Use and Care Manual

When properly installed and maintained, stone tiles can be enjoyed for many years. Please be sure to familiarize yourself and the
installer with these instructions prior to starting the job. You and your installer are responsible for ensuring proper installation of the
tiles. If you have any questions, contact [e-mail] before moving forward.
RECOMMENDED INSTALLATION
PRODUCTS & TOOLS
RECOMMENDED ADHESIVES
Thin-sets specifically formulated or recommended for stone must
be used. White mortar is commonly recommended.
Stone products should be adhered to the substrate by use of
a white premium latex modified thin-set mortar. If the stone is
mesh-reinforced or water sensitive, a white epoxy adhesive
must be used.
These are some recommended setting materials:
1. LATICRETE® LHT (premium latex modified thin-set)
2. ARDEX X 5® (premium latex modified thin-set)
3. LATICRETE® 300 (epoxy adhesive)- specifically for
mesh-reinforced stone and water sensitive stones
RECOMMENDED GROUTS
Non-sanded grout is highly recommended for polished marble,
limestone, travertine, and onyx to prevent scratching.
1. LATICRETE® PermaColor
2. ARDEX® FL
3. BOSTIK Sanded and Unsanded
RECOMMENDED WET SAW CUTTING BLADES
1. DeWalt® Premium Wet Saw Blade
2. BCE Premium Wet Saw Blade
RECOMMENDED SEALANTS
To protect your natural stone from staining, and discoloration, all natural
stone must be sealed before and after grouting. If you do not seal
prior to grouting, a grout release must be applied to protect the stone
from grout residue. Do not utilize the stone application area until it has
been properly sealed. Natural stone should be resealed annually or
biannually depending on the type of stone and usage level.
These are some recommended stone sealers:
1. Miracle Sealants® 511 Impregnator
2. Miracle Sealants® Porous Plus
3. StoneTech® Bulletproof
PREPARATION AND INSTALLATION
INSTRUCTIONS
SUBSTRATE
Pursuant to the TCNA, for natural stone tile installations, special
attention should be given to substrate stability, rigidity and preparation.
Substrates should be suciently flat to allow uniform coverage and
avoid excessive mortar thickness. Clean the surface well to remove
all dirt and residue and remediate all cracks or unlevel areas in the
substrate to ensure it is smooth and flat prior to installation.
INSTALLATION
Please see the latest edition of the TCNA Handbook for
further instruction.
1. Installer must conduct a dry mock layout under proper lighting
conditions prior to installation by placing stone tiles on the floor
for quality and color inspection. It is imperative that the end user
inspect the product prior to installation, especially since natural
stone has wide variances in color, shading, surface texture,
markings, voids, pitting, fissures and veining. Once installed,
the product is deemed accepted.
2. Installer must blend/mix tiles from several dierent boxes to
achieve an even distribution of color range. This is especially
important for stone tile as wide shading variation may be inherent.
3. Measure the substrate flatness to ensure it is suciently level.
According to the TCNA, the maximum allowed variation in
substrate flatness is 1/8" over a 10' area. In addition, the
substrate flatness cannot exceed 1/16" variation in 24" when
measured from the high points in the surface.
4. All remediation of the substrate should be completed prior
to installation. This includes, but is not limited to, patching or
fixing cracks and damage in the slab, out of level surfaces,
crack suppression, scarification, and removal of dirt, oil, paint,
grease, and other contaminants. Under no circumstances
should thin-set be used to level out an uneven substrate.
5. If you are concerned about water infiltration coming through the
substrate which can result in eorescence, spread a Moisture Vapor
Barrier Coating over the substrate prior to installation. Bostik D-250
is suitable for reducing moisture vapor transmission. See “Special
Notes on Stone” below for more information on Eorescence.
NATURAL
STONE TILE
INSTALLATION,
CARE &
MAINTENANCE
INSTRUCTIONS