The beauty of Natural Stone has been admired throughout time not only for it’s appearance but it’s durability and practicality. The most commonly used stones, Travertine, Limestone, Marble, Slate and Granite, are used because of their abundance, ease of quarrying, workability and their good working characteristics. In the past Natural Stone, once laid, was left to its own devices, building up a patina (like a natural seal) through everyday living. Nowadays the trend is to keep the stone looking as it was when it was quarried, protecting it from soiling, staining and the laying process. Here we provide some general guidance to achieve this.
Selection
Once you have chosen a Natural Stone, ask if it has been sealed and what with (you will need to replicate the sealing to obtain the same look). It is beneficial to ask to see our current stocks as it is a natural characteristic for Natural Stone to differ in colour and shading from tile to tile and batch to batch. There are large variations in the quality of Natural Stone available; porosity, hardness, sizing, pitting and general appearance. You will tend to get what you pay for so always ask to see current tile stock. Not all companies are as stringent in their selection of Natural Stone as we are!
Delivery
Once delivered move the Natural Stone to a dry location and if damp allow to dry. Care in handling the unsealed Natural Stone is required to avoid marking, staining or chipping the edges. |
Adhesives and Grouts
Natural Stone can be susceptible to staining from the wrong type of adhesive and grout. Usually a white rapid set adhesive is used to reduce the chance of this happening, and a rapid setting grout of a similar colour to the stone is normally used. A full range of suitable tile adhesives and tile grouts are available from our stock.
Natural Stone Tile Laying
The laying of Natural Stone tiles is much the same as ceramic tiles, although more care is needed in spacing and bedding as even the best will have some size variation. Care will also be needed to ensure the surface of the tiles are not contaminated with adhesive residues. When laid the tiles may need to be cleaned and allowed to dry before the first sealing coat is applied. If the floor needs to be dried protect it with a breathable membrane (such as a dust sheet). Do not use polythene sheeting.
Sealing
The job of the seal is to reduce the porosity of the Natural Stone to avoid staining. The correct seal application will make maintenance much easier. The sealing takes place before grouting with a
final coat after grouting to totally
saturate the stone.
Maintenance
Natural Stone does require a little
more care than ceramic tiles. The
correct cleaners are very important, acid based cleaners can be highly damaging. The sealers will
require replacing periodically,
especially in showers.
All the tile seals, tile cleaners, tile
adhesives and grouts are available
from stock. |
