Royal Bank of Scotland

The Royal Bank of Scotland, founded in 1727, is now a leading global bank.  Its headquarters in Edinburgh sees thousands walk through its reception every year, and the area required an extensive renovation. To achieve this, ARDEX products were selected for the project, with the work commencing in July 2015.

The project was not short on complexity; grade 2 listed tiles were under the previously carpeted flooring, and these had to remain in place and intact.  This meant the historic tiles had to be levelled  to create an even surface for the next stage of the installation, without any damage to the tiles.  ARDITEX NA was specified to level the tiled floor, as it has excellent adhesion to almost all substrates without priming.

To protect the grade 2 listed tiles, and to ensure that further renovations in the future would be more straightforward, ARDEX specified a Decoupling Mat to protect and separate the tiles from the new tiles that were to be installed.  The ARDEX Decoupling Mat is also designed to withstand the high level of traffic that would be passing over the reception floor upon completion.

Adrian Ashby, Business Development Manager at ARDEX, commented “The fast drying properties of ARDEX products were important due to the strict timeframe of the project, which had to be completed quickly in order to minimise disruption to RBS customers.  For example, ARDEX X 32 Rapid Drying Natural Stone Wall and Floor Tile Adhesive, was a key product for this renovation, as it allows the installed tiles to be walked on and grouted in as little as three hours after fixing.”

Adrian concluded “ARDEX X 32 was also capable of dealing with the thickness and heaviness of the granite slabs, and the fact that it is designed for fixing moisture sensitive natural stone tiles meant that it was the perfect choice for tiles which are susceptible to moisture staining.  ARDEX MG Natural Stone Tile Grout was also used for this purpose, as it virtually eliminates risk of staining, also known as ‘picture framing’ on tile edges.”

All ARDEX products are deigned to work together, an important factor when delivering the renovation to the highest standard.