For the University of North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team, the Dean Smith Center isn’t just an arena where games are played. The venue and its locker rooms are all an important motivator for players and an invaluable recruitment tool for impressing potential athletes. Since the last updates to the locker rooms were 15 years ago, the team decided it was time for an upgrade that matched their reputation as a breeding ground for many of the sport’s top athletes.

Ultimately, Neuse Tile’s relationship with local vendors proved to be crucial in the attempt to provide options that were within design specifications, readily available in the right quantities and the right color of Carolina Blue. Finally, the entire renovation was limited to just seven months, with an expected completion prior to the start of the 2016 college basketball season. Neuse Tile was only given two months to complete their part in an effort to allot enough time for the other trades to complete theirs as well. The schedule was ultimately compressed even further due to the demanding materials selection and approval process, resulting in final completion just hours before the grand opening gala.

The project used approximately 6,000 square feet of large-format, glass and mosaic tiles that were installed by Neuse Tile during the locker room renovation, each with associated waterproofing and substrate preparation. Laticrete products were used in conjunction with various Tile Council of North America (TCNA) installation methods to resolve many issues during the construction process. Products were chosen not only for their specific performance, such as Laticrete 4-XLT being the ideal large and heavy tile mortar solution to its non-sag performance and its shear bond strength, but for how well they worked cohesively to solve the problems at hand.

The rapid curing formula of the Hydro Ban waterproofing product allowed multiple phases of the work to proceed simultaneously with careful coordination. Completed and often concurrent  installations included mud-set installations, the use of various membranes, thinset installations on concrete, large-format glass wall tile, extensive waterproofing, the use of linear drains and preformed niches and tile installations in the construction of therapy pools.

Since the completion of the project, the men’s basketball locker room is now considered among the best locker rooms nationwide and continues to be a talking point for the school at large. “Our many years of experience, technical knowledge and craftsmanship as an NTCA Five-Star Contractor were called upon during this process,” said Wadford. “That, and a great deal of collaboration from the entire construction team, as well as the product solutions from Laticrete, made this tightly scheduled project a huge success.”