Mapei has assisted to bring London landmark and national icon of British maritime history, Cutty Sark, back to her prime after being badly damaged by fire in May 2007. Cutty Sark, which is preserved in Greenwich, London, has since undergone major refurbishment.

Mapei’s high performance, flexible cementitious adhesive; Keraflex and Mapei’s flexible, versatile, multi-purpose grout; Ultracolor Plus in new Limestone colour were utilised in the project to complement Domus’ 1200x600, 600x600 and 600x300mm modular format Porcelain Creta Beige tiles. The installation involved cutting the Domus Porcelain Creta Beige tiles to form a tiled floor to the entire dry berth beneath the famous ship extending over some 1,000m2 plus viewing area and reception at the bow and stern of the ship

The floor installation was expertly completed by stone, marble and ceramics contractors - Stone Concepts. Lynn Sherriff, Managing Director at Stone Concepts commented “A big thanks to Mapei, for the launch of colour 299 Limestone Ultracolor Plus Grout, we had been waiting for this colour for a long time, and it’s top of our list now for all our limestone works.”

Keraflex and Ultracolor Plus were ideal for the heavy amount of foot traffic anticipated at the tourist attraction. They were also ideal to fit with the strict timescales Stone Concepts were faced with which saw three shifts of fixers work around the clock to ensure the floors were completed on schedule. Ultracolor Plus is also mould resistant and water-repellent with BioBlock® and DropEffect® technologies respectively, which assist in the prevention of mould and the reduction of surface water absorption, thus providing a long lasting aesthetic finish.

Mapei’s Keraflex and Ultracolor Plus were also used to fix tiles in the reception area and new cafe. Alongside these areas Stone Concepts were responsible for restoring the floors within the historic tea clipper’s galley within one of her deck houses. After three months of searching, tiles were finally sourced to match the original tiles used on the ship. Again a combination of Mapei’s Keraquick adhesive and Ultracolor Plus grout (this time using Jasmine shade) were utilised to install the tiles.

The restoration was designed by architects, Grimshaw with the construction work being overseen by construction managers, FB Ellmer Ltd. The world’s last surviving tea clipper has been brought back to life. In her prime Cutty Sark sailed the tea routes between Europe and the East Indies during the 19th century. She was the fastest and greatest of her time and remains a memorial to the men of the merchant navy.

For more Mapei product information or for your local stockist please call +44 (0)121 508 6970. Technical data sheets can also be found online at www.mapei.co.uk.