1. The substrate must be firm, dry, and clean. You cannot install over a smooth and shiny surface. For a good adhesive binding, substrate must be leveled first with sandpaper. Adhesive should be applied over the entire area of the tile, so that when pressed upon, the excessive adhesive flows from beneath.
2. We recommend using a natural stone adhesive that is both elastic and resistant to freeze-thaw cycles. Apply a 4-6 mm adhesive layer on the back of your tile, then press tile against the wall and maintain it there, until the adhesive is cured, so that tile will not fall.
3. After installation, excessive adhesive must be removed with a brush.
4. Keep away from rain your newly installed natural stone tiles, until adhesive is completely cured.
5. Tiles must be sheltered from rain with at least 24 hours before installation. Also, installation of tiles should be performed only in the temperature range of 5° – 25°C.
6. It is recommended to install tiles from different packs in order to prevent potential color differences, resulted from specifics of natural stone, with distinct colors and dimensions.
7. PIATRAONLINE assumes no responsibility in the event of wrong tile installation. After installation, it is mandatory to seal every natural stone surface.
Instructions for installation and aftercare of decorative elements:
Decorative elements are manufactured in order to resist temperature variations. Even so, during the cold season they must be water emptied from the inside out, dried, and foiled, for protection against the damaging effects of freeze-thaw cycles.
Instructions for installation and aftercare of natural stone:
1. The substrate must be firm, dry, and clean. You cannot install over a smooth and shiny surface. For a good adhesive binding, substrate must be leveled first with sandpaper. Adhesive should be applied over the entire area of the tile, so that when pressed upon, the excessive adhesive flows from beneath.
2. We recommend using a natural stone adhesive that is both elastic and resistant to freeze-thaw cycles. Apply a 4-6 mm adhesive layer on the back of your tile, then press tile against the wall and maintain it there, until the adhesive is cured, so that tile will not fall.
3. For joints grouting, always clean them thoroughly for dust and other residues. It is recommended to start grouting 24 hours after cladding the floors and walls. Freshly filled grouts must be kept away from direct sunlight, wind, rain, and frost.
4. Tiles must be sheltered from rain with at least 24 hours before installation. Also, installation of tiles should be performed only in temperature range of 5° – 25°C.
5. PIATRAONLINE assumes no responsibility in the event of wrong installation or tile aftercare.
6. After installation, it is mandatory to seal every natural stone surface.
Instructions for installation and aftercare of marble mosaic:
1. A plastic foil with holes must be laid over the surface which is going to be cladded with mosaic so that air and water can easily flow.
2. A layer of marble dust must be applied over the foil. The recommended composition is: 2 kg marble gravel (decorative mosaic) – 1 kg marble dust.
3. Marble mosaic is applied over marble dust screed.
4. The product's packaging is environmentally friendly; therefore, bags should not be stored outside (exposed to direct sunlight).
Useful information before installation:
Natural stone tiles are often tightly packed in crates and might be dirty from the different finishing processes which occurred prior to packaging. It is therefore recommended to wash and dry the natural stone tiles before installation, using either water or a professional cleaner. Tiles must be dried so that those which present themselves with minor faults are placed in less visible areas or are used for cut-outs. Please make sure that the natural stone tiles are mixed up before installation. This means that you should unpack all crates and all pallets from your delivery. All tiles must be unpacked, and installation crew must be informed of your installation requirements.
Minor damages such as cracks often come up while packing or unpacking tiles and this is normal. Use those plates for cut-outs or in less visible areas. Begin tile installation from the middle of your room. Make sure to dry them before installation in order to prevent improper cuts or to be able to adjust the grout layer necessary for uneven plates. Such type of tiles should be picked out and marked. The thinner tiles will determine the height of the floor so they should be installed from the beginning. In this way they can be leveled with adhesive suitable for large format flooring.
All sizes are nominal meaning that small variations in size and thickness may occur for flooring tiles. The substrate should be uniform, level, dry and free from dust, grease, or dirt. Make sure your installation crew is informed and familiar with the products which they are going to install in order to meet your expectations.
Adhesive
Every natural stone, terracotta, ceramic, and porcelain tile must be extremely well bind after installation. Use a flexible adhesive such as Weber Set Stone or Weber Set Marmo Plus for wet spaces or areas with underfloor heating. The color of the adhesive which you are going to use depends on the color of your stone and grout. For example, if you want to install pale limestone you must use a white adhesive in order to prevent any shadow or sign of dirt.
