About Mapei

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About Mapei

A look at Mapei from its humble beginnings as a small company on the outskirts of Milan to its current position as a world-leading multinational specialising in adhesives and chemical products for the building industry.
Founded in 1937 in Milan, Mapei is the world's largest manufacturer of adhesives for the construction industry. Over the past 70 years Mapei has initiated an internationalisation strategy to include manufacturing facilities all around the world ensuring local needs for all customers and reducing transportation costs.

The group consists of 51 associated companies including 47 production facilities worldwide across 5 continents and 23 countries​

In addition Mapei has invested significantly in research and development in order to both produce the most technically advanced materials and to meet with safety standards and regulations for individual countries and provide professional technical assistance and consultation for construction professionals worldwide.​

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Established in 1989 in Middlesbrough Mapei UK Ltd moved to the West Midlands in 1999, and in 2004 cemented its commitment to the UK market with the completion of a brand new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Halesowen, West Midlands.​

The UK headquarters is Mapei's 47th manufacturing plant worldwide. The building accommodates manufacturing, stock, marketing, sales and technical services - all dedicated to the provision of efficient and friendly customer service - all under one roof. This 7.5 acre site is home to on-site training facilities, holding regular training and educational sessions.​

Manufacturing facilities at Halesowen are capable of producing up to 103,000 tonnes of product annually. We now have 111 members of staff employed by Mapei UK to provide support and assistance to an ever increasing customer base of over 500.​

 

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Mapei products have recently been used to successfully install the extensive areas of flooring within the prestigious new Terminal 5 building at Heathrow Airport. The terminal, which can accommodate up to 30 million passengers annually, opened in April this year, with a total cost of £4.3 billion. Specified Mapei products have honoured the aesthetic concept and quality of the building with a variety of tiling installation materials, covering a staggering 120,000m². Whether it’s ceramic, porcelain or stone tiles, for covering floors or walls, Mapei provided the solution with their substrate preparation, fixing and grouting products.
Tile Specialists, Domus Tiles of Surrey, provided the majority of tiling products and contractors; Vetter UK of Manchester, Grants of Shoreditch, London, DeCourt Commercial Limited, Slough and Tiletec of Surrey provided a strong network for the project.
Mapei Topcem, high performance screed was installed by Grants of Shoreditch to prepare the vast substrate, its fast-drying properties permitting the installation of ceramic tiles after just 24 hours and stone materials after only 3 days.

Domus Tradizionale Composite Marble Honed finish tiles 597x597 were chosen for the bulk of the main concourse, fixed with Mapei Granirapid, two-component, rapid set flexible adhesive with extraordinary bonding properties especially suitable for floors subject to heavy foot traffic, and grouted with Mapei Keracolor FF, polymer modified cementitious grout for 0-6mm, available in 18 colours. Domus’ Composite Stone tiles were used for both the International Departures and the VIP lounge floor areas.

The ancillary areas were fitted with Domus’ porcelain tiles: Stontech, I Grandi and Newstone and fixed using Mapei Keraquick, flexible fast setting adhesive and again grouted with Keracolor FF.
Among the highlights of the new terminal was the impressive Harrods retail outlet. Mapei’s top quality products and comprehensive range was in harmony with the ambience of the world famous store; 1200 x 600mm Domus Composite Stone tiles were again installed with Granirapid and grouted with Keracolor FF completing the job to a high finish. These same professional standards were continued within the new Dixons store and throughout other areas of the terminal building.
As well as the extensive tile installation, Mapei products were used for areas requiring a resin floor surface, such as the rail station, Track Transfer System (TTS) maintenance areas and 10000m2 of corridors. In total, 16,000m2 of resin flooring was laid by DeCourt Commercial Limited. 3,000m2 of flooring in the rail station included a product system of two-component, solvent-free, epoxy primer, Primer SN, laid on a Topcem screed, followed by Mapefloor I 350 SL, a two-component, solvent-free, multi-purpose, neutral-coloured epoxy formulate for finishing industrial floors, used with Mapecolor Paste in RAL 7047. Mapefloor I 350 SL is a Class 1 Fire Rated product – a major factor for it’s specification at T5.
10,000m2 of corridors at T5 were finished with Mapecoat I 24, a two component epoxy paint for the acid resistant coating of concrete surfaces, a further 3,000m2 of flooring in the TTS maintenance areas was coated with Mapefloor I 600 W, two component transparent epoxy finish dispersed in water, Mapecolor Paste in RAL 7001 was added to provide the desired colour.

Mapei is the world’s largest manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for building. With over 70 years experience, Mapei is a specialist in the production of quality products for the installation of all types of wall and floor coverings, and has a vast range of admixtures and repair products for concrete and building materials.
For further information on Mapei products call 0121 508 6970 or visit MAPEI.

