Pietre di Rapolano are natural products and as such may exhibit color variations that add value and uniqueness to the product.
This information aims to provide guidelines to prevent errors and offer execution lines to perform a work of art that can only be carried out by professional installers capable of enhancing the beauty of the natural materials to be installed.
Pietre di Rapolano are suitable for use both indoors and outdoors as flooring, cladding, mosaics, sinks, and bathroom accessories, architectural elements, stairs, windowsills, countertops, etc.

This guide aims to provide technical advice for the installation of tiles for flooring and cladding. For the installation of other types of products, the fixing methods may vary depending on the type of products and the experience of the professionals used for their installation.

Our technical office is available for advice on the installation of all other products we supply: Mosaics, Sinks, Shower Trays, and more.
Our floors and claddings are produced with automated and modern machinery, with calibrated thicknesses. However, there may always be a thickness difference of +- 1mm.

Choice of Installer

Given the chromatic peculiarities and the value of our materials, it is highly recommended to choose companies experienced in the installation of stone materials. We advise against entrusting companies that do not inspire the utmost confidence for the installation of our materials. Many times, defects are attributed to the quality of the stone production when it is actually the installer who was not able to perform a work of art.

Installation Methods

The recommended installation methods are mainly Glue Installation and Traditional “fresh” installation, placing the tiles directly on the freshly made screed (made with cement mortar) or using pre-mixed adhesives.

Glue Installation: Installation using pre-mixed adhesives available on the market

Traditional Installation: installation on screed also known as “fresh”, the oldest method of installing stone floors: it involved installing the tiles on fresh screed after a superficial dusting of cement and subsequent light tapping to adhere the tiles to the base.

Traditional installation requires some additional attention since the chemical compositions of cements and water can vary from area to area in terms of organic and chemical substances present in them, which could occasionally create issues with the compounds of Pietre di Rapolano such as efflorescence, blooms, corrosion, etc. This situation could especially occur in materials of low thickness where the agents present in the screed could resurface from the stone tile.

There are no contraindications for thicker materials used for stairs, windowsills, and more, which can easily be installed with “bastard mortar”.

Preliminary Guidelines for Installation

Pietre di Rapolano is a natural material and specifically a sedimentary limestone, one of its predominant characteristics is the veins and color variations due to the mineral and organic sediments present within it. Given these characteristics, it is necessary to carry out a dry pre-installation of the material, taking pieces from all the crates or boxes, to find the desired combination of the natural tones and veins of the material, combining them to the final customer’s liking and also deciding the size of the joints between tiles to use (we recommend keeping it as small as possible).
Particular attention must also be paid to ensure that the material is installed on the correct side, verifying that the surface has the required finish.
It is recommended to handle the material with the utmost care when unpacking it to avoid scratching or chipping.

Installation with Pre-mixed Adhesives for Floors and Claddings

Premise:
Before starting the installation of the material, the installer must ensure that the surfaces to be covered are flat and that the stability, residual moisture, and consistency of the base are adequate for installation.

Installation Bases: screeds and plasters
The surfaces to be covered must be smooth and flat, without depressions or parts in the process of detachment; for claddings, it must also be checked that the walls are plumb.
To ensure the adhesive adheres properly, also check that they are clean and free from cement lumps or smoothing, oils, waxes, or anything else.
Finally, ensure that the screeds and plasters have the right degree of drying and maturation to prevent moisture loss due to drying from causing halos and efflorescence on the finished surfaces.
If there are tight deadlines, it is advisable to have the screeds made with quick-setting compounds.

Our floors and claddings can also be installed on other types of support such as: Plasterboard panels; Old ceramic and stone floors; etc. It is always recommended to check that the surfaces where our tiles will be applied are flat, clean, and so on, and to use pre-mixed adhesives suitable for the surface to be covered.

Adhesives for Installation

Choice of Adhesive
Nowadays, there are many products on the market suitable for the installation of marble and stones. We suggest, in case of uncertainty about the specific product to use, to consult with the adhesive supplier to determine the most appropriate one based on the environment (floor, cladding, bathroom, kitchen, etc.) and the atmospheric conditions (indoor, outdoor) in which the cladding will be installed.
There are specific products on the market from various manufacturers for: Internal floors and claddings; external floors and claddings; more or less elastic.
It is advisable, if possible, to conduct tests on the actual performance of the adhesives in the environment to be covered.

Practical Advice

Cuts: On each surface to be covered, the installer must make cuts on the material to cover the surfaces “glove-like” (unless the stones are supplied “to size” that is, to measure and not in standard format). Ensure, given that many of our standard formats are large, that the installation company has the appropriate tools to work the material: circular saw with diamond blade, preferably with water cooling; flexible with cutting disc, preferably diamond (if only equipped with this tool, it will be difficult for the straight cuts to be perfect).
Finishes: Ensure that the installer is able to perform finishes. Many times in claddings it will be necessary to create corners. There are two methods to create them with a 45° cut or with an exposed edge, so ensure they can be done on-site with appropriate tools, otherwise, we can prepare them upon request.
Holes: We recommend that if holes need to be made, use drills with rotation only, disabling percussion to avoid damaging the stone slab.
Finishes: Pietre di Rapolano usually have a matte finish (polished, brushed, almost never glossy) so minor “chips”, breaks, or scratches that may occur on-site can be easily remedied.

Grouting

There are two main methods for grouting stones:

Grouting with white cement and oxides: This method is recommended for filling small holes that may be present in the natural material. Proceed by mixing white cement with coloring oxides in sufficient quantity to approach the color most similar to the stone, then, after wetting the surface to be grouted, fill the remaining open holes and clean with a sponge or fine sandpaper. Allow the grout to dry.

Grouting and/or gluing with mastic: For larger holes or where it is necessary to glue pieces, it is recommended to use two-component mastics such as Tenax straw-colored (or similar) colored with oxides (see above). Once dried, it can be sanded to remove excess.

It is always advisable to conduct a color test of the prepared mixture and let it dry completely to ensure the desired color is achieved.

Grouting of Joints and Pores

Generally, it is recommended to grout the joints between tiles with a color as close as possible to the tone of the installed stone, although in some applications these can be highlighted with colors below or above tone or even contrasting.
There are many pre-mixed colors available on the market from various manufacturers, with specific characteristics based on the size of the joints and the environment in which they will be made. There are also high elasticity products especially suitable for certain applications.
We recommend that excess grout be cleaned before it dries and becomes difficult to remove.
As with other grouting, it is always recommended to conduct a color test to ensure it is satisfactory. Once applied, it cannot be removed!

Surface Treatment

It is always recommended that after installation and grouting of the joints, a decapant wash and a protective hydro-oil repellent treatment be carried out to reduce the absorption of the stone and prevent it from staining with products commonly used in homes such as coffee, oil, wine, and other substances that may affect the natural color of the material.
There are two main families of treatments: water-based (lighter and more natural) or chemical-based (more durable).
They can then be toning (enhancing the color) or neutral.
As is customary for wooden furniture with wax, it is recommended to repeat the treatment once a year for terracotta floors to keep your surfaces always shining!