From the Cowboy ...
We see so often, marble or limestone or any natural stone in an interior floor being set on the Ditra system for the substrate without the additional plywood installed as the manufacturer requires. When it comes to restoring that floor in time as we are often asked to do, the stone can so often get cracked by the simple weight of our floor machine because the floor has too much flex or bounce to it. So if you could use some sound advice before your marble or natural stone flooring is installed, please refer to the manufactures requirements for substrate underlayment. It's as simple as a visit to that company's website.. It will save you a lot of money and headaches regarding cracks in your floor , just to name one!! One of the fist things I do when I meet with someone in their home to discuss their natural stone needs, is look at their lifestyle, and see how I can help them reconcile their needs versus their expectations.
For instance, when I meet a mom with three small children in her highly polished and currently highly etched and stained white marble kitchen, I might suggest the family shift to a honed surface. While a polished surface can be elegant in the right setting, it might not be appropriate for the family of five that spills a lot of orange juice and has the occasional run in with banging forks and matchbox car races. While this sort of damage shows up like a neon sign on a polished surface, a properly honed surface, such as a hand-honed Carrera Marble, tends to camouflage etching and scratches better. Additionally, when damage does occur (and it will), a polished surface will require more involved and costly restoration, every time. On the other hand, the repair on a properly hand-honed surface is much easier to repair, and vastly less costly in the long term. I explain that once their stone is properly restored with a solid hand-hone, they can actually very easily, quickly, (and most economically) remove etching themselves if they are so inclined, and I will teach them how. These simple conversations are real game changers for homeowners frustrated with their expectations for what they envision their natural stone should be, versus what their real lives demand of it. There are plenty of things in this life to worry about. Comfortably living with your natural stone, should not be one of those things. Vickie Vance (I'm a Rock Star:) CowboyIn Aug 2007 "Limestone Cowboy" saddled up to take it's seat as the name of our tile and stone company. It was a spark of genius of "Steve" while driving to work at the home of Harold Shedd, a Nashville country music producer and publisher. Harold was away on vacation when a water pipe in an upstairs bathroom spontaneously burst and caused an entire floor of his home to have to be replaced because the existing limestone floor substrate had become warped and swollen. The entire existing floor was torn out and replaced. quite a job... |
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