 

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MAPEI HELPS CLISSOLD LEISURE CENTRE GET BACK INTO SHAPE
Clissold Leisure Centre in Hackney is the proud recipient of two prestigious awards, thanks to an extensive refurbishment, in which Mapei’s products were widely used, the Centre has won both ‘The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers Triennial Award for Ceramic Tiling’ and the ‘Best technical use of tile in a construction contract’ award at this year’s TTA (The Tile Association) awards for the tiling contractors, Wilson & Wylie Contracts Ltd.
A commitment to re-open the Leisure Centre for people in the local area meant both the speed and the quality of the renovation work were of paramount importance. Consequently, Mapei’s fast-track, tried and tested systems were used in the new changing and shower areas, in the ground floor and first floor reception areas and in the repair of the floor drainage gulleys throughout the building. The appointed Architects were Bickerdike Allen & Partners, Main Contractor Wates Construction was awarded the contract for repairs and alterations and Wilson & Wylie were employed to carry out all ceramic remedial work.
Totalling 2000m2, the new changing and shower areas were prepared and finished with a Mapei system. Used to produce a floor screed for the installation of the ceramic flooring, TOPCEM is a normal setting, shrinkage-controlled binder, which has rapid drying properties, allowing for the fixing of the flooring as soon as 24 hours after installation. Suitable for numerous other flooring applications, it was also used to produce a screed for the installation of vinyl flooring in the reception areas. When a bonding screed was required, PLANICRETE, a synthetic rubber latex for improving adhesion of cementitious mortars, was used with the TOPCEM binder as a bonding slurry to bond the TOPCEM screed to the substrate. This helped to increase the overall mechanical strength of the substrate, a factor which was particularly important to avoid the floor cracking problems seen previously at the Centre.
Prior to laying the vinyl flooring in the reception areas, the screed substrate was primed with ECO PRIM T, a solvent-free acrylic primer which augments the adhesion of levelling compounds on all porous surfaces. ECO PRIM T is part of Mapei’s ECO RANGE of flooring products, designed to provide a safer environment for end-users and installers alike.
The levelling and smoothing compound, LATEXPLAN, was then used to level the floors in the changing, shower and reception areas. Allowing light foot traffic 1.5 – 2 hours after application, this two-part compound, consisting of special cements and synthetic rubber latex, was an ideal addition to Mapei’s fast-track system.

A Mapei tanking product system was also used to waterproof the changing and shower areas. MAPELASTIC, a two-part, highly flexible, cementitious waterproofing membrane was applied with FIBRE-GLASS MESH for reinforcement and MAPEBAND, an alkali-resistant rubber tape, being used in all corners and gaskets around all pipework to provide extra waterproofing in difficult areas. Existing mosaic tiles were waterproofed with MAPELASTIC, thereby eliminating the need to remove the tiles before retiling which offered a huge saving in both time and cost.

Mapei’s adhesives were also used to install both the vinyl in the reception areas and the ceramic tiles in the shower and changing areas. For the ceramic tiles, Wilson & Wylie Contracts used KERAQUICK, a single part, super rapid set flexible S1 cementitious adhesive and the single part, flexible S1 adhesive, KERAFLEX MAXI was used for the mosaics, which were system plural ceramic glazed stone ware from Agrob Buchtal, Germany. Tile joints were finished using ULTRACOLOR® PLUS, a fast-setting cementitious grout with BioBlock® anti-mould and DropEffect® water-resistant technologies and MAPESIL AC, a mildew-resistant sealant. For the vinyl, ULTRABOND ECO VS90, a universally high temperature, solvent-free, low VOC-emission, non-staining acrylic adhesive was used.

Mapei building products were also used in the repair of the floors and drainage gulleys: MAPEBAND TPE, was used to seal and waterproof expansion joints and movement cracks; MAPEGROUT SV, a quick-setting, controlled-shrinkage mortar was used to repair any damaged concrete as well as to set any gullies or waste water drains; ADESILEX PG4, a thixotropic, epoxy adhesive was used to bond and join the MAPEBAND and MAPEBAND TPE; EPORIP, a two-component, solvent-free epoxy adhesive, was used to repair any cracking in the concrete or screeds.

 

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Thanks to their fast-setting properties, a selection of Mapei’s wide range of screeds, renders and adhesives was specified by Domus Tiles for the installation of the floor areas, the wet areas and the swimming pool tiling at the recently-opened £12million Tudor Grange Leisure Centre in Solihull.

With its rapid drying properties, TOPCEM was chosen for all the screeded floor areas, which included the wet areas (changing rooms, shower facilities, pool surrounds) as well as all the areas which were to be laid with vinyl and carpet tiles. TOPCEM was also used over the under floor heating systems in the corridors and wet room changing areas.

A fast setting, shrinkage-controlled binder, it allows floor finishes to be laid within four to seven days. TOPCEM’s ability to hydrate rapidly also removes the need for an epoxy membrane under carpets and vinyls, should standard screeds still be wet. To ensure that the sub floor was completely flat and level, thereby preventing imperfections shadowing through, LATEXPLAN TRADE was used as the levelling compound beneath the vinyl and carpet tiles.

Two flooring adhesives from Mapei’s ECO range of flooring products were chosen for the installation of the vinyl and carpet tiles. ULTRABOND ECO VS90, is a multi-purpose, acrylic adhesive in water dispersion which was used for bonding vinyl floor coverings. It is also ideal for use over underfloor heating systems, as was the case for the corridor flooring at Tudor Grange.

