Any cautions about this? Tiles are natural stone, limestone, 3/8 x 12 x 12, and are going up over Schluter’s Kerdi membrane glued to gyprock with thinset.
Minimize grout lines? Treat the backs some special way? Special sealer after everything’s done?
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Replies
Whats the "finish" on the stone? Tumbled? Polished?
I typically put a "light" coat of sealer to tumbled prior to installation, being sure not to saturate the face and/or edges. Ya want the grout to adhere. After installed and grouted, I give it a good coat, sometimes two.
Polished stone receives a saturating coat before installation, and another after grouting.
Lemme get this straight....
YOU BANNED REZ?!?!
Holy bagels and lox Batman!
J
Polished stone receives a saturating coat before installation, and another after grouting
Could you clarify this a bit for me. Why do you saturate the polished but not the tumbled?
Wouldn't the tumbled take more of a saturation then the polished?
I'm not questioning your method, but I am going to do some of this in my own bathroom soon and I didn't even know about the pre-sealing!
Doug
Wouldn't the tumbled take more of a saturation then the polished?
Typically, you want the grout to fill the voids in the tumbled. Sealers may prevent grout from adhering properly. With the polished its only the edges where grout will come into play.
Alotta guys prefer to wait until limestone tile has been installed and grouted before any sealers are introduced. Just gotta be real certain not to get any thinset on the face....if you do.....get it off right away.
Lemme get this straight....
YOU BANNED REZ?!?!
Holy bagels and lox Batman!
Don't use any "Lime Away" to clean it. Sounds like a good looking shower, but I wouldn't want it.
I'd ask my supplier. Just cause they sell it for such................
Sounds like it's going in regardless of your opinion or anyone elses.
I would think it would install much the same as any porous stone.
Look into grout release instead of using sealer if that is a concern.
I'm sure if I go check at John Bridge you have allready posted there........
Eric
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Client selected marble first. Tilesetting sub says the marble is a poor choice due to a little return-surround we've got at the glassblock window . . . says he can do a better job there with the limestone. Not as fragile in thin strips.
He's done quite a few limestone shower installations . . . so he says. I'm just wondering if there are any things hidden here.
Well... we put in a hugely expensive limestone bathroom some years ago. Counters, floor, shower... and from my experience I would raise a big red flag. The supplier can talk all he wants about sealing the stuff, but what they never mentioned to us is no sealer on earth will prevent acid from etching limestone. It is a chemical reaction that happens in an instant. And it happens from surprising sources... for example, toothpaste. Some types of soap. God help you if you let a maid loose with ordinary bathroom cleaning products. Before your client installs, I would suggest that they take a sample of the limestone, treated with the sealer the supplier suggests -- and then spit toothpaste, spill soap, shampoo, perfume, shaving cream, pee on it, throw up on it, clean it... do everything imaginable that could happen in a bathroom and then see how it holds up. Unless sealers have come a long, long way in the few intervening years, your clients may re-consider. If they stick with the limestone, help them with finding a good stone maintenance company.