Split face marble tiles and bathrooms

[Orangepop]

Can anyone help? I have fallen for some split face marble tiles and wanted them on one feature wall, at the back of a bathroom, which will also be the back wall of a wet room type shower. There is no way this will not get wet. The adverts for these tiles show them in bathrooms or as sink splashbacks but a showroom today told me they are not bathroom suitable.
I can see why, they sit tight together and leave no room for grout and so arn't water tight, and they are going to be hard to clean but....i still love them.

Now, i am guessing if they were the showroom would have been keen to secure a sale, they have no reason to tr and convince me not to use them. But, hoping against hope that someone will have positive experience of split face marble tiles in this sort of application.

I am not going to try diying them whatever,i just do not want to land the tiler and builets with an impossible task.

 

[The D]

Do you have any pics or a link to the tiles so we can give an informed opinion. Having said that if the showroom have said they are not suitable then it is a safe bet that they are not.

 

[Orangepop]

Do you have any pics or a link to the tiles so we can give an informed opinion. Having said that if the showroom have said they are not suitable then it is a safe bet that they are not.

Than
k you, yes, i did not know if i could link to a product here which is why i didn't in the OP.

Different showrooms seem to be saying different things as to suitability, For example, in the link below they say suitable for bathrooms

Split Face Marble - Stone Collection

 

[DHTiling]

Yes they will attract crap into the joints.. where bacteria will thrive.

 

[The D]

They may be suitable for bathrooms as a feature wall away from the wet area but that is as far as I would go with them.

 

[Orangepop]

Yes they will attract crap into the joints.. where bacteria will thrive.

Thank you, this is the sort of thing i needed to hear .

Before i give up entirely with the rough hewn look, have any of you come acroos a groutable marble with this split face/rough surface that might be suitable? Larger ones maybe?

Otherwise i am looking for alternatives. Atm i seem to me liking the very expensive mother of pearl tiles. I would have prefered a white stone with texture, but these do much the same thing with light rippling on them and 'cleaness' though are not as chic i do not think.

 

[Orangepop]

They may be suitable for bathrooms as a feature wall away from the wet area but that is as far as I would go with them.

Thank you.

Oh, what a shame. They are so beautiful.

 

[DHTiling]

It is just the showering etc... they will be a nightmare to keep clean... ok for a feature wall in a bedroom or living room but i wouldn't use them if they are going to get wet.

 

[John Benton]

As Deano said if you are to do this keep well away from wet areas.

This is a photo of a recent one I did with the feature at the opposite end to the shower over the bath. Tiles were ceramic but it shows how they fit as a feature strip.

<broken link removed>

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

I don't really see a issue here but would seal them before putting them on. Then possibly as they are going up put a very fine skim of white epoxy grout between them without it oozing out. Then depending on the sealer and maintenance of them re-apply every 2 years or so.

The oldest method though the way they split the stone.

War horse at the ready:24:

 

[DHTiling]

I don't really see a issue here but would seal them before putting them on. Then possibly as they are going up put a very fine skim of white epoxy grout between them without it oozing out. Then depending on the sealer and maintenance of them re-apply every 2 years or so.

The oldest method though the way they split the stone.

How would you keep shower gels and body fats from entrapment in the open joints..? .. back filling will not fill the face of the joints Tony IMHO mate... but open to discussion if you have seen them done other ways.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Every shower taken rinse it down thoroughly have only seen it done in slate to be fair!

 

[Orangepop]

It is just the showering etc... they will be a nightmare to keep clean... ok for a feature wall in a bedroom or living room but i wouldn't use them if they are going to get wet.

I only plan to have tiles in the wet room area and behind the sink. Its not a huge bathroom, so simplicity is going to be important and i want only one wall tile across the whole tiled area. I live in an old lusted house, so a bathroom is my only opportunity to use something like this and the other features of the room mean the back wall and sides of the wet room and immediately in front of that area are the only areas that will be wall tiled, so no room else where in the room for a feature wall.

 

[The D]

Every shower taken rinse it down thoroughly have only seen it done in slate to be fair!

ungrouted ???

 

[DHTiling]

Every shower taken rinse it down thoroughly have only seen it done in slate to be fair!

It's just that over time bacteria will fester IMHO... lol... nowt worse than a smelly shower room..

i have seen quite a few of these split face mosaics sheets and split face slabs entering the uk market..

 

[Orangepop]

As Deano said if you are to do this keep well away from wet areas.

