GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSTALLATION ONTO PRE-EXISTING WALL AND FLOOR COVER

Cutting and manufacturing process.  Thanks to the 4.6 mm nominal thickness, Æssential can be cut and shaped with the same machinery used in the manufacturing of porcelain stoneware (horizontal cutter and diamond blades) making sure that it is correctly placed on a flat and clean work-top;  it can also be cut using glass cutters. During the cutting process when using diamond blades, it is necessary to use “smooth crown” blades, which can provide for a manual application (grinder) or for an application on dedicated cutting-tops. It is recommended to pay particular attention to the rotation speed, which must be very high and to the cutting-pace, which must proceed at a low speed. The cutting disks used in the manufacturing of this product are the same as the ones used during Caesar porcelain stoneware production process.


Drilling.  All manual drilling procedures can be carried out using tungsten bits or bits specific to the drilling of glass with a maximum diameter of 8 mm. It is necessary to pay particular attention to the following processes:
1)    Cool the point being drilled with water,
2)    Commence drilling with a low rotation speed; 
3)    Do not exert excess pressure during drilling.
4)    Never use hammering tools for drilling.
For all drilling operations requiring more than 8 mm diameter, the use of cutting discs mounted on a drill or on angle-grinders is recommended. For high-precision profiling cuts, hydro-jet cut is recommended.


Wall installation.
Æssential can be pasted onto indoor or outdoor walls or on surfaces unable to carry a lot of weight stress.
The support material on which it is possible to install Æssential slabs includes:
-    concrete
-    pre-existing ceramics
-    marble
-    expanded cement masonry
-    cement-based plasters

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSTALLATION ONTO PRE-EXISTING WALL AND FLOOR COVERINGS. Æssential is recommended for renovating pre-existing floors and wall coverings: Æssential can be installed on marble, natural stone and ceramic floors without the need to demolish the pre-existing structure, thus avoiding the problems and costs deriving from traditional renovation projects. Herein mentioned notes must not disregard a ‘state of the art’ installation.

Installation onto pre-existing wall coverings.
Prior to proceeding with the installation of ceramic slabs, it is recommended to check that the pre-existing wall covering is duly anchored and dry. Any detached or cracked tiles must be removed before the installation of the new product. The gaps which will be created following the removal of damaged pre-existing tiles must be filled with suitable cement-based products, which are readily available on the market. In case of ex-novo wall installation, it is necessary to check that the substrate is dry, has no cracks and that its hygrometric shrinkage is completed. Moreover, it is necessary to verify that there is no absorption of moisture. Before installation, the surface must be duly cleaned removing any dust, dirt or oil  and waxy residue; in case of glazed ceramic floors, it is recommended to previously clean the surface using a solution made of caustic soda diluted in water and rinse frequently in clean water; if the above cleaning procedure cannot be carried out, mechanical abrasion is recommended.  It is also necessary to check the planarity of the surface and fill uneven areas with suitable levelling products.
The adhesive must be applied full-bed on the substrate using a tilted teeth trowel or a trowel with 3/4 mm flat teeth, so that the adhesive applied on the substrate covers 100% of the slab. Should double spreading prove necessary, it is possible to carry out this procedure using a trowel with tilted teeth set at a distance of  6mm apart and applying the adhesive full-bed onto the pre-existing covering and then on the back of the slab, using the smooth side of the trowel, making sure that the adhesive is spread uniformly on it (buttering of the ceramic slab).
In order to ensure perfect adhesion of the product and avoid the forming of air bubbles, it is necessary to exert pressure onto the slab using a rubber trowel and then proceeding with an homogeneous tapping of the surface.
In order to ensure the best aesthetic and functional performance of the product, Caesar recommends allowing a 2/3mm grout line and the use of suitable spacer crosses which will be removed before grouting.  
The placing, type and number of expansion joints must be calculated by the foreman responsible for the building site. It is important to underline that Æssential as a wall covering can be coordinated with the floors of the same collection of standard thickness, which have the same aesthetic features, the same work-size and modularity.
When pasting onto an outdoor wall, it is necessary to carry out the double spreading using a trowel with tilted teeth set at a distance of 6mm apart and applying the adhesive full-bed onto the surface to be covered and then on the back of the slab, using the smooth side of the trowel, making sure that the adhesive is spread uniformly on it (buttering of the ceramic slab).