Mix the adhesive according to user’s instructions, add the powder in clean water and stir until you obtain a smooth consistency paste. Make sure to mix enough adhesive for your product. The substrate must be cleaned, always even, dry and firm. Make sure you also clean both sides of your tiles, so that they are free of grease, oils, dust, or other residues. The adhesive mortar must be laid on the supporting surface using a grooved trowel with teeth. For large size tiles, adhesive will be applied on both the substrate and the back of your tile. The tiles are then pressed by hand until an even surface is obtained.
The tiles must be placed on the adhesive layer during the fixture time of your adhesive. Work on small areas and remove all traces of dry adhesive. The back of some tiles which are totally uneven such as some types of travertine must also be leveled with adhesive. Make sure that adhesive is perfectly applied on the tile so that no empty spaces are left on the tile's surface. You may clean the extra adhesive before it dries out using a wet sponge. It will be a lot harder to clean once dried. Do not step on the freshly installed tiles before the adhesive cures. This may take 3 hours for fast setting adhesives and up to 4 hours for standard adhesives.
In order to even out the differences which occur when installing uncalibrated pieces of natural stone on a large area you should use flexible adhesive. These will only be noticed if you apply a mix of different sizes from an uncalibrated material.
Grouting
For natural stone it is recommended to use cement-based grouting. Natural stone with textured surface may need 6-10 mm grouts whereas finished and honed surface stones will need 3-5 mm grouts. All grouts should be cleaned free of dust and dried out adhesive. Before grouting, it is also recommended to wait for 24 hours after cladding the floors or walls.
Mortar is applied in the opened joint network using a rubber float or a squeegee for joints until the grouts are filled. Excess material is then removed with moistened sponge float. The grouts must have at least 3 mm of space for allowing any movement of the tiles. It is not recommended, and it is not possible to install tiles without joints. The grout's width must allow any tile with variable size to be attached to the floor. When installing a mix of different sizes such as a French Pattern Flooring, the empty space between grouts will vary in terms of thickness because of tiles configuration model.
Use LTP Grout & Tile Protector Spray to protect the newly installed tiles from the residual mortar and the grout used for cladding. It is efficient in protecting the grout from water, dirt, oils, greases and limescale. Any traces of grout found on the tile surface should be removed while grouting. It is recommended to wash them immediately after grouting using a proper cleaning solution, but before surface sealing.
In case you need flexible adhesive, you should prepare a composition with only one part of flexible grout. Every natural stone tile should be sealed with a thin coat of sealant right after grouting because some tiles might absorb pigments from the cement-based grout. The strong pigmented grouts can be subjected to efflorescence as the salts contained in the pigments will be releases as soon as the stone dries.
How to build a stone walkway over sand bed
Building a stone walkway in your courtyard does not require a lot of experience and you do not even have to cut or arrange the stone in a special way. All you need is a large quantity of sand for underlay and simply lay the stone over a sand bed, then tamp it with a rubber mallet (hammer).
Supplies list
You must carry stone and soil (more or less, depending on your walkway) so you will need shovel and wheelbarrow. If you have a longer walkway, use a lawn mower, but you can also strip the grass with spade and pickaxe. You will also need a rubber mallet for fixing the stone in the sand and hand tamper or jumping jack tamper for soil compaction. Other essential tools include broom, spirit level and a pair of work gloves.
Calculating the area | Expert advice
Calculate the total walkway surface and add 15% more for making sure you never run out of materials, while also covering possible losses (cracks or tiles that you do not like). If you want stairs for your walkways, better ask professional advice from your stone supplier, or from an expert in natural stone installation. This will clarify exactly the required quantity of stone for this project. Although many natural stones for walkways have a price per sqm, there is also natural stone (cobblestone) sold by weight (1 tone).
Steps for installation
1. Mark the pattern on the grass, using spray or colored dust.
2. Dig for at least 20 cm in depth. Ideally, soil should be levelled afterwards with hand tamper or jumping jack tamper.
3. Pour a layer of sand of approximately 7 - 8 cm. Sand thickness must be estimated because you do not want to exceed grass level. Perhaps test it on a less visible area: pour the sand, lay a stone then fix it with rubber mallet and use tools for soil compaction.
Depending on the stone level, you may need extra sand (or not). Because you want to level the stones, use a levelling rope attached by 2 sticks on both sides of the alley. Using the rubber mallet or a soil compaction tool, strike the tiles until reaching the same level.
