Installing exterior

glazed wall tile

Structural ceramic tile
offers aesthetic
versatility, strength, and
easy maintenance but
requires special
precautions during
construction

By Kathy Gayhart

S
tructural glazed wall tile
offers design flexibility and
long life. Architects specify
it because of numerous color op-
tions, precise unit sizing that al-
lows consistent mortar joints,
and an impervious surface that
resists the wear and tear of a
harsh environment. But the com-
position and impervious surface
es and wind loads of more than sidered.
of this exterior loadbearing tile
30 pounds per square foot. Al- When designing exterior walls
product, which can be specified in
though water can’t penetrate the with structural glazed tile, allow
place of brick or concrete block,
glazed surface of these units, it a 2-inch cavity between the outer
also necessitate special design
can enter the wall system through and inner wythes. Include flashing
considerations and installation
mortar joints, copings, sills, and at the base course, coping, and
procedures.
belt courses. The condensation of shelf angles and below all wall
Proper detailing and construc-
water vapor from inside the build- openings. Make sure the design
tion is especially critical when
ing and capillary contact through shows the flashing projecting be-
working with exterior structural
the ground also results in mois- yond the edge of the wall, as you
glazed tile, a mixture of shale and
ture penetration. would when designing other ma-
fireclay, because of moisture haz-
As with any masonry system, sonry wall systems.
ards (Ref. 1). Unlike the interior
water buildup can cause expan- Weep holes at the bottom of the
product, made of fireclay, the ex-
sion and spalling in freeze-thaw exterior wythe should be open or
terior product is vertically cored
conditions; so a system for ex- vented head joints, spaced at 24
to allow water that has penetrat-
pelling water from the wall is a inches on center. Above lintels
ed the wall system to drain down-
must. But because glazed tile has and spandrel beam supports in
ward toward the flashing. (For
an impermeable exterior surface curtain and panel walls, space
more information on the proper-
that can trap water in the wall, weep holes 32 inches apart.
ties of structural glazed clay tile,
weep holes, flashing, and a drain- To further reduce moisture
see Masonry Construction, Octo-
age cavity become even more im- penetration problems, designers
ber 1991, pp. 390-392.)
portant than they are in other should include a ventilation sys-
Water penetration is of greatest
types of masonry construction. tem in head joints at the top of
concern when installing exterior
Supplemental ventilation and a the wall. Plastic or aluminum
units in geographic areas with an
vapor barrier should also be con- vents placed in mortarless head
annual rainfall of at least 30 inch-
joints, spaced at every 10 square
feet of wall surface, allow air cir-
culation, which assists evapora-
tion and minimizes condensation.
In addition, a vapor barrier, such
as a bituminous tar coating,
should be placed on the warm side
of the wall cavity. This keeps mois-
ture from penetrating the interi-
or wythe.
Expansion joint placement
Flexible anchorage to columns
and beams and installation of ex-
pansion joints also helps prevent
water damage. Because structural
glazed tile units undergo much
less expansion than many other
masonry products, designers can
space expansion joints farther
apart—typically at every 100 feet
of wall and 4 to 10 feet from each
corner.
The lineal coefficient of ther-
mal expansion for structural
glazed tile is 0.0000025 per de-
gree Fahrenheit. That means 100
lineal feet of wall will expand
lengthwise by 5⁄16 inch at 100° F.
The tile’s coefficient of moisture
expansion is only 0.0002.
Mortar guidelines
Mortar selection should be
based on ASTM C 270 (Ref. 2). In
most cases, either Type N or Type
S mortar will provide suitable
strength properties, durability,
and workability. In cases where
high compressive stresses control
the design, Type M mortar may
be required. Always consult the
tile manufacturer.
Masons must lay structural glazed tile
carefully because it is vunerable to
chipping.
Because glazed tile
units have a low rate of
absorption, the mortar
should have a stiffer
