Areas of use
Limra Limestone is best suited as a building material for manufacturing countertops, bathroom sinks, claddings, floorings, plus interior & exterior decoration projects. Limestone tiles are also recommended for public or residential cladding projects, and besides can be used to complete your projects that employed in the first place.
Features
Limestone is a sedimentary rock formed by calcite or dolomites and fossils of marine organisms. Limestone looks best as element for both interior and exterior but also large-scale buildings. It is also known as “calcite”.
Limra Limestone physical properties:
- density: 2 310 – 2 450 kg/m³
- hardness (Mohs scale): 3
- water absorption (normal conditions): 4.11 %
- mechanical strength (compression): 39.62 – 44.6 MPa
- flexural strength (compression): 6.2 MPa
Available size
Limra Honed Limestone has 61 x 30.5 x 1.2 cm in size and a pale beige shade. Other options include Vratza Beige Polished Limestone, 60 x 30 x 1.2 cm in size and Sunny Dream Polished Limestone, 61 x 30.5 x 1.2 cm in size.
How to install limestone tiles
Limra Limestone tiles are laid out with the back butter technique. The steps include:
- Surface cleaning: use an industrial vacuum cleaner to remove debris. The surface must be clean, flat, dry, smooth, and load-bearing.
- Measure the surface and calculate how many tiles will fit in, to have an estimation for the tiles that will need to be cut. It is recommended to have a sketch of your decoration project.
- First, simulate a dry assembly: layout a full/partial row of tiles over the surface and establish how to cut the edge tiles (those that will not fit). Number the tiles on the back.
- Check out the finish and colors, and decide the layout. If you want a pattern, simply lay out the tiles accordingly, simulating a dry assembly. Make sure you have the desired color layout.
- Installing conditions will need to be fulfilled: dry tiles (kept away from atmospheric humidity for at least 24 hours before installation), installation temperature: 5 - 25 °C (indoor and outdoor), standard humidity.
- Choose and prepare the adhesive according to the manufacturer's instructions. Weberset Marmo Plus, Weberset Porcelain Max², or Weberset Superflex Max² are recommended.
- Start the assembly. Spread the adhesive evenly on the surface with a notched trowel. Find out the adhesive cure time, and apply it on smaller surfaces so that it does not cure before laying out the tile. Apply the adhesive onto both the backing surface and the tile. For cladding wet areas, minimum adhesive coverage of 95% is needed. Large tiles may develop bumps or deformations during installation. These faults can be compensated by adhesive. Deep grooves will be practiced over the tile surface with a 10-20 mm notched trowel. The adhesive is applied by the back butter technique, to ensure perfect adhesion. The adhesive is applied in a straight direction; avoid curves formation with the trowel. A line of small parallel grooves is obtained over which the tiles are laid out. For rectangular tiles, apply the adhesive so that the grooves are transversal to the board width. All these operations aim to increase adhesion.
- Start the tiling in one corner to make sure your tiles are properly aligned. Layout the tile directly over the surface and press gently, while moving it slightly back and forth without rotating it. The surface should be flat and a rubber mallet can be used to complete the installation.
- The assembly can be completed with or without joints, but you need to have expansion joints (depending on surface area). Lay out the full-size tiles first, and leave empty the spaces at the edge of the tiling surface. After fitting the tiles, remove excess adhesive with a damp sponge. If you have underfloor heating, the assembly with joints it is recommended. For interior, standard joints have 1-2 mm in size.
- Allow the tiled surface to air dry for at least 12 hours/according to the adhesive user’s instructions, without stepping on it during all this time.
- After installing the full-size tiles, you will need to take care of all the uncladded areas near edges or around hard-to-reach areas. For this, your tiles should be cut to size. Measure the areas to be used and have them cut out, paying attention at the edge gaps. It is recommended to use a tile-cutting machine equipped with suitable discs.
- Cut out the marked tiles, allow them to air dry, and install them by the same procedure.
- Allow the surface to air dry (for 24 hours) without stepping on it.
- Tiles with joints need to be grouted.
- After grouting, remove the excess grout and allow the surface to air dry, for 24 hours.
- Wash the surface with clean water.
Maintenance
You will need fast and simple 3-step treatments, carried out after installation.
- Cleaning – is carried out with LTP Grimex, or any professional cleaner. Always use specific solutions for stain removal.
- Surface sealing – helps and protects surfaces against dust, water, grease, and staining. LTP Mattstone, LTP Colour Intensifier, LTP External Stone Sealer, LTP Mattstone H2O, LTP Grout&Tile Protector are recommended for this.
- Maintenance – use neutral cleaners LTP Waxwash and LTP Stonewash.
Buy now Limra Limestone from PIATRAONLINE for beautiful and durable cladding projects!
