Dave

http://www.schluter.co.uk/print/2306.aspx


Wellness For Your Building
Schlüter-KERDI-DS
Bologna - The booming wellness market is discovering many new attractive uses for tiles and natural stone. However, steam baths and heated bathrooms place many demands on the covering construction. The challenge is to protect the building structure from moisture, which can permeate the walls and floors in the form of water vapour. Schlüter-KERDI-DS, presented in Bologna, is the first product to function both as a bonded waterproofing assembly and vapour barrier, and allows for immediate tile installation.

In the past, designers and installers in wellness areas had frequently faced the same dilemma: the vapour barrier mats on the market were not suitable for direct installation of tiles, while brush-applied or trowel-applied epoxy resin systems, which are easy to use with tiles, only reached a maximum diffusion resistance value (sd value) of 50 m, which means they-at best-slowed the vapour down.
The new vapour barrier Schlüter-KERDI-DS offers a solution for these problems. It is an innovative evolution of the bonded waterproofing mat Schlüter-KERDI, which has been used successfully since 1987. As with KERDI, Schlüter-KERDI-DS is a polyethylene mat in the customary bright orange Schlüter-color with anchoring fleece laminated on both sides.
However, the new product is 0.5 mm (0.02") thick, more than double the thickness of KERDI, and has been specially designed for use as a vapour barrier and bonded waterproofing assembly in wellness areas and commercial applications with high levels of vapour moisture.
Due to the material thickness, Schlüter-KERDI-DS has an sd value of > 100 m, which means that its water vapour diffusion resistance is equal to that of a 100-meter air layer.
The Schlüter-KERDI-DS mats are fully embedded in suitable dry-set mortar, using the thin-set method, and pressed into place to achieve an optimal bond of the anchoring fleece. Due to the thickness of 0.5 mm, the individual mats should be installed with abutting seams. The seams are then covered, in a width of at least 125 mm (5"), with the sealing tape Schlüter-KERDI-KEBA. Alternatively, the mats may also be installed with an overlap of at least 5 cm (2"). The system adhesive Schlüter-KERDI-COLL should be used as a sealing adhesive for seams and joints.
Schlüter-KERDI-DS is approved for use in construction categories A and C. Consequently, the product is also permissible in commercial applications with exposure to chemicals.
With Schlüter-KERDI-DS, the manufacturer is offering a peerless solution for the booming wellness market. Thanks to its combined waterproofing and vapour-blocking properties, the product is custom-tailored for the demands of this market. The quick installation without long waiting times and numerous matching system accessories are important additional benefits. Schlüter-Systems offers customized solutions for numerous construction details, ranging from pipe collars to Schlüter-KERDI-DRAIN floor drain....