Other surfaces

1. Anti-slip strips

Used for steps, surfaces at the entrances of high-traffic public spaces, or clad platforms (walkways), especially where cladding has a glossy finish.

To reduce the risk of slipping, surfaces are processed with localized milling. 3 grooves are cut lengthwise, 20 mm from the edge (most often on steps). Groove depth is 3-4 mm, with 10 mm between grooves. To improve grip, rubber strips or anti-slip mastic can be fitted inside the grooves. Grooves are cut precisely, by machine.

For clad surfaces at the entrances of high-traffic buildings, or for clad platforms (walkways), the same type of grooves are cut, near an edge.

Anti-slip processing keeps floors safe to walk on when wet, and it’s cheap and reliable.

2. Drip groove

The drip groove (weathering groove) is a milled channel. It’s cut into the underside of horizontal exterior building elements, such as: window sills, steps and handrails, fence caps (posts and rails), terrace and balcony parapets, exterior garden walls (planters, fountains, etc.), and the edges of exterior cladding.

The drip groove’s role is to stop water from seeping into the plaster of the wall below. The groove is sized to help water droplets form and fall away before they reach the wall.

The drip groove is created by milling.

3. Material lamination with bullnose

Bullnosing is an edge-processing technique. The final look is fully rounded (convex). Half-bullnosing rounds only part of the edge (the top), leaving the bottom unprocessed.

Material lamination with bullnose processing follows three steps:

half-bullnose processing on one edge. This is done by hand, with specific tools and equipment, or automatically, with CNC machines.
half-bullnose processing on one edge of the added piece. The procedure is similar to the previous step.
bonding the countertop addition. This is done using an adhesive solution, doubling the countertop’s thickness at the bonded area and producing a bullnose profile across the combined pieces. Special granite pieces are 2 cm thick; doubled, this reaches 4 cm.

4. Cutting skirting/baseboards

Skirting boards are natural stone tiles installed on a wall to protect it. This service involves cutting skirting boards from standard thin natural stone tiles (e.g. 60x30x1 cm, 61×30.5×1.2 cm, 40x20x2 cm), with a length no greater than that of the tile they’re cut from, and widths chosen by the customer. Skirting is usually cut in widths of 5, 7, or 10 cm. Calculations take into account the customer’s requirements and technical constraints on fitting within the tile (a whole number of skirting pieces, blade thickness, edge processing).

5. Lengthwise bonding

This service involves bonding extra material onto the edge of certain pieces. It’s used for reinforcement and to create attractive edges on countertops, window sills, and steps. The addition takes the form of a stone “board” and meets the following requirements:

usually the same type of stone as the surface it’s bonded to
rectangular, with a length equal to that of the step, sill, or countertop, and a width small relative to its length
the same thickness as the tile it’s bonded to
a finish identical to, or complementing, that of the base tile
bonded using mastic

6. Tile-on-tile bonding (across the whole surface)

To reinforce surfaces and achieve attractive volumes, surface-to-surface bonding (tile on tile) is used. This usually involves doubling the material using tiles of the same thickness, though tiles of different thicknesses can also be used. This method is used for countertops, window sills, and steps, but can also be used to raise flooring areas or create accents.

The recommended adhesive is a high-adhesion type made specifically for stone.