SikaTile®-560 LFT

• SikaTile®-560 LFT meets ISO 13007 international standard for the C2TES1P1 classification
• SikaTile®-560 LFT meets ANSI A118.4TE and A118.15TE standards

Portland cement, selected aggregates, water retention additives, redispersible polymer 

12 months from date of production when stored in original, sealed package

Store in undamaged, unopened, original sealed packaging in dry conditions at temperatures between 5 °C (41 °F) and 35 °C (95 °F). Protect from direct sunlight, heat and moisture.

ISO 13007 Classification

ANSI Method / 4 Week Shear Bond Strength

5.0 to 5.6 L (1.32 to 1.48 US gal) of clean potable water per 20 kg (44 lb) bag

> 2 ½ hours

≥ 30 minutes

SikaTile®-560 LFT meets A118.4TE, ANSI.15TE and ISO 13007 adhesion performance requirement for Extended Open Time 

Product curing time is affected by ambient and surface temperatures and humidity. 

* The consumption depends on the surface profile and roughness of the substrate and on the size of the tiles and the placing technique

JOB SITE CONDITIONS

Maintain environmental conditions and protect work during and after installation. Comply with trade and industry standards and manufacturer's printed recommendations.

When tiling in cold conditions, turn off all forced ventilation and radiant heating systems and protect the work against drafts during installation and for at least 72 hours after completion. When necessary, use indirect auxiliary heaters to maintain an adequate temperature level in the working area (ambient and surface temperatures). Exhaust temporary heaters to the exterior potential harmfulness to the personal and/or to prevent damage to the work from carbon monoxide emissions. Maintain work area at a temperature no lower than 13 °C (55 °F) for at least 72 hours before and after installation.

For tiling jobs in hot conditions (with temperatures exceeding 35 °C (95 °F), which can be defined as any combination of high air temperature, low relative humidity and wind velocity that can affect the performance of surface preparation, tile setting and grouting materials), consider adjusting the time of application to a cooler or at least shaded time of the day. Protect from adverse weather conditions (such as but not limited to rain) for at least seven (7) days.

SUBSTRATE QUALITY (for concrete or for cement mortar bed)

Surface treatments or any friable areas of the substrate must be mechanically eliminated.  Aggressive mechanical preparation (such as but not limited to using a scarifier or a chipping hammer may invite micro bruising of the substrate) Contact Sika’s Technical Services for additional information. 

Resurfacing, patching, levelling or areas requiring a mortar bed should be prepared using appropriate SikaLevel® self-levelling, patching, or SikaScreed®-40 screed mortar. Expansion joints should comply with detail 301MJ Movement joint guidelines per TTMAC.

Warning: Refer to the Regulations Made Under the Canada Labour Code for additional information regarding requirements for handling surface containing or suspected of containing lead-based paints or any flooring, substrate or substances that may contain asbestos.

All supporting surfaces should be structurally sound, solid, stable. Surfaces shall be flat, plumb and true with a maximum permissible variation of 6 mm (1/4 in) in 3.05 m (10 ft) or no more than 3 mm (1/8 in) in 600 mm (24 in) from the required plane. However, any tile or stone with at least one edge greater than 380 mm (15 in) requires more stringent tolerances of the substrate with a maximum permissible variation of 3 mm (1/8 in) in 3.05 m (10 ft) or more than 1.5 mm (1/16 in) in 600 mm (24 in). Surfaces should be clean and free of dust, oil, grease, paint, tar, wax, curing agent, primer, sealer, form release agent and any deleterious substance or conditions that may prevent, reduce or inhibit adhesion or performance.

Before work commences, examine the areas to be covered and report any improper condition(s) in writing to the general contractor, architect or engineer (or otherwise, the owner). User shall not proceed with the work until surfaces and conditions comply with the requirements indicated in this document; applicable industry standards; federal, provincial and local regulations, as well as good trade practices. By starting work, the Applicator/User acknowledges that the conditions are acceptable.

Localized substrate repair variations of 5 mm (13/64 in) or less can be levelled with SikaTile®-560 LFT and allow to set at least 18 hours (or as soon as 3 hours when using SikaTile®-560 LFT Rapid).

