what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??cheer

[jona]

Was curious as to what are the major differences between ceramic and natural stone fixing?..any major rules of thumb? i know that adhesives have to be different ie white for marble etc....its the actual fixing of them that im curious about,i had a guy who owns a tiling company tell me theres no real difference installing ceramic or natural stone..If anyone could tell me the facts ,great!...if not pls point me in direction of maybe older posts...thanks in advance​

 

[Gazzer]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

Preparation, Sealing, laying, cutting, weights etc etc can all be different.

 

[enduro]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

Preparation as plaster walls may not take the weight of natural stone, Some natural stone such as honed & filled travertine will need the back of the tile skimmed with adhesive to fill the holes as you lay them. I always use white adhesive and this needs to be flexible. Then with some slate you need to calibrate it before fixing, as the will be different thickness tiles...All naural stone has to be wet cut putting more time on the job if you are in a bathroom and your wet cutter is outside. Then some polished stone you have to be careful what grout you use as not to scratch the face of the tile..Also with grouting you have to really make sure you remove all the grout residue before you put any sealer onto the stone. Then there are different sealers to choose, depending on the finish the customer wants, or the best thing is you suggest the best sealer for the situation..And really follow the instruction when applying sealers, i spend lots of time stripping floors etc were to much sealer has been applied as tiler was in a rush or grout residue has not been removed...These are very important thing to learn and get right.. Bit different to fixing ceramics dont you think!!!!

 

[Alan.P]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

i had a guy who owns a tiling company tell me theres no real difference installing ceramic or natural stone.​

In very broad terms, very broad indeed. But as SR says

Preparation, Sealing, laying, cutting, weights etc etc can all be different.

 

[jona]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

ENDURO! yep very different indeed given that its a natural product and has to be treated totally different to say ceramics.Im guessing that a novice should never jump into natural stone ?..i have only ever fixed ceramics and porcelain and have always had a respect for natural stone hence why ive never protended to be an expert as im sure natural stone would easily catch out a beginner...As i suspected i was sure there was more to it,and am very surprised that this guy informed me that there waS HARDLY ANY DIFFERENCE..Im in the process of taking a course in natural stone and may purchase a few books just to give me an outline! cheers for the heads-up...far to expensive a product to jump in green

 

[faithhealer]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

this forum is more informative and up to date than any book

 

[Andy Allen]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

good luck with the course.......if you can try and spend a few days with a good stone fixer and pick up some handy tips.

 

[enduro]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

And dont forget 'Its not a silly question if you dont know the answer' so keep asking and we will keep giving advice.

 

[Gazzer]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

As stated above, this forum has all the info needed. We have major sponsors in most of the areas from adhesives to hole drilling etc to help you along your way. A book is dated from the time it is writen while we are able to move ahead with advances in materials, technology and expert advice.

 

[jona]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

yep no worrys! was just going to purchase a book that outlines a few points,im a book collector!...but totally agree that information in real time(tileforum.uk) is where its @..ive spent sometime looking sround on posts and this has to be the best resource for tiling information as well as other tips along the way...seriously,thanks for your time

 

[Gazzer]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

There is nothing wrong with books but to make it clear how I mean...a 10 year old book written in the UK may mention using PVA as a primer or even not mention that you can tile over under floor heating etc so a book has limits resources.
It is and always be a changing trade and its what makes it all so more rewarding for myself to embrace new materials that come along to make our lives easier or to let us tile surfaces that years ago would not be possible.
Now if you wanted a book on how they tiled back in those days or ...lets say "Roman times" then a book is good. I do understand the concept of books as I have many for motorcycles.

 

[DHTiling]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

i had a guy who owns a tiling company tell me theres no real difference installing ceramic or natural stone

Now that has made me laff..:lol: :lol: :lol:... Don't call him Nick knowles do they.. :lol:

 

[The D]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

the fact is with natural products there are many different types and all have different characteristics. such as marble, granite, lime stone, sand stone, travertine and slate to name a few. there are a number of different finishes to these products and different ways of treating them. some are hard to cut some cut with ease but they all need to be cut on a wet cutter or with an angle grinder. if you are a little more precise on the type of material you are using the members of the forum will be precise in the advice they give you.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

As the guy owns the tiling company his comment 'there is no real difference in installing ceramic or natural stone' may be the answer of an experienced tiler - one who enjoys the variety of work that is available and is fully capable of fixing all tile materials to a high standard. In this case the only criteria may be cost!
Experience is my answer along with every other post so far.

 

[jona]

Re: what are the major differences between ceramic fixing and natural stone fixing??c

timeless john....very good point!..deano!...good point also...i wasnt specific because i just needed a generalised view on natural tiles etc...i think its hard sometimes to convey points on forums...but i will try harder next time...also im more than happy to throw a question out there that might seem ridiculous but to me might seem normal,there are many on here including yourselves that are wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy ahead of me in this game,,so keep me in line and i will take your comments seriously and use them well...