Pietra Serena Sandstone 800x800mm help

[Italy]

pietra serena, here,little useless, for flooring. (Tuscan stone).
just some stairs, or window sills, because it is combined with the oldest areas of the country.
Soft material, very absorbent, quick adhesive is better, less risk of stains. Just a damp wall and the stone absorbs and crumbles. Just to make an example, it's "tough" like carrara marble.
I saw a bunch of jobs, ruined by humidity.
Sorry if I speak to you clearly and say what I see here ..
Sorry again and you hope to succeed in the work.

 

[Italy]

View attachment 89781
pietra serena, here,little useless, for flooring. (Tuscan stone).
just some stairs, or window sills, because it is combined with the oldest areas of the country.
Soft material, very absorbent, quick adhesive is better, less risk of stains. Just a damp wall and the stone absorbs and crumbles. Just to make an example, it's "tough" like carrara marble.
I saw a bunch of jobs, ruined by humidity.
Sorry if I speak to you clearly and say what I see here ..
Sorry again and you hope to succeed in the work.

sorry, little used , google translate Capricious today 😉

 

[Stuart_AC]

Thanks Antonio,

I’m aware of the difficulties using this product here. Thankfully my project is a very dry new build.

I’m most worried about staining due to using the wrong adhesive. I understand that if the adhesive is too moist and slower setting then it can wet the stone and cause it to damp stain or effloresce in the worst case. Also sealing the tile too quickly after using a moist adhesive can lock in the moisture causing issues with the finish. For this reason I plan to use a fast set adhesive.

Other problems can be caused by grouting. I’ve seen jobs that look like they have wet edges only to discover that the installer hasn’t spread the grout over the entire tile. What I was seeing was staining which can be partially resolved by cleaning intensively but will never quite disappear unless the entire tile is slightly stained by applying grout over the entire face.

Thanks for your kind wishes – I hope I succeed too as they were quite expensive to buy (although I got a good deal as I went direct to the quarry in Italy to cut out the middle man)

 

[Italy]

Thanks Antonio,

I’m aware of the difficulties using this product here. Thankfully my project is a very dry new build.

I’m most worried about staining due to using the wrong adhesive. I understand that if the adhesive is too moist and slower setting then it can wet the stone and cause it to damp stain or effloresce in the worst case. Also sealing the tile too quickly after using a moist adhesive can lock in the moisture causing issues with the finish. For this reason I plan to use a fast set adhesive.

Other problems can be caused by grouting. I’ve seen jobs that look like they have wet edges only to discover that the installer hasn’t spread the grout over the entire tile. What I was seeing was staining which can be partially resolved by cleaning intensively but will never quite disappear unless the entire tile is slightly stained by applying grout over the entire face.

Thanks for your kind wishes – I hope I succeed too as they were quite expensive to buy (although I got a good deal as I went direct to the quarry in Italy to cut out the middle man)

Definitely fast adhesive.

 

[J Sid]

evening Stuart
a big project to take on , but good luck to you and we are here to help if we can.

first, setting out is you first challenge. Take your time and double check.

for a project that size buy a wet cutter and a good blade. I sure it will come in handy for bathroom etc. As well. Can always sell it on eBay when job is complete.

When working with stone I can't stress enough how important it is to understand the products you will be using.

has you stone supplier specified what adhesive they recommend? Have you asked? If not talk to Tilemaster, Weber, Ardex or Bal technical for there advise and they will give you a method statement for fix the stone and your substrate with there product.

work CLEAN and use the correct cleaning products for the stone. I always use Lithofin but you have chosen Fila so talk to them. Again they will give you a complete method statement from cleaning to sealing and maintenance for this stone.
On here we have Lithofin Bob as the turn to man / font if all knowledge when it comes to advise. Ask nicely and he could help.

With all stone the correct drying times are important before attempting to seal, and from what I've see of this stone it can take a long time to dry enough to be ready for sealing.

Get some emails sent.
Don't rely on YouTube videos, the one you posted is probably sponsored by Mapei, directly or indirectly to sell the adhesive. A very pricey one at that.

 

[Mark D'ARCY]

It would of been easier and quicker just to of laid it in sand and cement,doing away with all the adhesive products. I've laid thousands of metres of this always back buttering the stone also.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

It would of been easier and quicker just to of laid it in sand and cement,doing away with all the adhesive products. I've laid thousands of metres of this always back buttering the stone also.

Big statement for your first post - Iam sure some pictures of your completed jobs would help the OP with his project.

 

[Stuart_AC]

Thanks for the comments Julian,

That’s what I’m thinking about the cutter. I have 4 bathrooms to tile after the floor so it’ll get some use. Are those £380 bridge saws on ebay any use or will they just fall apart after a few cuts?

I’ve been speaking to the suppliers… but as you know there’s nothing better than getting some practical information from those using the products. One example is that I’ve been given 2 recommendations for Lithofin after being sold on Fila by the suppliers so burying my head in product literature isn’t always the answer – although your point is taken. I’m sure there are dozens of products that can do what I need but I’d like to use the one that is the most user friendly.

The supplier pointed me in the direction of Mapei.. although interestingly they did say that they can be laid with cement but the drying time would be up to a month before they can be sealed. The same tile was used in the Apple stores and they went down with fast set Mapei I believe.

I’m primarily a commercial architect specialising in high end shop fits so have plenty of experience setting out to achieve a good appearance. I have all the lasers, site dumpy levels, large straight edges etc so I’m confident in running straight and true.. however, I probably need some advice on the best place to tackle first. The entire job is set out as to allow a full tile in the centre of the two hallways (shown in red). This also gives a decent size of cut tile at the large patio doors which is important as they run off line by 27mm. A thin cut here would be noticed so this setting out seems to work.

In terms of starting the job I would be tempted to lay the tiles highlighted in red first and tile off them. Does anyone have any opinions on if this is the best approach? My other challenge is to tile under the door frames and either side of partition walls with a single tile… although I have a plan for this!

 

[Stuart_AC]

 

[Mark D'ARCY]

Big statement for your first post - Iam sure some pictures of your completed jobs would help the OP with his project.

Not my fist post was here years ago just have not posted in a while as busy