Concrete (and cement mortar bed) 

Concrete must be cured for a minimum of 28 days (up to 14 days for cement mortar bed or only 5 hours when using SikaScreed®-40 screed mortar). On grade or below grade concrete slabs must be installed over an effective and continuous vapour barrier. On a clean and dust-free substrate, place a single drop of portable water (quarter size) on the substrate using a pipette. The concrete should turn dark. If the drop is absorbed within 60 seconds, the substrate can be considered porous (or absorptive) and acceptable for using SikaTile®-560 LFT. Otherwise, a bond test should be performed to confirm an adequate bond. If an adequate bond cannot be achieved, the concrete surface should be abraded, and additional bond tests should be conducted. If an adequate bond cannot be achieved or in doubt, contact Sika’s Technical Services. 

Note: As per TTMAC (Tile Terrazzo Marble Association of Canada) 09 30 00 guide. Concrete should have a steel trowel and fine broom finish for thin-set applications. Indeed, although not mandatory, a light surface profile can positively impact bond performances of cementitious tile setting adhesives.

Plywood floors (interior residential floor in dry areas only)

Wooden substrates should consist of two layers of wood panels. A suitable Subfloor (immediately over joists) shall be a minimum 16 mm (5/8 in) thick Douglas Fir plywood (CSA 0121), Canadian Softwood plywood 0151), Poplar plywood (CSA 0153), Construction sheathing or APA Sturd-I-Floor, Exposure 1 OSB. Joists to be spaced 406 mm (16 in) on center. Subfloor sheet ends end edges should be gapped 3 mm (1/8 in). The subfloor should be attached with 30 mm (1 3/16) screws placed 150 mm (6 in) o.c. around the perimeter and 200 mm (8 in) o.c. throughout the body of the panel. All sheet ends and edges must be supported by a framing member.

Suitable Underlayments (over the subfloor) shall be a minimum 16 mm (5/8 in) thick Group 1 exterior grade plywood, Select (SEL) or Select Tight Face (SEL TF) CANPLY classified exterior grade plywood conforming to CSA 0121 standard for Douglas Fir (DFP) for direct bond applications. Before purchasing/ordering plywood, note that the certification information (such as but not limited to CSA standard) can generally be found on the underside of the plywood. Offset underlayment joints from joints in subfloor and stagger joints between sheet ends. Underlayment should be attached with 30 mm (1 3/16 in) screws placed 150 mm (6 in) o.c. around the perimeter and 200 mm (8 in) on center, throughout the body of the panel. Underlayment screws to go through the total thickness of the assembly but should not penetrate the joists or cross bridging/solid blocking. Underlayment sheet edges should be gapped 6 mm (1/4 mm) to any abutting surfaces (ex: walls, counter, etc.).

Note on deflection: The general rule for ceramic is that the maximum allowable deflection criterion is L/360 when exposed to live and dead loads (such as but not limited to kitchen islands for example) unless, if any one side is longer than 380 mm (15 in) then use the following recommendation for stone. For stone, the maximum allowable deflection criterion is L/720 (which, in essence, requires the substrate to be twice as rigid).  

Over existing ceramic, cement terrazzo and natural stone (interior dry or wet areas only)

Existing ceramic and natural stones should be sound and firmly laid, thoroughly cleaned the surface to eliminate the accumulation of soap (cleaner) residues which can build up to an inconspicuous film. Follow preparation by abrading the surface sanding by hand. For larger flooring jobs, a light shot blasting may be considered. Finish preparing by eliminating any residues on the surface and apply SikaLevel®-02 EZ Primer (CA) (consult product data sheet for additional information) before using SikaTile®-560 LFT.

Old layers of carpet, vinyl flooring, or vinyl composition tile (VCT) adhesives on a concrete substrate (interior in dry locations only)

SikaTile®-560 LFT is compatible with good quality adhesives. As this cannot be confirmed just by observation. Testing and documenting that the layers of old adhesives are not water-soluble is part of good trade practice in order to achieve a successful installation. Testing consists of pouring approximately 100 ml of clean potable water to the adhesive layer and verify that it doesn't start to break down when using a steel scraper. Otherwise the adhesive has to be mechanically removed. Before beginning the overall installation, Sika® recommends conducting tests in several small areas using SikaLevel®-02 EZ Primer and SikaTile®-560 LFT to determine the constraints associated with primer application and the acceptability of the final product performance (refer to SikaLevel®-02 EZ Primer product data sheet). 

Note: Contact Sika’s Technical Service for installation recommendations in writing concerning substrates or conditions not listed.

In a clean container, add between 5.0 to 5.6 L (1.32 to 1.48 US gal) of clean potable water. Then add 1⁄2 bag of SikaTile®-560 LFT and mix at slow speed until a wet slurry is obtained. Add 1⁄4 bag and mix between 200-300 rpm until powder comes to a loose paste consistency. Add final 1⁄4 bag and mix thoroughly to a smooth and homogeneous consistency. SikaTile®-560 LFT consistency shall be such that when applied with the recommended notched trowel to the substrate, the ridges formed by the mortar do not flow or slump.

