Natural stone advice needed

[ck9694]

Hi guys, previous post will tell you I’m new here and learning as much about tiling as I can.
I have a job coming up where 2 bathroom floors to do in natural stone, modular pattern. The tiles are “savanna sand” from Topps. Builder is supplying all materials & sealer.
Do I treat these like any other tile in terms of cutting & fixing (I have a grinder & a rubi ts66 max) and then just seal them prior to and after grouting? Or because it’s natural stone are there other precautions I need to take. Also modular pattern, floor is only about 4m2 square is there and rule of thum in setting out or just however I think looks good. All advice welcome, I want to learn learn LEARN. Many thanks

 

[Unused Account 1]

Just a small floor ,put a few down dry to have a look ,use white adhesive ,and use a decent blade ,good luck

 

[ck9694]

Just a small floor ,put a few down dry to have a look ,use white adhesive ,and use a decent blade ,good luck

Will my rubi snap cutter be fine on them? Or make all cuts with the grinder?

 

[GoneGuy]

What’s the substrate?
Sometimes the pattern gets supplied with the tiles.

 

[ck9694]

What’s the substrate?
Sometimes the pattern gets supplied with the tiles.

Hardie Backer

 

[One Day]

Rubi will be no use with stone! Diamond tools only!

 

[Dumbo]

Pattern is probably roman opus . Google it .

 

[ck9694]

Pattern is probably roman opus . Google it .

Thank you

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Is this DIY or are you charging for this information?

 

[GAZ5518]

Et voila

 

[Flintstone]

Is this DIY or are you charging for this information?

Sounds like it's a job he's taking on for a customer

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Is this DIY or are you charging for this information?

You may dislike my post and as you haven’t answered I assume you’ve no experience in fixing stone.
You may have the wish to learn this trade but asking a few questions on here is not adequate preparation to undertake a professional job.

 

[DC Ceramic and stone]

As said above the only thing a rubi will be good for is scoring a straight line. You wont be able to break these tiles on a flat bed cutter. As they are opus patterned then you will need to dry lay a few running full length of the floor and full width (a cross pattern) this way you can avoid arriving at the edges with slithers. You can then adjust as necessary. As they are limestone I would suggest using a white adhesive and make sure they are clean before you seal them, grout then seal again.

 

[ck9694]

You may dislike my post and as you haven’t answered I assume you’ve no experience in fixing stone.
You may have the wish to learn this trade but asking a few questions on here is not adequate preparation to undertake a professional job.

But to get the experience, you have to do it first- right? I could shy away from it and say no thank you, find someone else to do it. Or, ask questions get a bit of help and just get on with it. I’m sure you started out somewhere one day John I don’t think you were born with a trowel in your hand. Gets my back up when people are on here for opinions and help and there’s always one who’s not happy with it. Damned if you do damned if you don’t

 

[Dumbo]

But to get the experience, you have to do it first- right? I could shy away from it and say no thank you, find someone else to do it. Or, ask questions get a bit of help and just get on with it. I’m sure you started out somewhere one day John I don’t think you were born with a trowel in your hand. Gets my back up when people are on here for opinions and help and there’s always one who’s not happy with it. Damned if you do damned if you don’t

You should get experience by working with someone who does know what they are doing not just bluffing it at a customers house . @timeless john wasn't born with a trowel in his hand but he did a time served apprenticeship.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - it’s morally wrong to charge someone for undertaking work that you have no experience in doing . If you ask if you can cut stone with a manual tile cutter shows your lack of knowledge.
Yes this forum is here to help our trade, novices and tilers, but using it as a platform of information without the experience that is gained over years can only bring my trade into disrepute.
There is no fast track to excellence, and every customer deserves the best possible outcome.
To infer that I’am the one who is not happy with your post is insulting to my 10 years of advice on this forum!

 

[ck9694]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - it’s morally wrong to charge someone for undertaking work that you have no experience in doing . If you ask if you can cut stone with a manual tile cutter shows your lack of knowledge.
Yes this forum is here to help our trade, novices and tilers, but using it as a platform of information without the experience that is gained over years can only bring my trade into disrepute.
There is no fast track to excellence, and every customer deserves the best possible outcome.
To infer that I’am the one who is not happy with your post is insulting to my 10 years of advice on this forum!

Yeah, but you keep going on about experience, which I get! I get that, it’s important! You think I want to walk in someone’s house and **** their job up? Of course I don’t. I just lack experience. But this natural stone job will lead to the next and the next and the next. If I don’t take the bull by the horns how else will I gain experience. I feel I’m being punished for wanting to be good at my trade

 

[Dumbo]

Yeah, but you keep going on about experience, which I get! I get that, it’s important! You think I want to walk in someone’s house and **** their job up? Of course I don’t. I just lack experience. But this natural stone job will lead to the next and the next and the next. If I don’t take the bull by the horns how else will I gain experience. I feel I’m being punished for wanting to be good at my trade

You are really not understanding what you are being told .

 

[Blunt Tool]

Yeah, but you keep going on about experience, which I get! I get that, it’s important! You think I want to walk in someone’s house and **** their job up? Of course I don’t. I just lack experience. But this natural stone job will lead to the next and the next and the next. If I don’t take the bull by the horns how else will I gain experience. I feel I’m being punished for wanting to be good at my trade

Do it for free then...! tell customer you’ve never done stone before but your willing to try, give customer the choice as it’s his tiles in his house. If you do a decent job then you’ve gained priceless experience and if you **** it up then customer was warned you were inexperienced and least he’s not facing a labour bill from you!

 

[DrJogo]

White flex adhesive. Seal before you lay. Don't seal after being grouted.
Manilla grout will be good for these tiles.
Wet saw with a diamond blade is always the best option for cutting natural stone. Especially this stone from Topps.

I spent 9 years selling from Topps and
3 years from CTD. If it's going on hardie, you want flex adhesive. Always.

 

[J Sid]

please don't seal before fixing
sound's like the sort of advice given out at my local topps tiles, hence, I don't use or recommend them.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

White flex adhesive. Seal before you lay. Don't seal after being grouted.
Manilla grout will be good for these tiles.
Wet saw with a diamond blade is always the best option for cutting natural stone. Especially this stone from Topps.

I spent 9 years selling from Topps and
3 years from CTD. If it's going on hardie, you want flex adhesive. Always.

Yes it’s easy this tiling lark!

 

[Sandi]

Good advice. Wanting to learn by doing is great, but charging a client for your learning curve could backfire! Until you’ve repeated the process a number of times over, you’ll not recognize the understandable errors of a “first-timer”. Even if the customer doesn’t recognize it, eventually, someone will point out to your customer the inexperience that will show itself in your work. You don’t want your name and reputation to suffer.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Welcome @Sandi !

 

[Steve6690]

FWIW I'm booked on a course with Darren at UK Pro Tiling Training after Christmas. It's not cheap but it's an investment.
I couldn't imagine doing paid work until I can turn it out to a professional standard. It's one thing to lack experience, but to also lack the theory knowledge is unforgivable.

 

[Lou]

Don't mind me while I bump up some older but good threads. If you can contribute to the thread, go ahead. But if it's nothing for you then don't reply and it'll soon drop off the What's New page etc.
Worth linking to our new forum structure while I'm doing stuff:-

• USA
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