For easy plumb walls, Planitop 330 Fast comes to the rescue

There is one thing you can count on when approaching a wall tile installation: The walls are rarely plumb (out of vertical) and true. MAPEI’s Planitop 330 Fast was designed to fix out-of-plumb walls and more.

Here’s a typical jobsite scenario: Walls are being framed in a room. The framers go home and the framing shifts around a door opening. Do you think that the sheetrock guys are checking with a plumb bob? They are not about to break out the plumb bobs and chalk line! They simply cover over the shifted framing, and no one is the wiser until they start to build out the interior. The tile guys come in and are upset because they are on a schedule and tile over the walls anyway, compounding the problem. Sound familiar?

In the past, fixing this problem and making the walls plumb would be time-consuming and problematic. The bowed or out-of-plumb wallboard would have to be removed from the studs to adjust spacer blocks, add shims to the top and bottom and do whatever else it takes to address the issue. A common practice in the field is for an installer to address the problem while installing the tile, leveling slightly out-of-plumb walls as he goes. But doing so risks lippage, uneven tiles and uneven grout joints.

According to construction guidelines from The National Association of Home Builders (USA):

• When a concrete block wall is not plumb:
  “Block concrete walls will not be out of plumb greater than 1" in 8 feet (2.5 cm in 2.44 m) when measured from the base to the top of the wall.”
• When a framed wall is not plumb:
  “The interior face of wood-framed walls will not be more than 3/8" (10 mm) out of plumb for any 32" (81.3 cm) in any vertical measurement.”
• When a wall is bowed:
  “Walls will not bow more than 1/2" (12 mm) out of line within 32" (81.3 cm) horizontal measurement. or 1/2" (12 mm) out of line within any 8-foot (2.44 m) vertical measurement.”

Fixing the wall to such standards could be a big challenge. For easy plumb/true walls, Planitop 330 Fast comes to the rescue.

Using Planitop 330 Fast

Planitop 330 Fast is a quick-setting, polymer-modified, fiber-reinforced cementitious rendering, patching, and leveling mortar for interior/exterior walls, floors and submerged areas. You can now fix out-of-plumb cement backer units, gypsum wallboard and plaster (primed with ECO Prim Grip), shotcrete and pool plaster, as well as masonry cement block, brick and cement mortar beds. Planitop 330 Fast can be applied from 1/8" to 1-1/4" (3 mm to 3.2 cm) to ramp, smooth and level surfaces. At 70°F (21°C), the installation will be ready for waterproofing application in about 24 hours and for the installation of tile or stone in about 3 to 4 hours.

Use Planitop 330 Fast for installing:

• Shower walls, floors, curbs and shower seats
• Concrete wall surfaces
• Concrete or screed floors to prepare for setting ceramic tile
• Repairing or forming slopes on terraces and balconies
• Preparing pools and fountains to receive tile

To discuss your installation or for additional assistance, please call MAPEI Canada Technical Services at 1‑800‑361-9309.