Arch Tarana E Daroogar, technical service manager for Mapei in the UAE, said: 'Mapei has studied, developed and perfected the groundbreaking stone testing system, which we believe is certainly unique to the UAE and the Middle East region, in line with the company’s commitment to introduce state-of-the-art building solutions that ultimately enhance the quality of our product offerings and deliver cost-saving benefits to customers.

'Prior to the development of this machine, the conventional practice was to offer a conservative, yet costly one-size-fits-all adhesive solution to customers. Mapei’s game-changing technology now makes it possible to consider a range of different adhesive solutions for installation, quite often resulting in an overall cost saving, without compromising quality and durability.'

Mapei is well known for its range of adhesives and grouts used for installing ceramic and natural stones.

The company offers a portfolio of grouting materials to fit all kinds of flooring applications. Its award-winning Keraflex high-performance cement-based adhesive, for one, is widely used in the UAE for ceramic tile and stone material applications. Keraflex offers good adhesion strength, prevents vertical slips and deforms minimally. It bonds perfectly to normal construction materials and can absorb substrate deformation. Its setting time is also longer (particularly relevant under this region’s climatic conditions) and its shrinkage is negligible upon hardening. The eco-friendly process used to produce Keraflex reduces production-related CO2 emissions by between 20 to 25 per cent.

Application of Keracolor FF works best on ceramic, stone and marble flooring

Mapei’s Keracolor FF and UltraColor Plus lines of polymer-modified, water-repellant grouts, on the other hand, feature DropEffect – a technology which dramatically reduces the absorption of water and other liquids. The cementitious Keracolor FF is optimised for joints up to 6 mm and is best applied to ceramic, stone and marble flooring. UltraColor Plus works well with residential flooring, facades and heavy-traffic areas such as restaurants and shopping malls as it is designed for joints from 20 to 20 mm. It also features anti-mould BioBlock technology.

Kerapoxy, on the other hand, is an acid-resistant epoxy grout for joints of at least 3 mm. It comes in 26 different colours and can be used as an adhesive. Kerapoxy does not shrink and thus prevents the formation of cracks and fissures. It has high abrasion strength, becomes very hard and is excellent for heavy-traffic areas. It is recommended for food industry settings, swimming pools and industrial floors, among others.

Mapei’s grouting and other installation products are available in the UAE with Innovative Building Solutions (IBS), the company’s local subsidiary.

'A lot of people do not pay much attention to grout, which is unfortunate because the importance of this material goes beyond filling flooring gaps. Grouting makes the floor more durable and prevents the edges of tiles from chipping and cracking. While using cheap grout may reduce costs initially, in the long-term this will lead to easily worn and damaged flooring. Grouting should thus be viewed as an essential flooring investment,' said business development director Laith Haboubi.

'Another important aspect is the colour of the grout, which Mapei offers in 26 standard colours that can be selected to complement or contrast the tiles selected.'

Haboubi emphasised that flooring was one of the most important aspects of house-building or buying and required the investment of considerable time and effort in order to ensure that the right materials are used for the right flooring types and conditions. Adhesives and grouting materials in particular should be purchased from reputable manufacturers so that flooring preparation and installation became a memorable rather than a regrettable experience.

The Grand Mosque at Abu Dhabi, where Mapei products were used

Commenting on business, Haboubi says: 'Our tile adhesive and grout lines have been very well received and have in fact yet again posted a growth rate of more than 100 per cent over the past year. We have also made tremendous progress in other lines such as our screeds and self-levelling solutions, our concrete repair and protection systems and more recently our admixtures for readymix and precast industries.'

He said the huge appeal of Mapei offerings lay in their ability to overcome many problems associated with the region’s climate and even workmanship issues. The products provided a longer life span and could prevent installation problems that many residential, commercial and industrial facilities faced. On the other hand, Mapei’s products could also assist greatly in ‘fast-tracking’ projects where required.

Moreover, more than 150 of Mapei’s products are considered ‘green’ or environmentally friendly which makes them a valuable contributor for projects requiring Leed or Estidama rating.

Founded in Milan, Italy in 1937, Mapei is now a global leader in the production of adhesives and chemical products for buildings. Mapei has 68 subsidiaries with 58 production facilities in operations spread across 27 countries on five continents.

In Dubai, Mapei has been involved in some of the most challenging construction projects, including the Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa, Emirates Palace Hotel, Atlantis Hotel on Palm Jumeirah, Burj Al Arab, Ferrari World, Dubai Metro and Dubai International Airport’s Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The company’s products were also used for the Grand Mosque and Qasr El Sarab resort (both in Abu Dhabi emirate).

'We are currently providing materials for Nation Towers – a landmark project in Abu Dhabi - and Sahara Mall (Sharjah) and are being approached for other key projects throughout the Emirates due to our reputation and track record,' says Haboubi.

'We are keen to be closer to our customers in different market segments, which is why we recently signed a couple of reseller agreements in the UAE in order to further strengthen the availability of our products and we look forward to sign more during the course of this year.'