Installation onto pre-existing floor coverings.
Caesar recommends the use of Æssential exclusively for residential, light commercial application and in areas where there is no circulation of heavy loads or hard-tyre trolleys.
Prior to proceeding with the installation of Æssential on the pre-existing ceramic, marble or natural stone floors, it is necessary to check the anchorage of such pre-existing covering to the substrate. The substrate onto which Æssential will be installed, must be dry, stable, solid, perfectly planar and free from detached and/or removable elements which could compromise the adhesion of the new product.
Any detached or cracked tiles must be removed before the installation of the new product. The gaps which will be created following the removal of damaged pre-existing tiles, must be filled with suitable cement-based products, which are readily available on the market. Moreover, it is necessary to verify that the substrate has the suitable mechanical features, such as compression and bending resistance, able to bear the mechanical stresses present on the area. It is recommended not to install the longer side of slab parallel to the direction of the maximum bending resistance of the floor. The control of the planarity of the surface must be carried out using straight edge (of at least 2 meters in length) and any unevenness must be filled with suitable levelling products. The placing, type and number of expansion joints must be calculated by the foreman responsible for the building site. In case of glazed ceramic floors, it is recommended to previously clean the surface using a solution made of caustic soda diluted in water and rinse frequently in clean water; if the above cleaning procedure cannot be carried out, mechanical abrasion is recommended.

Warning: The adhesive must be applied using the “back buttering” technique in order to ensure a perfect distribution of the adhesive itself and to guarantee suitable adhesion, thus avoiding the formation of gaps, which could cause cracks. The adhesive must be spread full-bed onto the pre-existing covering using a trowel with tilted teeth at a distance of 6mm the one from the other. The application of the adhesive on the back of the slab must be carried out using a trowel with 3mm teeth.
Should it be impractical to use 2 trowels, it is possible to carry out the double spreading using only one trowel with tilted teeth set at a distance of 6mm apart and applying the adhesive full-bed onto the pre-existing covering and then on the back of the slab, using the smooth side of the trowel, making sure that the adhesive is spread uniformly on it (buttering of the ceramic slab).
In order to ensure perfect adhesion of the product and avoid the creation of air bubbles, it is necessary to exert a pressure on the slab using a rubber brush and then proceeding with an homogeneous tapping of the surface.
Bearing in mind of the slim thickness of the material to be installed, it is recommended to properly clean the grout lines, removing any residue of adhesive which could be present in the grout lines after the tapping of the surface as well as removing any other dirt residue in order to obtain homogeneous and clean grout lines. In order to guarantee the best aesthetic and functional performance of the product, Caesar recommends allowing a 2/3mm grout line and the use of suitable spacer crosses. Moreover the granulometry of the grouting material must be suitable for the recommended 2/3mm grout line and the grout lines must be completely filled so as to create an even, flat surface.
Please place the expansion joints at a regular intervals and leave a space of at least 5mm between the tiled floor and the wall.  Once the floor is completed, additional skirting will cover this 5mm space giving a uniform look. Any case, the placing of expansion joints must be calculated by the foreman responsible for the building site depending on the destination of use of the surface.
Warning: We strongly recommend to avoid installation of Æssential directly onto the sub-floor. This is because installation on sub-floor mainly depends on the correct installation of the sub-floor itself, on its complete seasoning, on the compliance of its expansion joints and on the “state of the art” installation performance. Therefore, in such cases, Caesar suggests the use of traditional thickness porcelain stoneware.


Maintenance and cleaning.  In order to facilitate ordinary maintenance, we strongly recommend an acid wash to be carried out 48 hours after grouting, using a porcelain stoneware-friendly acid (such as Nuovo Caesar 1). For further information, please consult the latest edition of Caesar General Catalogue, or go to the technical section on the website: www.caesar.it

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