New Primo floor tile profiles: Solving the shrinkage problem for good

A ceramic tile floor can be laid with traditional grout as filler between the individual tiles, but it can also be laid using an extruded profile to fill the gaps.
Ingenious as it may sound, this solution has problems, too – mainly due to shrinkage. Extruded plastic profiles tend to shrink when exposed to strong agents such as chlorine; but now, Primo has solved that problem once and for all.

No shrinkage due to chlorine exposure

Using profiles instead of traditional (and messy) grout is a brilliant idea, but the material used has not always been up to the task. Extruded profiles exposed to detergents and chemicals such as chlorine will shrink, allowing for water to seep in under the tiles – with major damage as an inevitable end result. 

Primo’s new profile has changed all that. The material composition, which is based on Primo’s long experience with plastic extrusion for windows and doors, ensures that no shrinkage or degrading can occur. This means that the profiles between the tiles will remain watertight and unbroken for much longer than when using ordinary solutions.

Fits any floor

The new profile is simply laid out on the floor after the tile mortar has been spread. The tiles are then placed easily and accurately between the profiles, and the floor is finished. Should the profile itself become cracked or dirty, the profile can be replaced without having to remove the tiles themselves – an additional, but not insignificant benefit for the user.

As the profiles come in various colours, heights and widths, they will fit any time of ceramic tile floor, and are ideal for high-load surroundings and for floors in and around swimming pools and public baths.

A flagship project for Primo Building

The new profiles were developed as part of a project with one of the largest German producers of ceramic tiles. 

Frank Henning, who is the new Business Area Director for Primo Building, explains: 

“This particular project is a good demonstration of what Primo is all about. We do not just want to make profiles based on a technical drawing; we want to influence the market and to work closely with our customers in developing new and innovative solutions.”

The floor tile profiles have been developed at Primo and are based on the experience gained in other industries and materials used in similar solutions. 

Frank Henning says: “We’re proud that we have solved one of the main problems in floor tile profiles with this elegant solution and that our knowhow can be used in floor tiling, as well. And we are sure that there are many more projects out there, where our knowledge and innovative way of thinking can come in handy.”