Expert Answers in stone

ANSWER – Generally speaking cracks are either reflective cracking where the underlying substrate has a crack or separation and it telegraphs through the marble or there is structural cracking where the structure has excessive deflection…

ANSWER – It is not common to stain natural stone. There are enhancer sealers that applied to enhance the natural color of the stone.

Natural stone is just that.  Every piece of stone is somewhat…

ANSWER – Denatured alcohol is acidic and can act as a solvent to break down sealers or stains that could be on the stone.  They use oxalic acid in polishing stone because it breaks down…

ANSWER – Ludders Limestone is a Texas Limestone.  The absorption rate and propensity to stain does vary depending on the physical properties of the stone.  Per ASTM C568 limestone can be rated as a low…

ANSWER  – W244E can be a ceramic or glass tile or a stone application for an exterior framed wall with cement backer board over it.   If it is a cementitious backer board then they would put…

ANSWER – Unsanded cementitious grout should only be used in grout joint widths of 1/8 inch or smaller.  If you use it in wider grout joints it will tend to crack.

Sanded grout should be…

ANSWER – Hollow sounding tiles is not a defect per se.  Depending on the substrate and installation materials and methods being used the tile can have a hollow sound without anything being wrong.

On the…

ANSWER – The Natural Stone Institute (previously the Marble Institute of America) Dimensional Design manual state that the grout joint on a stone should never be less than 1/16″  wide and preferably 1/8″ wide.  To…

ANSWER – Many natural stones that are produced around the world are treated with a type of sealer to enhance the color of the stone.  If some type of solvent gets on the countertop e.g.…

ANSWER –  We have seen where the installer will cover the entire tile with thin-set adhesive (back buttering) and then use globs or spots of the adhesive to attach the tile.  This is not an…