ULTRABOND ECO TACK was used to fix the carpet tiles. It provides a permanently tacky film when dry, allowing the removal and replacement of carpet tiles when required. Both adhesives are solvent-free with low emissions of VOC - safer for the installer and the end user.

With a drying time of only five hours, compared to the usual wait of two weeks, NIVOPLAN, was chosen as the levelling mortar for the 800m2 reinforced concrete surfaces of the 25m, eight lane, pool. At Tudor Grange, its use ensured that the pool walls were suitable for the subsequent installation of the ceramic tiles. Prior to tiling the pool though, and the other wet areas of the Centre, such as the changing rooms, shower facilities and pool surrounds, a high flexibility cementitous membrane, MAPELASTIC SMART, was used to waterproof all surfaces.

Ideal for waterproofing bathrooms, showers, balconies, and terraces, as well as pools, up to a pressure of 1.5 bar, MAPELASTIC SMART is resistant to the penetration of aggressive substances, such as chlorides and sulphates. Fixing of the pool tiles, Domus Grip SM Corundum Glazed Group B Anti Slip Floor Tiles in White & Electric Blue down to 1.2m water depth and Domus Liscio SM Fully Vitrified Glazed Ceramic Pool Tiles in White & Electric Blue for the remaining pool floor and pool side walls, involved two more of Mapei’s products – KERAFLEX MAXI tile adhesive and ULTRACOLOR PLUS grout, these products were again used to fix Domus Bocciarda SM Glazed Ceramic Turning Tiles to the end pool walls.

With good adhesion strength and no vertical slip for ceramic tiles, KERAFLEX MAXI is a cement-based adhesive, for thicknesses from 3-15mm. Grouting took place using Ultracolor Plus. This water-resistant, polymer-modified grout has fast setting and drying properties, meaning that the pool could be filled just one week after tiling was completed, rather than the usual wait of four weeks.

The same Mapei product system was also used to install Domus Tiles from the same ranges to the learner pool, 10m dive/multiuse pool with raised floor and changing rooms and to install Domus Cromatica Vitrified Matt Glazed Ceramic wall Tiles, Domus Duotech Unglazed Porcelain Stone Floor Tiles to the pool hall walls and spectator seating respectively.

The main contractor was Leadbitter Construction for this project, screeding contractors were PP Screeds, rendering contractors were SDP Plastering and flooring and tiling contractors were Pickard Interiors and Birmingham Tile and Mosaic.

 

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Mapei’s TOPCEM fast drying screed, was recently used to provide the substrate on all floor areas in the new sixth form boarding house at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh for main contractor, Miller Construction. The £7.7 million accommodation block, due to be completed for the new school year, has 126 ensuite bedrooms and a total floor area of 4500m2.


TOPCEM is a normal setting, shrinkage-controlled binder for screeds, which, thanks to its rapid drying properties, hardens within 24 hours and is completely dry, whatever the thickness, within 4 days. As such, it is ideal for all projects, in particular where time is at a premium. It can be used indoors and outdoors and on both new and existing concrete, for the formation of bonded, unbonded and floating screeds. Ceramic tiles can then be laid after only 24 hours, natural stone after 3 days and resilient flooring and wood after 4-7 days.

TOPCEM is also ideal for the provision of screeds incorporating underfloor heating, as was the case at Merchiston, where TOPCEM was screeded at a thickness of 75mm over the Velta Classic C17 pipe system. Using TOPCEM allows the underfloor heating to be commissioned after only 4 days.

Mapei and Velta are working together on other large school, retail, hospital and general construction projects where the necessity to hand over the floors on time are of paramount importance.
The screeding contractor for this project was IFT (Industrial Floor Treatments – Industrial Floor Treatments – Specialists in floor screeds) of East Kilbride.

 

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Thanks to its total system approach to flooring, Mapei’s products were chosen for the construction of the science block at Clevedon Community School in North Somerset which is due to open in September.

Working closely with the main contractors Kier Western, Mapei supplied a fast-drying screed and levelling system, as well as a solvent-free acrylic adhesive for the fixing of the vinyl flooring. TOPCEM, a rapid-drying, shrinkage-controlled binder was chosen as the floor screed throughout the science block and was used over the under floor heating systems. Suitable for the installation of numerous flooring applications (ceramic tiles, vinyl, carpet, wood, natural stone), TOPCEM allows floor finishes to be laid within four to seven days. LATEXPLAN TRADE, a levelling and smoothing compound, was used over the TOPCEM screed.

Consisting of special cements and synthetic rubber latex, this two-part compound allows light foot traffic 1.5 – 2 hours after application. For the installation of the vinyl flooring, Forbo Marmoleum, ULTRABOND ECO VS90, a universally high temperature, solvent-free, low VOC-emission, non-staining acrylic adhesive was used.

Mapei is the world’s largest manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for building. With over 70 years experience, Mapei is a specialist in the production of quality products for the installation of all types of wall and floor coverings, and has a vast range of admixtures and repair products for concrete and building materials.

For further information on Mapei products call 0121 508 6970