R
Rich
Wanted to put up a post about tiling with natural stone, most of us on here use a lot of it and a lot of us prefer using it to man made tiles. I have come across so many poor stone installations that I would like to put up a post with a Little info on tiling with natural stone and the differences to using a man made tile. If anybody has anything that they would like to add, pics of stone jobs that they have carried out or more info then please feel free 
Natural stone Tile
Natural stone tiles have become very popular in recent years partly due to the technology used to cut and distribute stone around the world progressing. This has led to natural stone becoming much more affordable and easily accessible. Many tile suppliers and building merchants now offer natural stone tiles for less then some ceramics.Unfortunately, more often then not this stone is of very poor quality and often people do not consider the extra work and materials needed to install natural stone.
Tiling with natural stone is a totally different animal to tiling with ceramics and my advice to anybody thinking about using natural stone in a DIY tiling project would be to get an experienced professional to carry out the work.
Installing Natural Stone Tiles
Given the benefit of an appropriate selection, most stone tiles can be installed wherever a ceramic tile can be used. In that sense, they require the same setting beds and support and the same thin bed skills used for ceramics but there are some differences in installation.
It is imperative that the correct adhesives/grouts/primers and sealers are chosen for a natural stone installation. The right materials can mean the difference between an installation that will last a life time or a failure (I will add a section at the end of this post on how and where to get the right materials).
Use a white cement based adhesive for light stone as many light coloured stones can be stained by pigments in grey cement.
The processing that the stone had gone through may have left a thin layer of dust on the back of the tile that must be removed before used as the adhesive will not be able to bond to the tile correctly. If the backs of the tiles seem dust then wiping them off with a clean sponge and water should be enough to remove the dust, be sure to leave the stone to dry before using them.
Because we are dealing with a natural material, natural stone tiles are often not square and differ in shape and size. Some natural stone have a tendency to warp when when in prolonged contact with water and others are not suitable for floor installations. If you are unsure if your stone is suitable for your installation then check with the supplier.
Back-buttering
It is recommended that all floor tiles, whether they are natural stone or man made are back buttered, this means that as well as spreading adhesive onto the floor, the tiler will also spread a thin layer of adhesive on to the back of the tile using the flat edge of his trowel before pressing the tile into the bed of adhesive on the floor. The reasoning for this is to gain 100% coverage of adhesive under the tile. Any voids under the tiles will remain a weak and will sooner or later crack and split. When tiling with natural stone, it is very important to get a total coverage of adhesive on the back of the tile, on floors or walls, as some stone will stain slightly even with a white adhesive so each tile should be back buttered before being fixed. Some stone, such as travertine, may have a honey comb structure and these holes in the tile need to be filled with adhesive before being fixed. When using natural stone on floors back buttering is Even more important and the need to achieve 100% adhesive contact is vital as natural stone is not as strong as most man made tiles and will crack and break up without the right adhesive bed.
Cutting Natural Stone
Most stone tiles are best cut with a wet saw fitted with a diamond blade but a well-equipped installer should have a variety of blades for different types of stone. When cutting stone with a wet saw the same technique as cutting ceramic tile is needed: a slow approach to the blade until contact is made, more pressure and cutting speed through the body of the tile, and then a slow exit at the end of the cut. For cutouts it is much easier to use a small dry-cutting diamond blade. The small blade will allow you to get right into the corners for a neat finish. After cutting natural stone with a wet saw, it is recommended that you leave the stone to dry off before bedding it into adhesive as any moistuer on the back of the tile can provent the adhesive from bonding.
Basic Fabrication Techniques
There are endless varieties of different tile trim on the market now a days that help make a tiled room look very nicely finished. But with a stone installation, I think that tile trim can ruin the finish and make the installation look cheap (this is only my opinion). This is another example why it is better to get an experienced professional to carry out a stone installation, a professional with the correct tools can cut and shape stone to give a stunning finish that will never age or go out of date. I am hoping that some of the other members will add some pics of the stone that they have profiled at the end of this post.
Tips on fixing stone
Tiling with stone can be almost a different job to tiling, some of the professionals on this site are more like stone masons than tilers. If you are not confident in using stone then I would recommend spending some time on this site and read up as much as possible on using natural stone, there is loads of info on here. In my opinion, tiling with stone is no a DIY job, it is a job for a pro.
Below is list of companies that can supply all the materials needed to carry out a stone installation.
Adhesive/grout/primers and silicone sealants
Tile Giant stock Mapei tiling adhesives and grouts, they are my favorite to work with and many of the professionals on this site use nothing else. Tile Giant have stores all over the country, below is a list of their stores.
Mapei: Tile Giant Store Finder...
Sealers/cleaners and maintenance products
LTP produce just about any chemical for just about any kind of stone, you can buy what you need from their website below of for Tile Giant
LTP Online
Natural stone Tile
Natural stone tiles have become very popular in recent years partly due to the technology used to cut and distribute stone around the world progressing. This has led to natural stone becoming much more affordable and easily accessible. Many tile suppliers and building merchants now offer natural stone tiles for less then some ceramics.Unfortunately, more often then not this stone is of very poor quality and often people do not consider the extra work and materials needed to install natural stone.
