Archive for July, 2008...
Filed under General
Many customers ask about using stone (mostly travertine and marble) and ceramic tiles in their showers. They want to know a) if this can be done and b) how is it done. As I am currently in the same boat as many of you and looking to redo my bathroom in travertine, I started doing some research.
There are many sites out there with a variety of recommendations. HERE is a link from the Tile Doctor that may be of interest to you. It has some step by step tips along with photographs for easier comprehension.
Filed under Slate art, Slate photo of the week
“In rivers, the water you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with time present.”
This is in downtown Vancouver, Canada.
Comments (0) Posted by Peter Phillips on Friday, July 18th, 2008
Filed under Granite art, Outdoors
This granite sculpture by Khang Pham-New is entitled ‘Realm of Passion’ and its current installation is on a beach in Vancouver, Canada, as part of the Vancouver Sculpture Biennale.
For more information on this and other amazing sculptures, click here.
Comments (0) Posted by Peter Phillips on Thursday, July 17th, 2008
Filed under Slate sealing and cleaning
Natural cleft slate can be prone to staining and dirt retention and should be sealed to keep in good condition.
For more information on this line of stone care products, please click on the image below.
Comments (0) Posted by Peter Phillips on Wednesday, July 16th, 2008
Filed under General
The issue of air pockets in travertine has come up again, and since it has been a long time since I addressed it, I thought I would mention it again. Because of how travertine is formed in nature over the years, it has holes. Some larger than others but all travertine will have holes. In most cases these holes are filled with a resin or a cement filling. Should that fill come out, it can always be replaced with a matching grout.
But what happens when a new hole appears? This is not uncommon and it does not reflect a poor quality product. What happens is over time, one of those holes (or air pockets) that resides just below the surface opens up. The general wear or a poke with a heel or even a dog’s paw can remove the thin layer of stone that covered that hole. It looks like this:
To repair a hole of this nature, simply find a grout with a color match you are happy with and grout the hole.
Filed under Slate art
This is really well done. Pay RTC a visit by clicking here.
Comments (0) Posted by Peter Phillips on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
Filed under Slate Installation
“For those new to laying tile, the temptation is to pick the straightest wall and start laying the floor along it. While that may work with other flooring materials, tiles must begin from the center of the room. This gives you plenty of space to work outward to the walls and ensure a symmetrical pattern.”
Extreme How-To has an interesting and detailed article on the subject of professional tile layout. Click here to read it.
Comments (0) Posted by Peter Phillips on Monday, July 14th, 2008
Filed under Slate health and safety, Slate mining history, Slate photo of the week, Slate processing techniques
A row of saw tables, most still largely intact. Ventilation was a late addition to these tables, and the reward for many of the men who worked them was an early death from silicosis.
Photo & words by kind permission of simonrl of www.aditnow.co.uk
Comments (1) Posted by Peter Phillips on Friday, July 11th, 2008
Filed under Slate Installation
StoneWall is for interior or exterior, commercial or residential installations to set all types of porcelain, Saltillo, ceramic, granite, slate, marble, limestone, and dimension stone tiles. StoneWall is formulated to prevent large bodied ceramic, porcelain and stone tiles from slipping in vertical applications. StoneWall is also suitable for installing floor tiles.
• Excellent for Large Bodied Tile and Stone in Vertical Applications.
• Exceeds ALL requirements of ANSI A118.1, A118.4 and A118.11.
• Excellent for use on all approved floors and walls.
• For interior and exterior jobs.
• High Compressive Strengths for Extra Heavy Service.
Click here for the data sheet for this mortar.
For more information on other mortars that are on offer from Bostik, click here.
Comments (0) Posted by Peter Phillips on Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Filed under General
You may have already started to notice that having things delivered is starting to cost a bit more. Gone are the days of most “Free” pizza deliveries. And if you are reading the papers or watching the news you are no doubt hearing the UN rumblings of food shortages as well as the large projected increases in the prices of food.
So what, you’re thinking, right? What has that got to do with tiles? What has that got to do with my floor? All of these things are more related than you might think. And generally what it comes down to is the price of fuel. With the retail price for gasoline having risen over 38% in the last 12 months (and no major corrections in sight), costs for delivering both your pizza and your floor are going up.
By the way, for my readers in the US, don’t feel too bad yet, gas around here is hovering around $6.00 per gallon!
