HOW I INSTALL NATURAL STONE?
Instructions for installation and maintenance of decorative natural stone:
1. Make sure your substrate is clean, flat, dry, and secure. You cannot install over a smooth and shiny surface. For a good adhesive bonding, substrate is first leveled with sandpaper. Fully spread the adhesive and make sure the excess adhesive flows from beneath, when pressed upon.
2. We recommend using a stone adhesive that is both elastic and resistant to freeze-thaw cycles. Apply a 4-6 mm adhesive coat on the back of your tile, then press the tile against the wall and keep it there, for allowing the adhesive to cure and thus have a solid bonding.
3. After installation, excess adhesive must be removed with a brush.
4. The freshly installed natural stone tiles must be protected from rain, until adhesive is completely cured.
5. Tiles must be sheltered from rain with minimum 24 hours prior to installation. The recommended temperature range for installation is 5° – 25°C.
6. It is recommended to combine tiles from different packs, to make sure the tile colors are consistent, because stone, as any natural material, has many colors and sizes and thus less likely to find 2 identical tiles.
7. PIATRAONLINE is no liable for the faulty tile installation. Upon completion, it is essential to seal all the natural stone surfaces.
Instructions for installation and aftercare of decorative elements:
Decorative elements are manufactured in order to handle temperature variations. However, during the cold season, these 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. Make sure your substrate is clean, flat, dry, and secure. You cannot install over a smooth and shiny surface. For a good adhesive bonding, substrate is first leveled with sandpaper. Fully spread the adhesive and make sure the excess adhesive flows from beneath, when pressed upon.
2. We recommend using a stone adhesive that is both elastic and resistant to freeze-thaw cycles. Apply a 4-6 mm adhesive coat on the back of your tile, then press the tile against the wall and keep it there, for allowing the adhesive to cure and thus have a solid bonding.
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 minimum 24 hours prior to installation. The recommended temperature range for installation is 5° – 25°C.
5. PIATRAONLINE is no liable for the faulty tile installation.
6. Upon completion, it is essential to seal all the natural stone surfaces.
Instructions for installation and maintenance of marble mosaic:
1. A plastic foil with holes must be laid over the surface prepared for mosaic cladding, 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 (under direct sunlight).
Useful information before installation:
Natural stone tiles are often tightly packed in crates and get dirty from the many finishing processes that took place prior to packaging. It is therefore recommended to wash and dry the natural stone tiles before installation, with water/a professional cleaner. Tiles must be dried so that minor faulty ones are laid out in less visible areas or used for cut-outs. Please make sure that the tiles are combined before installation. So, you must unpack all crates and pallets. Also, make sure you communicate to the installation experts all your requirements.
Minor damages such as cracks often come up while packing or unpacking tiles and this is normal. Use those tiles for cut-outs or in less visible areas. Start with tile installation from the middle of your room. Make sure all tiles are dried prior to installation in order for preventing improper cuts or to be able to adjust the grout coat, needed for the uneven tiles. These tiles must be set apart and highlighted. The thinner tiles will set the floor height; therefore, those should be installed from the beginning. As a result., those can be leveled with adhesive suitable for large format flooring.
All sizes are nominal, so that minor 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 experts are informed and familiar with the stone tiles to be installed, for meeting your expectations.
Adhesive
Every natural stone, terracotta, ceramic, and porcelain tile must be extremely well bond 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 to be used, 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 dirt.
Mix the adhesive according to user’s instructions, add the powder in clean water and stir until turning into a paste with a smooth consistency. Make sure to have enough adhesive for your product. Make sure your substrate is clean, flat, dry, and secure. 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 with a notched trowel. 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 that are standard upon installing uncalibrated natural stone tiles 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 tiles movement. It is not recommended nor 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 tiles with many different sizes, such as a French Pattern Flooring, the empty space between grouts will vary in terms of thickness due to the tile 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 with a suitable cleaner, yet before surface sealing.
In case you need flexible adhesive, you should prepare a mixture with one part of flexible grout. Every natural stone tile should be sealed with a thin coat of sealant right after grouting, because occasionally 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 lay out the stone in a special way. All you need is a large quantity of sand for underlay and just lay out the stone over a sand bed, then use a rubber mallet.