This is a photo of a recent one I did with the feature at the opposite end to the shower over the bath. Tiles were ceramic but it shows how they fit as a feature strip.

View attachment 42994

That is very nice. I had not considered a ceramic at all, i would prefer stone, but maybe i should look at ceramic too. Can you tell me the name of those to look for? If i went for something like that i would want the textured tile only though!

 

[John Benton]

The natural stone ones i have seen have been so closely packed together that they actually rub when moved. I cant see how you could put any sort of grout in the joint it is so narrow but still wide enough for water to penetrate. Likewise because of the cut of the stone parts of it form like a horizontal shelf for water body oils, fats etc to sit on and would be hell to keep clean.

 

[Orangepop]

I don't really see a issue here but would seal them before putting them on. Then possibly as they are going up put a very fine skim of white epoxy grout between them without it oozing out. Then depending on the sealer and maintenance of them re-apply every 2 years or so.

The oldest method though the way they split the stone.

War horse at the ready:24:

That old method is exactly why i want it, i think it would work very well in my home and look very timeless, working with the other period features in much the way modern glass and stone structures work well in Georgian Bath, for example.

I have to admit, the cracks gave me doubt when i first saw them for all the hygiene and maintenance concerns being raised here, but i love them so much i was hoping that professionals would have experience of them working perfectly with a good sealant. In investigation i have only found one person who used them, and thats in a rarely used guest bathroom in a house with full time staff, where is this is going to be a main family bathroom with just me to clean it.

I love them so much, that if there were a grout able version i would have no hesitation i think, even though i know the rest of the rough surface would require a scrub regularly, but.....well, it seems that others also agree.
Do yo
u know of a similat tile that can be grouted? I guess if anyone does it would be someone with 'marble' in their user name!

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Not ungrouted that why I suggested perhaps just a skim of epoxy grout while it is going up bit like brickwork on a house but not visible. Perhaps thinking a bit to much outside the box.

And if they are fully sealed before they go up with a premium sealer and then periodically sealed I think the cleaning should be quite easy. Wash down after every shower then once a week a neutral cleaner then a rinse down.

 

[Orangepop]

It's just that over time bacteria will fester IMHO... lol... nowt worse than a smelly shower room..

i have seen quite a few of these split face mosaics sheets and split face slabs entering the uk market..

Yes, originally i was looking for a limestone one, which looks similarly beautiful. I did not get a limestine sample, but a marble one for some reason, and the marble is stunning. The showroom who adviced me against it were not the one i linked to, but one with a good reputation nationally. They had marble ones there but not limestone ones.

Have you seen any that might work in a cleaner manner, i.e. that can be applied like a normal stine tile and grouted?

 

[Orangepop]

Not ungrouted that why I suggested perhaps just a skim of epoxy grout while it is going up bit like brickwork on a house but not visible. Perhaps thinking a bit to much outside the box.

And if they are fully sealed before they go up with a premium sealer and then periodically sealed I think the cleaning should be quite easy. Wash down after every shower then once a week a neutral cleaner then a rinse down.

Hmmm, might this work? They are super tightly packed. I would be very excited if this would work!

 

[The D]

Not ungrouted that why I suggested perhaps just a skim of epoxy grout while it is going up bit like brickwork on a house but not visible. Perhaps thinking a bit to much outside the box.

And if they are fully sealed before they go up with a premium sealer and then periodically sealed I think the cleaning should be quite easy. Wash down after every shower then once a week a neutral cleaner then a rinse down.

your not a tiler are you ?

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Done a couple of course but in my mind definately not remember it was only a suggestion though!

 

[The D]

Not having a pop at you or anything its just that If you had to fix them and grout them in the way you have suggested and then guaranty there will be no problems you would not make such suggestions.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Educate me then I'm all for it learning that is and don't take anything on any forum as having a pop. It is what they are for sharing each others knowledge and evolving our skills surely?

 

[The D]

Ok firstly my priority would be to make them water tight witch is easer said than done grouting them as you go without it coming to the front of the tile is as near to impossible as you can get. Then if the joint is not full you will have a problem with water sitting in the open joint and germs will defiantly thrive so from a tilers point of view I can see nothing but problems with using these tiles in a wet area.

 

[Turkish tiler]

anywhere in bathroom these will be MOULD NEST

 

[Orangepop]

Thank you all very much, I well and truely get the message!


I wonder if there are any more suggestions of white tiles that would give a textured look, preferably but not exclusively looking at natural materials. Is there a better board on this forum to ask that question?