Gap in Marble tiles

[noobtiler]

Hi guys

I have 500 x 500 x 18 marble tiles to lay, only 3 sq metres but heres my problem! My client wants no gaps between tiles and wants it to look like a central london banking hall - smooth and flat like glass. How do achieve this? Understand 2 or 3 coats of sealer... But underfloor heating is installed so will this make the marble expand and contract making the no (expansion) gap between the tiles a hindrence? Please help! Wots my smallest gap u say?

 

[Fred]

The clients are seeing some thing they don't understand! I always use a mim of 2mm on marble and put in a grout near to the colour of the tile.

 

[noobtiler]

so to get that smooth feel is just a matter or dealer? Just like varnishing is it? And why do u choose a 2mm gap? Cause expansion with the stone? thanks

 

[doug boardley]

I'd have a minimum 4mm gap if ufh is being installed, floor will shift with heat expansion/contraction, and debond and break the marble imo

 

[hillhead]

I have a marble job on at the minute and i have the floor down with 1mm gaps !! looks class but luckily there is no underfloor heating.

 

[CJ]

These people who want it looking like a bank/airport don't understand that these floors have been tiled and grouted usually with epoxy grout.......and then "Honed"

Which as most will know......is a specialist job :smilewinkgrin:

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Noobtiler - What your client is seeing could well be terrazzo - a form of liquid marble/cement which is 'stoned' flat and polished using wet techniques. It can be fixed in tile sets and grouted tight but again needs finishing with machinery. Both have a weight aspect and are used on solid floors.
What you have are marble tiles onto a potential flexible surface(you don't mention what the substrate is) and with underfloor heating is liable to movement. All tiling requires compressible joints and a such IMO a minimum of 2mm would suffice. Using a colour co-ordinated grout will blend the surface to the reqired 'look'.

Timeless John.

 

[noobtiler]

sorry for being a noob but what is and how would I hone the tiles after expoxy grouting? Wot sealer would I use, pls explain:mad2:

 

[oogabooga]

Noob, the guys are trying to explain to you that a floor grinder/polisher comes in, after the tiles are set and grouted, to grind the floor. This requires specialist (and very expensive) equipment and skill to end up with a mirror like finish.

 

[noobtiler]

Noobtiler - What your client is seeing could well be terrazzo - a form of liquid marble/cement which is 'stoned' flat and polished using wet techniques. It can be fixed in tile sets and grouted tight but again needs finishing with machinery. Both have a weight aspect and are used on solid floors.
What you have are marble tiles onto a potential flexible surface(you don't mention what the substrate is) and with underfloor heating is liable to movement. All tiling requires compressible joints and a such IMO a minimum of 2mm would suffice. Using a colour co-ordinated grout will blend the surface to the reqired 'look'.

Timeless John.

Thanks John,

my substrate is 18mm ply onto 6 inch joists, which ive had to self lvl with approx 15mm mapei fibreplan (which is very solid) ufh embedded into that with dita matting glued (mapei rv - i think) to the top of the fibreplan. Please dont tell me thats wrong

 

[noobtiler]

Noob, the guys are trying to explain to you that a floor grinder/polisher comes in, after the tiles are set and grouted, to grind the floor. This requires specialist (and very expensive) equipment and skill to end up with a mirror like finish.

Thanks oogalbooga, so basically l lay the tiles and if the client wants mirror finished it can be done seperately through other means (specialist)...Thanks again

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Thanks oogalbooga, so basically l lay the tiles and if the client wants mirror finished it can be done seperately through other means (specialist)...Thanks again

No the tiles have to be laid as a mirror finish with a nice flush joint.
Have you laid the ditra matting on top of the fibreplan which is ontop of the underfloor heating mats.

John.

 

[CJ]

Thing is.....a lot of customers think it can be done without the honing process :mad2::mad2:

 

[noobtiler]

No the tiles have to be laid as a mirror finish with a nice flush joint.
Have you laid the ditra matting on top of the fibreplan which is ontop of the underfloor heating mats.

John.

I spoke to ditra and the ufh supplier and was told the ufh would still heat thru the compound and the matting to reach the tiles. So its ply, compound with ufh embedded into, ditra matting then tiles....I didnt want to have to self lvl com over ditra then have to do it again over the ufh cables - thought it would have been a mission :yikes:

 

[White Room]

You don't use slc on top of the ditra just spf