Natural Stone Tiles

• Page 1: Natural Stone Tile Introduction
• Page 2: Fixing of Travertine
• Page 3: Fixing of Marble
• Page 4: Further Information
• Back to Buying Guide

Fixing of Marble

As with Travertine, any Marble tiles should be dry laid first by mixing up the tiles from different boxes or crates until you are happy with the shading across the area to be tiled.

If the substrate shows any signs of dust or decay, it will need to be prepared with Primer G in order to allow adhesive to stick to it.

How to Prepare Marble Tiles

Marble tiles should be cleaned before installation, using LTP Grimex to remove any dirt or grime. This stops dirt and grime getting sealed on to the surface when the subsequent sealer is applied.

First Seal

As with Travertine, a coat of impregnating sealer should be applied before fixing. This will help stop adhesive and grout sticking to the pores in the surface while the tiles are being fitted.

Tumbled or unpolished Marble can be sealed with LTP Mattstone. Polished Marble should be sealed with LTP MPG Sealer which will require buffing off after 20 - 30 minutes.

Adhesive

As before the adhesive to be used should be suitable for the conditions and also it is recommended that White adhesive is used on light coloured marble. This is to avoid dark shadowing from the back of the tile after installation. The adhesive you require will be dependant on the conditions and substrate that the tile is being fixed on. In most cases you will require Keraquick White.

Fixing of Marble Tiles

As with Travertine, Marble should be fixed on a solid bed of adhesive, so that no voids remain behind the tiles after fixing. The adhesive should be spread on to the substrate and trowelled out as a ribbed bed. Marble has fewer voids on the back of tile (if any), however care should be taken to check for these and the tile should be ‘back buttered’.

Grouting

Grouting can be carried out in accordance with Mapeis’ instructions. Care should be taken with Polished Marble that the grout is not allowed to dry on the surface. For polished marble we recommend Keracolour FF Grout as it is fantastic for delicate surfaces.

Final Touches

Now that your tiles are fully grouted, we need to do a final clean and seal.

The tiles should be cleaned with LTP Grimex and sealed again with the sealer used during the first seal (e.g. LTP MPG). This will provide the final seal for the stone.

Aftercare Maintenance

Regular cleaning of Marble will help keep the tiles looking as good as the day they were fitted. LTP Stonewash is an ideal everyday cleaner for marble.

We recommend a specialist cleaning product because ‘off the shelf’ supermarket cleaner may be too acidic for the surface of marble.

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