Technical Services
Technical Updates
Technical Updates
Technical Updates:
Our Technical Services department monitor installation trends, to ensure that our recommendations are optimized for your success. It is sometimes required to adapt our existing recommendations. Current technical updates are listed below and can be searched by product, date or other search term.
Are you preparing for an ARDEX product installation? We recommend reviewing the technical data sheet and technical updates for each product prior to installation. Then, contact us to meet your local sales representative and obtain a job-specific recommendation for your project!
- ARDEX Underlayments and 99% RH
Concrete with RH levels up to 99% may be suitable to receive most ARDEX underlayments without moisture mitigation. - RH and pH Maximums Information for HENRY Adhesives
We are pleased to announce that, as a result of extensive testing, all HENRY carpet and HENRY multi-purpose carpet and felt-back sheet adhesives are now rated for 90% RH (several were formerly 85% RH). - ARDEX, HENRY Adhesives and Gypsum Substrates
Gypsum substrates must be primed prior to receiving ARDEX and HENRY adhesives. The use of a primer ensures that the adhesive will have sufficient open time and working time. - Shelf Life Extension for ARDEX PC-T™ and ARDEX SD-T®
The shelf life of ARDEX PC-T and ARDEX SD-T is extended to 9 months (previously 6 months) for unopened, properly stored bags. - ARDEX Products and OSHA Silica Standard Housekeeping Guidelines
We are writing to clarify our recommendations for the installation of ARDEX products with consideration to the new OSHA Standard on crystalline silica. For complete information on the new OSHA regulations, visit www.osha.gov/silica. The recommendations detailed below are the result of independent, third-party air quality monitoring tests and are in accordance with OSHA Silica Standard Housekeeping Guidelines. Affected technical data sheets will be revised accordingly. - ARDEX Tile Setting Materials over Membranes in Exterior Applications
We are writing to confirm our recommendations for the use of ARDEX tile setting materials on substrates where membranes such as ARDEX 8+9, Schluter Ditra and Schluter Kerdi are installed in an exterior application. This will confirm that our recommended tile setting materials for installation over ARDEX 8+9 and other approved membranes on exterior, horizontal substrates are ARDEX X 78, ARDEX FB 9 L, ARDEX X 32 and ARDEX X 90. - High Moisture Conditions and ARDEX Underlayments
When considering the moisture content of a concrete slab and its resulting suitability to receive ARDEX underlayments without moisture mitigation, we currently defer to the manufacturers of the finishing materials (adhesives and floor coverings) being used. But now, with manufacturers offering resilient floor covering adhesives that are approved for installation at relative humidity levels above 80%, we are adjusting our position, as follows. - ARDEX Underlayments and Non-Porous Substrates
We are writing to confirm our recommendations for ARDEX underlayments installed over ARDEX MC RAPID and other suitable non-porous substrates. As detailed in the charts below, several ARDEX underlayments can now be installed at a maximum thickness of 1/2” in these applications. Note that this results in fewer ARDEX MC RAPID applications requiring a sand broadcast, which is a positive change in light of the new OSHA regulations on crystalline silica. - Cold Weather Precautions for ARDEX and HENRY
With winter approaching, we are writing to clarify our recommendations for storage, transport and installation of ARDEX and HENRY products during the colder months. General Information: Ideal storage and installation temperatures are detailed in the technical data sheet for each product. Never install ARDEX or HENRY products at substrate or ambient temperatures below 50°F (10°C). Note that, the colder the substrate and ambient temperatures, the longer the drying and/or cure times will be. Ensure that products are dried and/or cured prior to proceeding with subsequent installations and/or opening to traffic. Facilitate drying by circulating the air above the surface; do not blow air directly on the surface. - Clarification on Unsanded Materials and Crystalline Silica
We are writing to address some industry confusion regarding unsanded patching and skim coating materials, such as ARDEX SKM, ARDEX FEATHER FINISH, ARDEX FORTI FINISH and similar competitive products. While sand is not an added component in these ARDEX unsanded product formulas, crystalline silica (sand) is listed as an ingredient on their safety data sheets (SDSs). This is due to the fact that crystalline silica is a naturally occurring component in several raw materials that are a part of the ARDEX unsanded product formulas, specifically limestone and Portland cement. Due to crystalline silica’s presence in limestone and Portland cement (as reported on their respective SDSs), and because both of these raw materials are part of the ARDEX formulas, a range of the “trace” silica that ultimately appears in our finished products must be estimated and reported.