Particularly important: keep in mind the drainage gradient of walkway, for keeping the water out.
4. Sand is poured from edges to center, at the same time with laying stones over sand.
5. Stones layout needs at least 5 cm between them, for obtaining that natural look. Also because of this, tiles layout will combine many colors and shapes, for avoiding areas with similar shapes and colors. There is no problem if you have 10 cm distance between stones, because these will be filled with grass, moss, or other plants, rendering a very “virgin” look, looking as if it was shaped by nature.
For a general view over your project, step back, examine and move or replace the stones that you do not like.
6. Using the wheelbarrow, mix sand with potting soil in equal ratios and pour the mixture over your tile’s joints, spreading it with a broom.
7. Use the spaces between stone for sowing plants. The deeper the roots, the more durable in time will be your walkway.
You can choose your natural stone for such types of projects from the category “Polygonal Flagstone” available on PIATRAONLINE extended range of products.
How to obtain French Pattern layout?
French Pattern Layout (also known as Versailles) exhibits a very dynamic and relaxing structure in every decoration project that use it. It can be used for flooring in public or residential areas, such as bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, restaurants, hotels, swimming pools, saunas, lobbies etc. Usually, this pattern fits perfect in projects with rustic or Mediterranean design. There are many French Pattern models, with structures established by the number of pieces and size. Many French Pattern models are available as sets, but there are also models sold by piece.
In terms of finish, we have brushed with chiseled edges, tumbled, bush hammered, brushed, and chamfered, polished etc. French Pattern models are mainly associated with travertine, but there are also with marble and slate.
Supplies List
The list includes: trowel for applying mortar, bucket for mixing adhesive (and also for grout, if you want joints), carpenter pencil (or a tool for scratching the tiles to be cut), angle grinder with diamond blade, spirit level, sponge or damp cloth for wiping excess adhesive (or grout if you want joints), mortar and adhesive power mixer, working gloves, safety glasses.
Calculating the area
We recommend buying with 15% more than the quantity needed for flooring, for covering your losses with transportation and installation. Depending on model, each set will have a specific surface, so before buying make sure you have enough tiles / sets for covering your needs.
Installation Steps
1. Before starting, make sure you have a working surface that is steady, even, dry, and perfectly clean, free from impurities. Observing these conditions will guarantee a better contact between adhesive and underlay. An imperfect contact may lead to tile detachment and even cracking.
2. Tiles must be prepared (washed and dried) for installation. A tile free from impurities will have a better contact with adhesive.
3. Pour adhesive in a bucket and mix it with a power mixer, according to directions printed on packaging box. We recommend using a flexible adhesive.
4. Apply adhesive evenly, on both underlay and tiles surface; use a trowel.
5. French Pattern tile installation starts from the middle.
6. For cutting tiles extremities, use an angle grinder with diamond blade.
7. Each specific model should have a sketch, available online or at your stone supplier. This sketch features a digit or letter stamped on each piece of the set.
8. Use back of your hand for softly pressing the tile over the adhesive.
9. Use a spirit level, for making sure you have an even surface.
10. The adhesive protruding from under the tile when pressing softly is wiped out with a sponge.
11. For avoiding color levelling, we recommend using tiles from different packs during installation. Color levelling means that some spots from your flooring will look like stains over large areas, due to similar shades exhibited by tiles from the same package.
12. The ideal procedure for installation includes laying out the tiles over a flat surface prior to installation, for giving you an idea of how flooring will look like.
13. Prior to sealing, wash the tiles and allow them to dry.
14. For installation with joints you must use standard spacers (common for installation of natural stone or ceramic tiles), available in any DIY stores.
15. Grout is mixed in a clean pot, using directions printed on label.
16. Grouting is applied with putty knife. Using a sponge or damp cloth to remove excess grout immediately before it hardens. While removing excess grout, make sure tile is consistent and even, for creating a well-balanced and pleasant appearance.
17. In the end, apply a professional sealing solution for natural stone, for better protection of surface against liquid absorption.
Wall Cladding with polygonal flagstone (interior & exterior)
Polygonal flagstone is usually associated with rustic and Mediterranean design styles. Both are extremely popular in Romania and you can see it in residential or public decoration projects (hotels, wine cellars, restaurants, tourist villas etc.)
