M A R B L E I N S TA L L AT I O N G U I D E

Our marble ranges are sourced from many different countries, but are always produced by ethical and responsible
quarries. The natural variance of marble means that every installation is unique, which is worth bearing in mind if
you are carrying out your project in stages, as there is often more variance between batches than boxes. This is
particularly important with Summer Haven, as there is an even greater variation both within and between batches.

Marble’s slight translucency means that using dark adhesive and grout can dull their natural light reflect properties,
so we would always recommend using standard set white adhesive, with a similar coloured grout from the Ardex FS
or Ardex FL range so your marble looks its best.

The great advantage in choosing a natural product like solid marble tiles/mosaics, is that whilst they can be
scratched, in most cases those scratches can be polished out, so your marble will serve you for many, many years
when installed and maintained correctly.

C H E C K S P R E - I N S TA L L AT I O N
The first thing to consider when installing marble, is to ensure the substrate is strong, solid and stable. In most cases,
our marble floor and wall tiles are 10mm thick, so any movement in the substrate could transfer through to the tiles.
If the substrate is not correctly prepared before the tiles are installed, then your tiles could eventually crack and fail.
If installing tiles onto a timber construction floors such as joists and floorboards, then there should be no movement
in the floor. De-coupling membranes (such as Ditra matting) will help with the natural expansion and contraction of
the wood transferring through to the tiles and can be easily installed by your tiler, but cannot compensate for any
‘bounce’ or trampolining effect in the floor.
If there is bounce in the floor, then adding additional joists/noggins, overlaid with 18mm marine grade plywood or the
equivalent tile backer board should stop any slight trampolining effect. This can be installed by your builder, or in
some cases your tiler, but it will need to be discussed when they come to quote, so there is no unforeseen delay, or
additional cost added to your project.
When it comes to walls, the best substrates are products like hardie-backer board, or dukka board. These are
specially made boards that can be fixed directly to studwork or brick/block walls and provide an excellent and
secure grip for the tiles to bond to. The worst surfaces to tile onto are freshly skimmed plaster walls or stud work
covered in standard plasterboard. The tiles may initially bond to the nice clean surface, but they could pull the thin
plaster skim or the paper-front of the plasterboard off the wall.
On that note, tiles should not be relied upon to be the waterproofing layer, especially in showers or wet-rooms as
this is now governed by legislation to prevent leaks affecting your and others property. Always use a waterproofing
system behind tiles in the shower, as even if there is the smallest crack or pinhole in the grout, these can have a
capillary effect which can literally suck water behind the tiles and if left, could start to damage the rest of your house.
The system we recommend is the Ardex Waterproof Protection Coat, as it is easily applied by roller/brush and
provides a waterproof barrier preventing any water getting past the shower area and into the fabric of your building.

If you require any further assistance, or have any queries regarding the installation
of marble tiles, please contact us at enquiries@claybrookstudio.co.uk
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I N S TA L L I N G YO U R M A R B L E T I L E S
Now you have a good base to work with, you can start to think about installing the tiles. The first thing to check
is that you have had the correct product delivered and have opened a few boxes to check you like the naturally
occurring variation. This is, especially important with Summer Haven, as there is a lot of variation both within and
between batches. Your tiler needs to lay the tiles out before fixing them in place, so any variation is blended across
the floor to ensure that your prefered tiles are positioned to your liking. However, if for any reason you are not
happy with your product, please contact our enquiries team before fitting them, so we can discuss your options.

For fixing the tiles to walls or floors, we always recommend using the Ardex adhesives we sell (not pre-mixed
adhesive) and in particular the Ardex X7W which is great for marble, as it is paler in tone, maintaining the light
properties of the marble. As you fix the tiles, we recommend you take sheets/tiles from different boxes, as this will
help to blend any naturally occurring variation. To cut the tiles, we recommend the use of a flat-bed, water-cooled
tile cutter, fitted with a unslotted, smooth profile diamond-edged cutting blade. Cut the tile face-side up and where
possible avoid cuts of less than 15mm. If this is unavoidable, cut slightly wider and then remove the excess with a
tile file, rubbing block and or wet and dry paper. These can also be used to tidy up any slight exit chipping, which
will occur when any polished or honed marble tile is cut. Once the tiles have been initially fixed, remove any excess
adhesive from the grout joint/tile surface, using EcoProTec Stone & Tile Intensive Cleaner if necessary.

S E A L I N G A N D G R O U T I N G YO U R M A R B L E T I L E S
F O R P R OT E CT I O N AG A I N S T WAT E R I N G R E S S
Sealer - EcoProTec Natural Finish Stone sealer (minimum 2 coats)
Grout - Ardex FL flexible grout

Cleaner - EcoProTec Stone & Tile Aftercare

SEALING

All marble tiles must be sealed before the grouting process starts, otherwise they can be prone to ‘picture-framing’
which is when a darker coloured border forms around the edge of tile. The EcoProTec Natural Finish Stone sealer is
the product we recommend for most residential/domestic projects and we suggest that at least 2 coats are applied
using a brush or fleece pad, trying to ensure that some sealer contacts the sides of the tile/mosaic as well as the
face. The coats can be applied in 2 hour intervals, buffing away any excess left on the surface after 30mins. Then
leave the sealer to cure overnight, before starting the grouting process.

If you require any further assistance, or have any queries regarding the installation
of marble tiles, please contact us at enquiries@claybrookstudio.co.uk
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GROUTING

We recommend the Ardex range of grouts, particularly the lighter shades for our Haven marbles. This is especially
important with white/light marble, as they are ever so slightly translucent (just hold up a piece against a light to see
how much) and whilst dark grouts with white tiles is a great look, if you put grey adhesive and grey grout behind
and around your paler, slightly-translucent marble tiles, you will kill any light refection and may end up with dull and
lacklustre-looking tiles. The Ardex FL is great for floor/large format tiles, whereas the FS grout is perfect for mosaics
and smaller wall tiles.

ONGOING MAINTENANCE

For everyday cleaning, we recommend you use a ph-neutral detergent, such as our EcoProTec Stone & Tile
Aftercare, as this cleans the marble and grout without affecting the finish. For spills, hard-water stains and the
occasional deep clean (3-6 months) you can use EcoProTec Stone & Tile Intensive Cleaner, but after 2 or 3 deep
cleans, we would recommend the re-application of the EcoProTec Natural Finish Stone sealer.

In summary, we are here to help and want both you and your tiler to get it right first time.

Taking time to discuss your expectations with your tiler and for them to establish the best way to achieve that
expectation will help you both avoid difficult conversations, costly mistakes and unnecessary delays to your project.
If you or your tiler have any questions regarding our products and their application/installation, then before they
start work, please ask them to contact our team at technical@claybrookstudio.co.uk or enquiries@claybrookstudio.
co.uk who will be happy to advise accordingly.

If you require any further assistance, or have any queries regarding the installation
of marble tiles, please contact us at enquiries@claybrookstudio.co.uk
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