Tiling with natural stone is a totally different animal to tiling with ceramics and my advice to anybody thinking about using natural stone in a DIY tiling project would be to get an experienced professional to carry out the work.
Installing Natural Stone Tiles
Given the benefit of an appropriate selection, most stone tiles can be installed wherever a ceramic tile can be used. In that sense, they require the same setting beds and support and the same thin bed skills used for ceramics but there are some differences in installation.
It is imperative that the correct adhesives/grouts/primers and sealers are chosen for a natural stone installation. The right materials can mean the difference between an installation that will last a life time or a failure (I will add a section at the end of this post on how and where to get the right materials).
Use a white cement based adhesive for light stone as many light coloured stones can be stained by pigments in grey cement.
The processing that the stone had gone through may have left a thin layer of dust on the back of the tile that must be removed before used as the adhesive will not be able to bond to the tile correctly. If the backs of the tiles seem dust then wiping them off with a clean sponge and water should be enough to remove the dust, be sure to leave the stone to dry before using them.
Because we are dealing with a natural material, natural stone tiles are often not square and differ in shape and size. Some natural stone have a tendency to warp when when in prolonged contact with water and others are not suitable for floor installations. If you are unsure if your stone is suitable for your installation then check with the supplier.
Back-buttering
It is recommended that all floor tiles, whether they are natural stone or man made are back buttered, this means that as well as spreading adhesive onto the floor, the tiler will also spread a thin layer of adhesive on to the back of the tile using the flat edge of his trowel before pressing the tile into the bed of adhesive on the floor. The reasoning for this is to gain 100% coverage of adhesive under the tile. Any voids under the tiles will remain a weak and will sooner or later crack and split. When tiling with natural stone, it is very important to get a total coverage of adhesive on the back of the tile, on floors or walls, as some stone will stain slightly even with a white adhesive so each tile should be back buttered before being fixed. Some stone, such as travertine, may have a honey comb structure and these holes in the tile need to be filled with adhesive before being fixed. When using natural stone on floors back buttering is Even more important and the need to achieve 100% adhesive contact is vital as natural stone is not as strong as most man made tiles and will crack and break up without the right adhesive bed.
Cutting Natural Stone
Most stone tiles are best cut with a wet saw fitted with a diamond blade but a well-equipped installer should have a variety of blades for different types of stone. When cutting stone with a wet saw the same technique as cutting ceramic tile is needed: a slow approach to the blade until contact is made, more pressure and cutting speed through the body of the tile, and then a slow exit at the end of the cut. For cutouts it is much easier to use a small dry-cutting diamond blade. The small blade will allow you to get right into the corners for a neat finish. After cutting natural stone with a wet saw, it is recommended that you leave the stone to dry off before bedding it into adhesive as any moistuer on the back of the tile can provent the adhesive from bonding.
Basic Fabrication Techniques
There are endless varieties of different tile trim on the market now a days that help make a tiled room look very nicely finished. But with a stone installation, I think that tile trim can ruin the finish and make the installation look cheap (this is only my opinion). This is another example why it is better to get an experienced professional to carry out a stone installation, a professional with the correct tools can cut and shape stone to give a stunning finish that will never age or go out of date. I am hoping that some of the other members will add some pics of the stone that they have profiled at the end of this post.
Tips on fixing stone
- Check the shades of the stone before you begin to tile, if there are differences in the colour of the stone then try to spread the different tiles out
- Check the sizes of the tiles before you begin tiling, if the tiles are not all the same thickness then it is a big help to know which are thin and which are thick. If you are laying a floor, try to lay the thin pieces in low traffic areas
- Make sure that your stone is dust free and dry before fixing
- As with all tiling, the correct trowel must be used to spread the adhesive
- The adhesive/grout must be suitable for natural stone and of the right colour so as not to satin the tiles
- Every tile should be back buttered before being pressed into to the bed of adhesive
- "Back-fill" each tile as you fix it to ensure that there is a good contact of adhesive around the edge of the tile
- Work as cleanly as you can, keep a clean bucket of water and sponge next to you and wash off each tile as you go
- Be sure to leave stone to dry for long enough before sealing
- Above all the correct substrate preparation must be carried out
Tiling with stone can be almost a different job to tiling, some of the professionals on this site are more like stone masons than tilers. If you are not confident in using stone then I would recommend spending some time on this site and read up as much as possible on using natural stone, there is loads of info on here. In my opinion, tiling with stone is no a DIY job, it is a job for a pro.
Below is list of companies that can supply all the materials needed to carry out a stone installation.
Adhesive/grout/primers and silicone sealants
Tile Giant stock Mapei tiling adhesives and grouts, they are my favorite to work with and many of the professionals on this site use nothing else. Tile Giant have stores all over the country, below is a list of their stores.
Mapei: Tile Giant Store Finder...
Sealers/cleaners and maintenance products
LTP produce just about any chemical for just about any kind of stone, you can buy what you need from their website below of for Tile Giant
LTP Online
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