Supplies list
- if your location is far from warehouse, use wheelbarrow for carrying tiles,
- trowel for applying mortar,
- hammer for cracking stones to obtain the needed profile,
- carpenter pencil or tool for scratching tiles and marking the profile,
- bucket for mixing mortar and later for adhesive,
- rubber mallet,
- angle grinder with diamond blade,
- mortar and adhesive power mixer,
- working gloves,
- safety glasses.
Calculating the area | Expert advice
Add an extra 15% to the total surface that needs to be cladded, for making sure you have enough for your decoration project and covering the possible losses (cracks or tiles that you do not like etc.). Usually, you can buy natural stone by sqm and sales experts will tell you exactly how many tiles from each product are included in a square meter.
Installation Steps
1. Because polygonal flagstone has considerable weight, we recommend welded wire mesh for reinforcement.
2. Mesh is attached to the wall with plaster.
3. Wash and dry the tiles, before installation.
4. Wait for the plaster to be fully dry, then apply adhesive on both underlay and tile. Tamp down the tile with the back of your hand or a rubber mallet.
5. You can install tiles as they are or you can use a hammer for chipping edges, for a raw look.
6. If you want a specific shape, cut tiles with diamond blade.
7. Polygonal flagstone can be installed with larger distances (joints) between tiles or smaller distances. The latter solution requires a lot of effort, skill, and time for fitting the tile shape with contour of an adjacent tile. For larger joints, tile chains can form shapes similar with the adjacent ones.
8. Joints can be covered with grout for natural stone. Use matching color grout or different for marking your pattern resulted from joining tiles. Complete grouting stage, then wipe the excess grout immediately after application, with a sponge or damp cloth.
9. Joints can be left un-grouted; just fill spaces with adhesive up to a certain level. For aesthetic purpose, level should be the same all over.
You can choose polygonal flagstone with different shapes and colors for wall cladding, available in the category “Polygonal Flagstone” from PIATRAONLINE range of products.
How to Install Terrazzo Tiles?
Introduction:
Terrazzo is a hand-crafted, special, decorative tile used for wall cladding and flooring. The precious figures should not be expected on the surface of a terrazzo tile as much as an industrial printed tile have. And the small design flaws should be considered a unique character of that tile itself like a handmade carpet. With proper care, your terrazzo tiles will last for years without losing their beauty.
Instructions to Install Terrazzo Tiles:
1. It is recommended to install the tiles after all other applications are completed. If any application (painting, repairing etc.) is necessary after terrazzo tiles are put in place, we recommend covering the floor, to protect it from dirt.
2. If the surface is not leveled enough, use Weber Set Stone for levelling the differences. Otherwise the joints between tiles may look imperfect due to different levels of tile edges. It may also cause difficulty to use.
3. Before starting, each box should be checked for tonality. The tonality code is printed on each box. The tiles having the same tonality code should be used on a specific area.
4. It is recommended to use white tile adhesives for fixing. The dark colored adhesives may cause dirt. The back side of the tile must be clean. The adhesive is spread on both to the floor and the back side of the terrazzo tile. The tile is placed on its position and pressed gently. A soft rubber hammer is recommended to use for fixing. A metal hammer should not be used; it may crack or break the tile.
5. The wide joints between the tiles are not recommended. The distance between terrazzo tiles should not exceed 2 mm.
6. One day after fixing, grout the joints with Weber Color Comfort in your desired color. Prepare your grout by adding it in water and mixing until it becomes a paste. The grout is applied between joints by a putty knife. The excess grout should be cleaned immediately with sponge and water.
7. The surface over which terrazzo tiles are installed should be used according to “Instructions to Use and Clean”.
Instructions to Use and Clean:
1. The resin to protect the surface against stains is applied over the tile surface at the factory. But due to certain water absorption of the tile, it may not provide complete protection against stains. Therefore, stains from coffee, tea, food, or painting residues should be removed immediately.
2. You can use soap, brush, and sponge for cleaning. Any acidic cleaners (such as hydrochloric acid) must not be used because it might damage surface and tile colors. For aggressive stains, use LTP Power Stripper - Professional natural stone intensive cleaner. (You are recommended to use gloves for your personal safety).
We provide professional installation and aftercare for:
• Any type of natural stone cladding (marble, granite etc.)
• Natural stone paving
• Home bases
• Heavy traffic paving
• Stair cladding
• Decorative pillars cladding
• Fireplace cladding
• Fountain cladding
• Kerbstones
Do not hesitate to get in touch with us for more information!