Supplies list
Some 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 being on the safe side for 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 the needed stone for this project. Although many stones for walkways have a price per sqm, there is also natural stone (cobblestone) sold by weight (1 tone).
Steps for installation
1. Highlight the walkway pattern on the grass, with a 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 7 - 8 cm sand layer. 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 desired level.
Very important: remember the drainage gradient of walkway, to keep the water out.
4. Sand is poured from edges to center, at the same time with laying stones over sand.
5. Stones layout require at least 5 cm joints, for a natural look. Also here, tiles layout will mix many colors and shapes, to avoid areas with similar shapes and colors. A 10 cm joint size is OK, since the space will be filled by grass, moss, or other greens, conveying a “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. Use a wheelbarrow for combining the sand with potting soil in equal ratios, then pour the mixture over your tile’s joints. Then, spread this with a broom.
7. Use the spaces between stone for growing plants. The deeper the roots, the more durable your walkway.
You can choose your natural stone for such projects from the “Polygonal Flagstone” category, available on PIATRAONLINE portfolio.
How to obtain the French Pattern layout?
French Pattern Layout (also known as Versailles) exhibits a very dynamic and relaxing vibe in any decoration project. 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 Sets are mainly associated with travertine, but there are also marble and slate sets.
Supplies List
This 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 adding a 15% extra to your list, for loss offset. Depending on model, every set has a specific surface. So, make sure you have enough tiles/sets for your needs, before buying.
Installation Steps
1. Before proceeding, make sure you Make sure your substrate is clean, flat, dry, and 100% clean, free from impurities. By complying with these conditions, you have a better contact between adhesive and underlay. 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 a dry lay installation over a flat surface prior to installation, for a full assessment.
13. Prior to surface sealing, wash the tiles, then allow them to dry.
14. For installation with joints you must use standard spacers (for standard installation of natural stone/ceramic tiles), available in the DIY store.
15. Grout is mixed in a clean pot, using directions printed on label.
16. Grouting is applied with putty knife. Always remove excess grout immediately, with a sponge/damp cloth, before it hardens. While removing excess grout, make sure tile is consistent and even, for a well-balanced and pleasant appearance.
17. Finally, seal the stone surfaces with professional sealing solutions, for enhanced surface protection against staining.
Polygonal Flagstone Wall Cladding (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 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 of 15% to the total surface that needs to be cladded, for making sure you have enough for your decoration project, plus for offsetting the losses (cracks or faulty tiles, etc.). Usually, natural stone is sold by sqm, with the quantity of tiles included in a square meter, specified for every product.
Installation Steps
1. Because polygonal flagstone is bulky, we recommend using 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 or smaller joints. The latter 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 stone grout. Use matching color grout or different for marking your pattern resulted from joining tiles. Complete grouting stage, then use a sponge or damp cloth for wiping the excess grout immediately after application.
9. Joints can be left un-grouted; just fill spaces with adhesive up to a certain level. For aesthetic purpose, the level should be consistent.
You can choose your natural stone for such projects from the “Polygonal Flagstone” category, available on PIATRAONLINE portfolio.
How to Install Terrazzo Tiles?
Introduction:
Terrazzo is a hand-crafted, special, decorative tile used for wall cladding and flooring. With a surface different from that of tiles or ceramic tiles and any small design error can be considered custom made, just like handmade carpets. Terrazzo tiles have a very long lifespan, as long as you follow a few maintenance rules.
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 with 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 fully spread on both the floor and the back side of the terrazzo tile. The tile is placed on its position and pressed gently, ideally with a rubber mallet. Do not use a metal hammer, as 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 immediately cleaned with sponge and water.
7. The underlay for the terrazzo tiles should be used according to “Instructions to Use and Clean”.
Instructions to Use and Clean:
1. A resin for surface protect against staining is applied at the factory. Since tiles absorb water, it may not be fully stain proof. Therefore, any coffee, tea, food, or painting residues stains must be removed at once.
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!
WORKING HOURS (GMT +02:00):
Monday - Friday: 09:00 - 18:00
Saturday: 10:00 - 15:00
Sunday: Closed
CALL CENTER:
Phone: +40318.222.333
Email: office@piatraonline.com