consistency than that
used to lay some types
of brick or block. Ma-
sonry crews should con-
sult with their tile dis-
tributor on the amount
of water to add to the
mortar mixture.
Since mortar joints Architects specify structural glazed tile because of
are particularly vulner- numerous color options and precise unit sizing that
able to water penetra- allows consistent mortar joints. Shown is the Univer-
tion, masons should sity of North Carolina’s Center for Public Television.
make certain that all
head and bed joints are complete-
ly filled with mortar.
Chippage concerns
Structural glazed tile has a
hard ceramic surface that is vul-
nerable to chipping, so special
care must be taken in shipping
and handling the product. Since
most tile manufacturers wrap
cardboard around each unit for
protection, the breakage allow-
ance during transportation is no
more than that of clay brick—ap-
proximately 3% to 5%.
Masons and laborers, however,
need to be taught that glazed tile
can’t be banged around on the job-
site. Tile distributors and manu-
facturers often offer training on
how to handle the product with
care.
Walls built of structural tile
need extra protection during con-
struction. In all weather condi-
tions, the top of the wall and all
glazed surfaces should be protect-
ed with reinforced polyethylene
sheeting or a tarp at the end of
the day. Also, cover the wall when
the roof is being put on the build-
ing, after the wall is finished, and
when other trades are working
nearby. To prevent weather dam-
age, crews should store all mater-
ial in a covered area until it is
ready to be installed in the wall.
The way tile units are cut also
differentiates them from other
masonry materials. Tile contains
a much finer grind of clay and
shale than brick does, so it be-
comes considerably more compact
and harder when fired. It also be-
comes more brittle. Consequent-
ly, cutting tile units requires a
high-speed wet masonry saw with
a diamond blade.
Maintenance caveats and
rewards
During construction, greater
care must be taken to keep struc-
tural glazed tile clean. However,
once the building is completed,
the glazed units provide easier
maintenance.
Glazed surfaces should be wiped
clean after joint tooling or within
30 minutes after laying. The lon-
ger a mark remains on the sur-
face, the more it will bond with
that surface and the harder time
you’ll have removing it.
Metal scrapers and abrasive
powders should not be used. Wood-
en scrapers or paddles are best
for cleaning mortar lumps and
residue. Once the mortar has
hardened, the wall can be washed
with clean cloths or sponges, wa-
ter, and a detergent or mild clean-
er.
If you use a masonry cleaning
product, be sure to read the man-
ufacturer’s instructions, and wet
the wall thoroughly first. Dilute
the product sufficiently and rinse
it off completely. Don’t leave a
cleaning solution on the wall over-
night, or you risk discoloring,
streaking, or etching the surface.
Once the tile wall is finished, it
is easy to clean. Felt-tip marker,
for example, will wash off with
soap and water. A mild cleaning
agent and water can be used in
more difficult situations, such as
 concrete block, architects and
masons must be aware of its dif-
ferences. If simple precautions
are followed, structural glazed
tile will provide enduring satis-
faction.

References
1. ASTM C 126, “Standard Specification for
Ceramic Glazed Structural Clay Facing Tile,
Facing Brick, and Solid Masonry Units,”
American Society for Testing and Materials,
Exterior structural glazed tile units are 1916 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19103.
vertically cored to allow water that has 2. ASTM C 270, “Standard Specification for
penetrated the wall system to drain Mortars for Unit Masonry,” ASTM.
downward toward the flashing. Kathy Gayhart is a technical representative
for Stark Ceramics Inc. in Canton, Ohio.
spray-paint graffiti. To remove
something greasy, you can use
dishwashing liquid. The tile sur-
face also is scratch-resistant, in
case the graffiti vandal decides to
use a knife instead.
Structural glazed wall tile of-
fers a variety of benefits for exte-
rior application. Although it can
be specified in place of other ma-
sonry materials such as brick or

PUBLICATION #M940008
Copyright © 1994, The Aberdeen Group
All rights reserved