I was given 30 pieces of 24 by 24 marlbe tiles that are about 3/4 inch thick. I would like to use these to make a shower stall. Can and how are these attached to the wall? If they can be used on walls should I use a thinset or some other adhesive? FJV
They easiest and most efficient adhesive will be a 2 part epoxy specifically made for stone/tile. You will only be able to purchase this at a good supplier and plan to shell out serious money for it.
High quality thinset (with an acrylic additive) can be utilized, hoever it involves curing time before setting additional tiles on top of it.
epoxy is used in industrial settings where a chemical resistance is necessary
You can use FlexBond or Versabond modified thinsets (both available at Home Depot)
Make sure to get 100% coverage of thinset. When setting your next course of tile, use grout spacers to set your desired gap. The next row will rest atop the spacers, maintaining your gap. No need whatsoever to wait 24 hours before installing a next row.
Matt Cupan Custom Tile and Paint Charlotte, NC tile contractor
When we install wall tile (marble) we use the glue that is recommended for marble. Available from Lowes'. A grout will also be needed to go between the tiles.
Many marbles, especially the greens (verdi) and blacks (negro) contain organic matter within the matrix of the stone which helps give the marble its characteristic color. For these, epoxy thinset, or, even better, the new quick-setting epoxy cements, are really the only option, since the organic matter within the marble can become aggressively reactive with the portland cement contained in normal thinset mortar, with, or without the acrylic latex bonding agent, since it is a caustic. The chemical reaction frequently causes these marbles, and, possibly other colors also, to actually warp! (No joke). This is documented as occuring with the green and black families of marble. My own experience suggests that the lighter colors, such as Botticino, Crema Marfil, and Carrera, work well with white, polymer-modified thinset mortar. I cannot comment on the reds, oranges, or browns, not having the experience of installing these colors. You would be well-served by taking a representative sample of your marble to a professional tile store that features granites and marbles NOT HOME DEPOT OR LOWES, and getting a professional's opinion as to the best product to use for your particular marble.
You will always be safer with the epoxies, although they are a bear to clean if the installation is sloppy.
Laticrete Corporation, in Bethany, Connecticut, manufactures a commercially successful, quick-setting two-part epoxy cement, generally available through Dal Tile distributerships. You may have to produce a contractor's I.D., before they'll sell to you, or ask your favorite contractor to get it for you.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: W. J. Parker,
Posts: 105 | Location: West Haven, Conn. | Registered: 15 November 2005
I gave you a professional opinion with over 25 years experience. We install tile of all types. Lowes and Home Depot do have an adhesive glue for marble. Wake up! H E LL O! You will find out tht tile stores agree with the glue you were told of.
Yes, squeekysmom, Home Depot and Lowes may, and often do, in fact, have the correct products for the application at hand, but, at least in Southern Connecticut, they, by and large, do NOT have the competant personnel in the flooring department who can capably advise which of the myriad of products on the shelf is best suited for the specific application at hand, and, whether you realize it, or not, one size does NOT fit all. WAKE UP! HELLO!
The question asked was how to install a 24" x 24" x 3/4" marble tile on a wall. As yet, none of us knows which marble is being spoken about. Additionally, none of us knows what wall surface the marble is being installed over. If it is a surface which has been painted with a gloss finish, or, possibly a previously installed glossy ceramic tile, which may, or may not, be well-adhered to the substrate, as opposed to a Durock, Georgia Pacific DenShield, Hardi-backer, or similar surface, screwed directly to studs, the adhesion of the product to the substrate will be affected. Using the wrong setting agent can easily turn out to be an expensive mistake.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: W. J. Parker,
Posts: 105 | Location: West Haven, Conn. | Registered: 15 November 2005
If you take the tile to the tile store or Lowes or Home Depot or where ever they have a brochure that tells you what adhesives or whatever you need to install this tile on various services. Tells you how to prep the wall or floor and how to place and install the tiles. (tells you about the different serfaces and how to prepare them)Curing time and everything is there for you to read.As well as which grout to use.
Regarding the comments about thin set versus epoxy.I do so enjoy reading all the helpful advice by professionals on the message board. I am constantly impressed by the wealth of knowledgable people so willing to help. However, the word "professional" implies attitude as much as workmanship. Must we use less than professional vocabulary such as the interjections of "Hello" and "Wake up"? I was so impressed with your knowledge base, but so turned off by the vocabulary. I rarely post on this or any other board. If I were shopping in your area, and I am not, I would skip over both of you simply due to the tone used in this post. There are many products on the markets these days for many applications. Isn't that wonderful considering frequent problems with product availbility in rural areas. The folks at Lowe's do the best they can for questionable pay, but they are a blessing to middle and low income people like me. You get what you pay for, but some of us can't pay as much as we would like. My money is so thin, I look for not only are skill in a tradesman, but also an understanding of customer service. I do what I can myself, and ask questions of folks like you for what I do not know. You both sound highly qualified, but quite frankly, I wouldn't hire either of you for fear you would be rude to me as a customer, even though it was my money feeding you. So many people read these boards, we all need to breathe, and pause before answering defensively. I hope you did not offend the original poster.
Posts: 1 | Location: Cornelia, GA | Registered: 07 April 2007
Originally posted by squeekysmom: I gave you a professional opinion with over 25 years experience. We install tile of all types. Lowes and Home Depot do have an adhesive glue for marble. Wake up! H E LL O! You will find out tht tile stores agree with the glue you were told of.
Just a couple of comments. First, concerning what's called "serpentine marble", WJ Parker's correct. The ONLY setting material that can be used is epoxy. OR, the backs of the tile can be coated with epoxy, allowed to dry, and then set with a normal thinset. One way or another, if a normal thinset comes in contact with the stone, it'll curl while drying.
Secondly, squeekysmom-- several times you've talked about using a "glue" for setting marble. If you're talking about using a premixed product-- either premixed thinset or mastic, you're WAY off course. Those products should NOT be used with ANY kind of natural stone. The oils in the glue will leech into the stone, and discolor the stone for months before it dries back out. If you like using a material with which you can "hang" the tiles, try using one of the new lightweight thinsets, such as Laticrete's 255, Custom's Megalite, or Mapei's Ultralite. ANY of those three, if mixed according to directions (alot stiffer than normal thisnets), will allow even granite tile to hang.
"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right."
