance metric and a marketing metric. It tracks how well a site is doing in making use of already acquired customers, and whether marketing is successful at triggering ongoing sales.

The other three measures do relate to performance, but they are more clearly focused on assessing and guiding marketing efforts. Interweaved together, they can produce a detailed picture of how well marketing is working, and guide effective expenditure.

CLV provides an overview of what a customer is really worth to a retailer, and is often thought as being a very important metric. CLV can vary across customer categories, which leads to some suggestions about efficiencies in directing marketing efforts.

Those efficiencies relate direct to CAC. Some customers may have a high CLV, for example, but the CAC may be so high as to make them less profitable (which will depend on their repeat sales metric), while others have a low

CAC, but also a low CLV. NPS does provide an overview of how well an online retailer is doing, but it also indicates how well marketing to existing customers is working to drive new customer growth through word-of-mouth.

Social media interlock

One of the aspects of online marketing that physical retailers do not always understand is how effective Meta (the company formerly known as Facebook, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) is at boosting sales for online retailers via marketing.

Much of this gets done through what is known as the "Meta pixel". This is basically some tracking code (working through a cookie) that reports back activity to Meta, which can then be accessed by advertisers who take out ads on Facebook and Instagram.

There are 17 actions that the pixel can report on. The ones most relevant to retail include:

• Purchase: Purchase on advertiser's website.

• Lead: Action that identifies a potential customer, such as signing up for an email newsletter.

• Add payment info: Customer

Figure 1. Revenue and EBITDA for Temple & Webster FY2021/22. Source: Results presentation.

Figure 2. Active customers are the number of unique customers who have transacted in the last twelve months

enters credit card info on advertiser website.

• Add to cart: Item added to cart on advertiser website.

• Add to wishlist: Product added to wishlist on advertiser site.

• Initiate checkout: Customer enters checkout process on advertiser site.

• Search: Search function is used on advertiser site.

• View content: User opens a specific page on advertiser website.

• Contact: User contacts advertiser through website.

• Customise product: Customer selects a specific version of a product, such as choosing a colour or size.

What's important about these event registrations is that they enable both Meta and the online retailer to optimise the marketing.

A user clicks on a Facebook ad (for example), go to the website, and perform one of these actions.

Facebook can automatically look over all the data generated by those actions, work out the best audience for the advertising, and optimise ad delivery accordingly. Similarly, the online retailer can access those statistics, try

out A/B tracks for different ads, and fine-tune product lines and product presentations to maximise sales, using both the Meta data and the metrics described above.

It's an incredibly powerful system. One way of looking at it is that the pixel makes it easy for retailers to achieve the kind of reach that very big retailers such as Amazon enjoy — a high level of data retrieval across a very wide base of customer prospects.

Temple & Webster has further enhanced this by using software from Israeli startup Renovai, which uses artificial intelligence systems to drive its "complete the look" feature. This uses previous purchases and those in the current shopping cart to suggest further purchases. Temple & Webster claim this has helped to increase AOV and the conversion rate.

The Build

Looking at The Build and what it represents, it's important to understand that the task facing pure-play online retailers is not to recreate the relations of physical retail. The first task, in fact, is to create a "virtual product" that relates to the physical product.

Increasingly, that virtual product is created not only on the retail website, but also in social media, through posts on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Houzz — and sometimes with the help of "influencers". Effectively what this means is that The Build is not just a retailer, but also a content creator and publisher.

For Temple & Webster overall, this is an approach that has worked. For FY2021/22 the company reported $426 million in revenue, and EBIT of $13.2 million. It spent $56.7 million on advertising and marketing and $27.0 million on wages.

Figure 1 shows the historical track over the past five years. Figure 2 shows the number of active customers using the website. Figure 3 shows the revenue per active user.

Figure 4 shows the number of first time and repeat customers on a monthly basis. As the graph indicates, the period for six months to June 2022 marked an inflection point, as repeat customers showed more resilience than first time customers. That indicates both

Figure 3. Revenue per active customer growth is driven by AOV growth and repeat orders

Figure 4. The number of orders that are first time and repeat on a half-yearly basis

improved stability, and lower marketing costs.

Commenting specifically on the newly-launched The Build, the company sees this as part of a $26 billion market, with the website able to target $16 billion of that. It provides access to 220 suppliers, featuring 20,700 products across 40 categories. Temple & Webster expect it to reach as high as $15 million in sales for FY2022/23.

Analysis

The Australian tile market is rapidly moving towards a stage where most tile retailers will need to rethink their digital presence. From a business viewpoint, it's perhaps helpful to consider this kind of activity from the perspective of risk.

For most physical store retailers without a background in digital, making an investment even in an omnichannel retail strategy may simply be too risky. One point of this article has been to demonstrate the degree of sophistication and engagement required for a successful online retail business. Up until fairly recently, as the market developed, there was some return in a simpler approach, but it is likely that particular window is closing.

A better approach may be to concentrate on using digital purely for marketing purposes, with the

goal of driving more traffic to the physical store. While there are certainly some benefits from a constant, low-level engagement with customers and prospects on social media, this might need to be supplemented by a more professional approach. That might mean producing professional images for use on Instagram and Facebook six or 12 times a year, for example.

Beyond that, much of effective digital marketing can be made up of small, incremental changes that can add up to a bigger effect. For example, most retailers have worked out that they need to "claim" their retail business on Google, so that you gain control over the details listed on map searches. Most, however, do not make use of the ability to regularly post photographs to accompany those searches, even though these can help to really boost a profile.

Equally, maintaining profiles on services such as Pinterest and Houzz costs very little in terms of time and effort, but can contribute to the overall "funnel" of customers that might visit a retailer. While all this can seem daunting, a good place to start is a service such as Canva (canva.com) which offers a range of templates to use targeted specifically at each type of social media. n

A post from Temple & Webster’s Instagram

Temple & Webster sees opportunity in selling tiles through The Build

EXPLORE. DISCOVER. ENJOY.

Tile Today is the leading publication for Australia’s tile industry.

For tile installers, we provide a mix of indepth technical articles, product guides, the latest trends in design and business, as well as inspiring coverage of Australian and international tile shows and events.

For retailers, we cover all the latest industry news, interview the movers and shakers, and keep you up-to-date on industry statistics and forecasts.

For interior designers, architects and building specifiers, we offer an index to best practice and emerging concerns in the building and construction industries as they relate to tiles.

But what we offer to every reader, is a publication that shares your interest and inspiration

•In-depth technical articles

•Business opportunities

•New tile developments

•Guides to adhesives

•Coverage of anti-slip issues

• Waterproofing best practices

•Trends in interior design

Tile Today is now digital, which means you can read it on your smartphone, tablet and PC. Take it everywhere with you.

Subscribe to Tile Today for FREE.