Bamburi enters specialised mortar market, unveils ready-to-use tile adhesive line

The new mortar product is produced from carefully sourced raw materials, including chemical admixtures, cement and sand

By victor adar 

Bamburi Cement has entered into the specialized mortar sector by launching a ready-to-use tile adhesive into the Kenyan market by the brand name “Bamburi TectorCeram SETI 300”. 

Designed for placement of porous tiles including ceramic, terracotta, earthenware and natural stone tiles, the new product is not only in line with the firm’s vision to provide innovative solutions but also a result of continuous investment in research and development coupled with paying close attention to customers’ needs.

The company’s head of innovation and technical services, Fidelis Sakwa, said the introduction of the product into the market was in response to consumer needs and aligned to global construction trends in modern tiling which require more specialized tile adhesive solutions. 

Mr Sakwa said the move was informed by insights from the market with regard to shifting trends in tiling in residential houses, shopping complexes, offices, restaurants, hospitals, educational institutions, hotels, among others. 

“The challenges experienced by builders and contractors alike, have clearly demonstrated that the right tiling adhesive will satisfy the needs of our customers,” he said. 

The new tile adhesive is suitable for interior tiling solutions such as floor and wall applications and only requires the addition of water on site. Its advanced formulation and creamy workability also significantly increases the bonding strength to prevent “debonding” and speed up construction works.

“One of the challenges in the building industry today, is the prevalence of popping out, cracking and falling of tiles. Through the support of the Holcim Group research center in France in conjunction with our Bamburi team, we have specially formulated Bamburi Seti 300 to address this. Made from largely locally available materials, Seti is an excellent example of Kenyan manufactured solutions,” said Bamburi Cement’s sales director, Kanyi Gitonga. 

The company’s managing director Seddiq Hassani added that they are well positioned to develop and present yet another construction solution to resolve challenges in the tiling sector. 

Mr Hassani noted that while the construction industry is normally not perceived to be creative, it is in an environment that is constantly applying cutting-edge and innovative solutions. He believes Bamburi is well positioned to achieve much higher scale and profitability. The new line is the first of Bamburi Cement’s specialized mortar products as the company expands its offering to the construction industry.

“We are delighted to tap into the growing demand for specialty mortar products such as tile adhesives. The diversification of our product portfolio allows us to further differentiate, grow in new segments and enhance value for our customers and stakeholders,” said Hassani. 

He added that Seti is also part of their eco-responsible offerings as it is environmentally safe as it is manufactured from inert chemicals that do not harm the environment and has been deliberately designed to minimize the amount of water used to lay tiles. It is also economical to use and not only does it improve the adhesion strength and bonding of tiles but also enhances workability for fixing tiles resulting into aesthetically beautiful tiles.

“I am proud of this initiative because it eases the process of tiling in construction projects.   Bamburi TectorCeram SETI 300 is the ultimate choice as it has a very neat and strong finish, it is environmentally and consumer friendly and significantly reduces the potential cost of repairs and wasted time,” Mr Hassani added.