How to Tile & Seal Natural Stone

I'm going to show you how quick and easy it is to tile with natural stone. I always recommend wallsandfloors.co.uk to my customers because not only do they have a great range of tiles online, their showrooms are full of inspiration and the most knowledgeable staff around. Take a moment to ensure you have everything you need to do the job. Have you sufficient tiles, adhesive and grout? You can print a handy tools check list at www.wallsandfloors.co.uk. Work out the number of tiles you need, and add about ten percent for wastage. Walls and Floors can help you with any calculations if you're unsure. But don't worry - any full boxes and tubs can be returned if you over-estimate. New concrete must be at least six weeks old and thoroughly dry before fixing floor tiles. Always check over the floor to make sure that the base we're tiling onto is sound, dry, clean, flat and level. The surface must be smooth, flat and free from dirt and grease. If tiling onto a dry concrete screed, we recommend using Ardex S16 Tile Adhesive. Ardex S16 is a grey or white rapid hardening and rapid drying tile adhesive for natural stone. It can be walked on and grouted after just two to three hours, and is ideal for fixing translucent marble and light coloured natural stones. It is best to use Ardex products when tiling with natural stone. This is because some natural stone tiles can stain, whereas Ardex products are made to avoid any risk of staining to the tile face. First start by setting out the area to be tiled, to assess any cuts required, and to ensure a level base line you can work from. Take a length of timber and mark on it the tile width, to help you identify where each tile will start and finish. Remember to leave space for the joints. Set out the position of the tiles, so that evenly sized cuts are made on either side, into the edges of the walls. By taking your time at this stage, you can avoid any small, awkward cuts that can spoil the look of your final room. Empty the powder into the required amount of water. Always check the packaging for the mix ratios. Use a Mixing Paddle and drill mixer to thoroughly mix the adhesive. Using a Bucket Trowel, scoop up the adhesive onto a Floor Trowel and apply it to your floor. Ensure you have a good, even layer of adhesive with defined ribs. Lay the tiles down the centreline and work towards the wall you think is best, leaving a joint between the tiles of at least 3mm, and avoid working yourself into a corner. Ensure you achieve a solid bed of adhesive, and prevent any voids underneath the tile. Work in small areas of about one square metre at a time, so that the tiles are fixed before the surface forms a skin. Some tiles are harder to cut than others. They may be larger or thicker. In this case, for speed, we'd recommend using an Electric Cutter, which needs good ventilation. Smaller tiles can be cut with a traditional Manual Cutter. You can apply adhesive to the back of a tile (back-buttering) to make it easier in any awkward areas. Leave the floor to set before walking on it, and before grouting. Before you begin, carefully check that your tile joints are free from any excess adhesive, and that you have removed any tile spacers. Some natural stone tiles will need sealing before grouting to protect the surface from staining, or for particularly pourous stones, you may wish to use Ardex MG Tile Grout. It minimises the risk of water staining at the edges of the stone. To complement the colour of your stone tiles, we recommend using Ardex-Flex FL Tile Grout. There are 32 colours to choose from in the range. Using a Grout Float, apply the grout into the tile joints, working in diagonal sweeping movements; one way, and then the other, across the entire tile surface, to push out any small pockets of air. Wait for the grout to partially set, then damp down the tile surface to soften the residues before washing them off with an Ardex Professional Tiling Sponge and clean water. Most natural stone tiles tend to be quite porous, and most will require sealing and polishing. Walls and Floors stock a large range of products to help maintain and protect your natural stone tiling. Click here to visit our selection of LTP Cleaning and Protecting products. All the products shown in this video and more are available here at Walls and Floors.