Instarmac tiles help make an aisle for an isle

Ultra materials, supplied by Tamworth based adhesives manufacturer - the Instarmac Group plc, played their part in the aisle's restoration.

Following recent refurbishment work, parishioners, newly weds and visitors alike will now be able to admire the full beauty of the restored Victorian tiling which now forms the surface of the south aisle running the length of St Martin's Parish Church, located in Jersey, Channel Islands.

The beautiful tile replacement work will now be logged into the 12th century church's history and the recorded account will, no doubt, include that fact that Ultra materials, supplied by Tamworth based adhesives manufacturer - the Instarmac Group plc, played their part in the aisle's restoration.

Large sections of the aisle had become uneven and unsafe to walk on, due to subsidence of the aisle's under-layer of sea sand and clay.

As a result, the tiles had begun to lift, crack and pose a health and safety hazard.

Since each of the small replacement clay tiles was to be re-set individually and because of the complicated nature of the design, it was important that the fixer used an adhesive that would allow extended working time.

The work, which demanded both skill and patience, was entrusted to Jersey based Connor Devlin, with materials supplied by The Tile Barn - Instarmac's distributor of Ultra Adhesives in Jersey.

Initially, the old tiles were removed and this revealed a very uneven substrate.

To correct the undulations and provide a smooth surface, Ultra Concrete Floor Leveller was applied.

The single part, polymer-modified levelling and smoothing compound is unique because it can be applied up to 50mm thick in one pass, plus it sets in approximately three hours and thus facilitated the early replacement of the tiles.

Ultra Concrete Floor Leveller is equally at home on all common substrates such as concrete, sand and cement screeds, floor grading asphalt and even pre-prepared in situ tiles.

Once the leveller had set, each clay tile was re-positioned using UltraFloor SS, a cementitious-based wall and floor tile adhesive, which has been specially formulated to extend working time.

UltraFloor SS adheres to most building substrates, including concrete, sand/cement render and screeds, brick and block work.

Victorian style tiling is currently enjoying a revival.

Inspiration derives from the many original examples still visible on local doorsteps, in halls and along garden pathways.

The Victorians set these small clay tiles very close together in attractive geometric designs, often laid in staggered courses like brickwork, diagonally, or in square grid formations as favoured today.

As the use of these tiles becomes more and more popular, Instarmac anticipate an increasing use of its materials for their installation.

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