Laticrete’s Ryder Cup Victory
Brogan Wall & Floor Tiling and S & C Brogan Marble, chose Laticrete UK when it came to installing five new bathrooms and new kitchen floors in a three- storey, five-bedroom house that will be used as a weekend retreat on the Surrey estate that was home to the first Ryder Cup.
The coup for Liverpool-based Laticrete UK came as Graham Brogan of Brogan Wall & Floor Tiling, based in Aldershot, Hampshire, decided to switch from a competitor’s product. Brogan had struck up a great business relationship with Gary Knowles over the previous eight years he was with a competitor of Laticrete UK and decided to ‘follow’ Gary and use the new products he was now championing at Laticrete UK. Laticrete’s products came to the fore for Brogan and his brother Sean, of Guildford-based S & C Brogan Marble. They chose Laticrete 335 Superflex, a high performance polymer-fortified cementitious powder to be mixed with water when fixing all types of wall and floor tile and stone, including low-absorption porcelain and vitrified tiles and natural stone.
Also available in white for light stone and marble, Laticrete Superflex 335 is ideal when fixing over sub-floor heating and tiles fully immersed in pools or in external locations. Laticrete Superflex 335 mixes to a smooth and creamy paste, has an extended open time of up to 30 minutes and is water and heat resistant. They also used Laticrete Strata Mat, a next-generation, high-performance uncoupling membrane for use under ceramic tile and stone installations, for both residential and commercial applications. Designed to protect the tiling layer from lateral movement & sub floor stress, the unique patent pending design of Strata Mat with its mortar Hydration Vents, creates a strong mechanical bond between the mat and adhesive mortar and allows the mortar to cure faster, allowing for a shorter time to grout.
Also used on the project was Laticrete Hydro Ban, a thin, load-bearing waterproofing/crack isolation membrane that does not require the use of fabric in the field, coves or corners. Hydro Ban is a single-component self-curing liquid rubber polymer that forms a flexible, seamless waterproofing membrane. Hydro Ban bonds directly to a wide variety of substrates. It allows for flood testing in two hours at 21°C or higher, bonds directly to metal, PVC and ABS plumbing fixtures and is only 0.5– 0.8 mm thick when cured, when it changes in colour from a light sage to an olive green. Describing the scheme, Brogan said: “We took all the old bathrooms out and put new stone bathrooms in, making them bespoke. We are also putting new stone kitchen floors in too. Trading as S & C Brogan Marble, my brother Sean does all the manufacturing and polishing of the stone and I do all the design of the bathrooms. We work together on projects. We have been working side-by-side since we were kids over 30 years ago.”
Brogan added that the bathrooms will eventually feature glass showers and vanity units, whereas previously they had been shower trays and ceramic tiling. “We are new to Palace and Laticrete UK,” says Brogan. “They are very good – we are very impressed with the products. Gary is great – he has the expertise and is always helpful. If there is anything we need to know, he is brilliant. He has an absolute passion for what he does and is always there at the other end of the phone.” “Graham used to be a big user of my previous employer’s products – I have known him for many years and used to provide technical support and back-up,” says Knowles. “Since coming on board with Palace & Laticrete UK, he has tried a few of our products and he loves them.”
Charles Clapham, Palace’s Managing Director, said: “It’s a testament to Gary’s professionalism and knowledge that he has been able to bring Brogan Wall & Floor Tiling on board with us. We are delighted that not only have the Brogan brothers’ confidence in Gary that has been built up over the years, but also that they are equally impressed with our products and the fact they are being used on such a prestigious property is an added bonus.”
Click here to learn more about Superflex 335.