limestone bathroom

[williams]

I am finally getting round to doing my bathroom and en suite, i am considering doing the work myself as i am struggling to find someone decent to do the job- i either get people quoting £400 a day or sensible rates but a lack of trust, i am a paver and have done lots of stone work over the years so maybe i find it hard to trust people as i know i,m fussy...

Anyway one guy who i may use i am still a little unsure on though, i,d like to know whats the correct procedures for limestone tiles 600x400 - not sure on exact stone as yet but i want something very plain and white.

so....

floor: is currently chipboard= is a 12mm layer of hardibacker ok? does it need to be screwed and stuck? if so what adhesive? (no ufh)

walls: aquapanel on bath wall and shower wall, hardibacker the rest? do the joints need taping and jointing?

12mm notched trowel?

backbutter the tiles? why do people recomend this?

tiles will be honed tiles- how are the cut edges made into the same finish? what machine to use?

r.e sealing the stone: i guess i would seal first and seal after grout, but what sealer to retain the natural finish and do the backs need sealing, sure i saw that mentioned somewhere.

what adhesive?

One of the walls is concrete block- whats the best way to address this? i thought maybe dot and dab hardibacker board to get the wall flat and then plug and screw.

which grout? i want the joints flush with no recess if that makes a difference.

Oh and if anyone is in essex and can recomend please pm me. each room is about 20m2 and imo quite straightforward. I am very happy to pay a generous sensible tradesmans rate! but dont want to hear that is £400 a day or £150 a day and it will take 10 days.

am i right in thinking this would be 3-5 days work for a pro?

sorry for the huge post and thanks in advance

 

[doug boardley]

a tad confused williams, fixing stone is a helluva lot different to laying paviors, I've done both so believe me I know what I'm on about We don't discuss rates in an open forum either timewise I would expect a decent professional tiler to do a limestone bathroom in 5 days, working clean, wet cutting, sealing and grouting. Now wether you pay £2k or £750 is between yourself and the fixer you go with

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Williams, your work looks great. Limestone walls are a very different animal, get a pro mate. You will get a top job imo

 

[williams]

Oh i appreciate its not the same, i just want to get the rooms done and if it comes to it i,ll have to do it myself, take my time and do my best.

My problem is getting someone to do it and do it right. the guy who was going to do it has stopped answering my calls, he came round gave me a price which i accepted then he dissapeared? he was recomended but i am still not 100% sure if he would use the correct sealer etc etc. i have no doubt he can lay and cut in well as i have seen his work, its whats underneath i was worried about hence me asking here so if he ever does call me back i can specifically ask for sealer 'X' and grout 'X' etc etc.

I have been straight honest saying i can't pay £400 a day thats just crazy and if thats what tilers earn then i,m in the wrong game :lol:

the guy who quoted £400 a day also seemed un knoweledgeable and showed me about 6 pictures of jobs which looked like they were from 1986 :lol:

another really nice guy came round, quite an old boy and sort of talked himself out of the job, kept saying he wasnt geared up for natural stone and that he was a ceramic tiler, he did give me a very reasonable price but he didnt inspire confidence- however i appreciate his honesty, something a lot of tradesmen just don't have unfortunately which worries me as i know what the paving game is like, lots of people talk the talk but can't deliver aq properly pro job.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I would take Dave up on his offer, to get a local member to give you a price. I'm to far away unfortunately, but there will be top guys in your area

 

[Pebbs]

Williams
What is the limestone your thinking of having? 900x600x15mm?!! I already see problems ahead.

Pebbs

 

[williams]

Williams
What is the limestone your thinking of having? 900x600x15mm?!! I already see problems ahead.

Pebbs

i would like the 900x600 but will more than likely just go with 600x400 x 12mm

basically a clean relativly blemish free stone, got a few places to go and have a look

 

[Spud]

try moleanos its fairly clean and fairly white another alternative for the walls apple stone not as uniform as moleanos but still a lovely stone

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

try moleanos its fairly clean and fairly white another alternative for the walls apple stone not as uniform as moleanos but still a lovely stone

Apple stone, really nice stuff

 

[Spud]

Apple stone, really nice stuff

nice stuff for walls bit soft for floors but would probably be fine in domestic bathroom floors

 

[DHTiling]

Apple-stone is fine for bathrooms.. looks well..

The whiter the limestone the purer it is and more expensive it gets...

Moleanos is a good alround one but has more markings than white limestone.

Apple-stone has quite a few markings..but does look well..

 

[Spud]

here's a pic of moleanos White Moleanos Limestone Tiles - Limestone Tiles - Limestone tiles,Travertine tiles, Travertine flooring, Mosaics, Natural stone, Slate floorsand here is a pic of apple stone broken link removed

 

[DHTiling]

Not the best pic of Applestone gaz..

I like to describe the markings of ... like an applecore..

This is a good example..

 

[williams]

Ok that applestone above looks lovely

i have been talking to a guy called peter from here
Google Image Result for http://www.stonetilesales.co.uk/Images/gallery/bianco_bathroom.jpg
about the creme clair in 600x400.

he sounds decent enough on the phone and he knows i know the crack about crap stone so if it turns up and its crap theres problems.

for £50 a meter or so i fully appreciate its never going to be pure white with not a single mark, i just want an off white (but not dirty iykwim) with as few markings as possible

he sent me a few pics, he told me its very clean but does have a few random markings, much cleaner than the pietra bianca which i have seen myself, its very speckly.

 

[doug boardley]

Oh i appreciate its not the same, i just want to get the rooms done and if it comes to it i,ll have to do it myself, take my time and do my best.

My problem is getting someone to do it and do it right. the guy who was going to do it has stopped answering my calls, he came round gave me a price which i accepted then he dissapeared? he was recomended but i am still not 100% sure if he would use the correct sealer etc etc. i have no doubt he can lay and cut in well as i have seen his work, its whats underneath i was worried about hence me asking here so if he ever does call me back i can specifically ask for sealer 'X' and grout 'X' etc etc.

I have been straight honest saying i can't pay £400 a day thats just crazy and if thats what tilers earn then i,m in the wrong game :lol:

the guy who quoted £400 a day also seemed un knoweledgeable and showed me about 6 pictures of jobs which looked like they were from 1986 :lol:

another really nice guy came round, quite an old boy and sort of talked himself out of the job, kept saying he wasnt geared up for natural stone and that he was a ceramic tiler, he did give me a very reasonable price but he didnt inspire confidence- however i appreciate his honesty, something a lot of tradesmen just don't have unfortunately which worries me as i know what the paving game is like, lots of people talk the talk but can't deliver aq properly pro job.

this analogy can be applied to all trades, are you actually looking for a good pro. or a cheap price??

 

[Pebbs]

Strange, that company you rang are slap bang next door to marmi e granito, if they are part of them the quality of the stone should be good.

Pebbs