BAL are celebrating after winning Best Innovation at this year’s Tile Association (TTA) Awards and also scooping the Best Environmental Initiative as part of ARDEX Group UK.
The TTA Awards 2025 took place at The Hilton Metropole on Friday 16th May and were themed “Celebrating Excellence” – recognising the best of the best in the tiling industry.
“Best Innovation 2025” was won by BAL Micromax Grout-Effect Sealant, which was recognised by judges and a public vote as the most innovative tiling product (or service) of the last year.
Launched in July last year, BAL Micromax Grout-Effect Sealant is a unique matt-effect sealant that matches BAL Micromax3 ECO Grout and BAL Absolute Grout in colour AND texture.
It provides fixers with a sealant that can be used for seamless perimeter and soft movement joints, internal and external corners, without standing out from the grout joints.
It has proved a great success, with BAL Micromax Grout-Effect Sealant completely replacing the old “shiny” traditional technologies of BAL sealants in distribution partners.
The first of its kind for the UK tiling sector the product is a solution for seamless joints with thousands of users across the UK choosing the product as the finishing sealant of choice, and the one that clients can rely on for perfect results that last.
ARDEX Group UK also took home “Best Environmental Initiative” for the Group’s Building Tomorrow initiative – with with a commitment to being fully Carbon Neutral by 2045 and being Carbon Neutral for Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2030.
The UK Group, consisting of ARDEX UK and Building Adhesives Ltd, has crafted and part-implemented a Sustainability Roadmap to ensure that the UK business achieves these goals through a wide range of initiatives including sustainable sourcing of materials, recycling, waste reduction, extended product life-cycles, energy efficiency and sustainable energy sourcing and sustainable work-place practices.
Further success came later in the evening as tiling contractors Elite Tiling Ltd won Best Commercial Large (over 250m2) – Hospitality and Leisure) for Cozenton Sports Centre in Rainham, Kent which used a full ARDEX pool solution.
All categories were decided through a combination of a public vote and an expert judging panel.
David Hackett, Managing Director at ARDEX Group UK, said: “To win these awards recognises our continued efforts and achievements and further endorses our products, services and sustainability credentials.
“These accomplishments are for everyone across the company who have contributed towards the success of BAL Grout-Effect Sealant and the implementation of our Building Tomorrow sustainability roadmap.
“I’d also like to congratulate Gary and Jay Bude and the team at Elite Tiling Ltd for their success with the Cozenton Sports Centre – it is a superb facility, and we were delighted to work with them throughout the project to ensure its success.”