Note: No Slake Technology - No wait, just mix, trowel and install.

Choose a notched trowel with sufficient depth to achieve more than 80 % coverage of SikaTile®-560 LFT and transfer to the substrate and the back of tile for all interior applications. For exterior, commercial floor, in applications in wet areas, for tiles that are going to be subjected to heavy traffic or exposed to high impact or for tiles with any edge longer than 380 mm (15 in), a minimum of 95 % coverage must be achieved. ''Flat back trowelling'' the tile, which consists of applying a thin layer of the tile-setting mortar to the back of each tile before setting it in place may be necessary to meet these requirements and it may also help improve adhesion to tiles with bond breakers such kiln release agents.

With pressure, apply a coat of SikaTile®-560 LFT by using the flat side of the trowel to key the mortar into the substrate. With the notched side of the trowel, apply additional mortar by combing it in a single direction parallel to the shortest dimension of the tile. Spread only as much mortar as can be tiled before the product skins over.

Place the tiles firmly into the freshly applied SikaTile®-560 LFT. Push the tiles back and forth in a direction perpendicular to trowel lines, to collapse the ridges and to help achieve maximum coverage. Ensure proper contact of the mortar to the back of the tile and to the substrate by periodically lifting a few tiles to check for acceptable coverage and verify that corner and edges are fully supported. Open time can vary with job site conditions. Remove excess SikaTile®-560 LFT from the joint areas so that at least 2/3 of the tile depth is available for grouting. Always allow SikaTile®-560 LFT to cure sufficiently before grouting and eventually opening to traffic.

WARNING: Large format tiles and gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs require specific installation procedures and potentially specialized handling equipment. Before starting work, consult the manufacturer recommendations regarding trowel selection and lippage control systems. Sika® recommends that the User consults A108.19, and A108.20 American National Standard Specifications for Gauged Porcelain Tiles and Tile Panels/Slabs Specifications for important information.

ANSI A108.19 provides procedures and requirements for interior installation of gauged porcelain tiles and gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs. These products require unique installation and workmanship considerations, and some of the key issues addressed by this standard include:

• Substrate requirements
• Lippage criteria and use of lippage control systems
• Unique coverage criteria and evaluation procedures
• Special floor setting provisions that involve embedding by walking

ANSI A108.20 provides procedures and requirements for exterior installation of gauged porcelain tiles and gauged porcelain tile panels/slabs. These products require unique installation and workmanship considerations, and some of the key issues addressed by this standard addresses include:

• Substrate requirements
• Lippage criteria and use of lippage control systems
• Unique coverage criteria and evaluation procedures
• Specific embedding instruction

IMPORTANT: In accordance with the limitations of the Uniform Building Code, installations involving calibrated porcelain slabs refer to SikaTile®-460 LHT (or SikaTile®-560 LFT Rapid) and are restricted to floor and indoor applications only.

MOVEMENT JOINT

Expansion, control, construction, cold, saw-cut, isolation, contraction, and seismic joints in the structure should continue through the tilework, including such joints at vertical surfaces, as specified per TTMAC’s Specification Guide 09 30 00 Tile Installation Manual, Detail 301MJ. Do not cover movement joints with mortar. Use a suitable sealant instead (following manufacturer's written instructions). Always test a small inconspicuous area for staining or leaching before use to ensure compatibility on natural stones. 

GROUTING AND PROTECTION

Protect from impact and vibration for at least 48 hours. Allow at least 18 hours before grouting. Then protect grouted area at least 18 hours before allowing foot traffic and at least 24 hours before allowing light traffic depending on temperatures and humidity conditions. Protect from heavy traffic for at least seven (7) days. As necessary, use load distributing protection over the installation when moving heavy equipment across tiled assembly. Protect from rain or temperature below 5 °C (41 °F) for at least seven (7) days. 

Note: Extended protection and downtime requirements before grouting may be required depending on temperature and humidity conditions and on the porosity and size of the tile or stone being installed.

PROTECTING NEW TILED FLOOR

Upon completion of tiled floor, it is the responsibility of the owner/agent or general contractor to protect the floor from damages (TTMAC’s Specification Guide 09 30 00 Tile Installation Manual).

Clean all tools and equipment after use with water. Once hardened, the product can only be removed mechanically.