tumbled marble floors

howdy folks,

i'm considering installing tumbled marble in my home from the front door, back through a hallway, and throughout the kitchen. i've heard this type of material shouldn't be used in heavy traffic areas, but we're a take-your-shoes-off when you come in the door type of family. any thoughts? and any tips on the type of sealant to use and when to seal (ie prior to installation) would be helpful as well.

 

Seal it twice, once after installing it, once after grouting it. Use a white modified thinset to set it.

 

thanks, tileguybob. would it be a mistake to set the marble tiles over an existing linolium (sp?) floor? also, we want to lay this tumbled marble over a red brick fireplace face. any tips? and i'm sure i'll have more questions once i proceed with this project.

 

In MY opinion, it would be a mistake to set any tile over a linoleum floor. Others may have a different opinion. Mine is based on the following:
1. Any vinyl is just not a great surface for thinset to strongly bond to.
2. Sheet vinyl is often cushioned and will compress under weight causing a void where the tile can crack.
3. If the bond of the vinyl gives way the ceramic or stone tile will be loose also
4. Some sheet vinyl shrinks over time, as much as 3 " that I have witnessed. This sideways movement will kill the bond of the tile.
5. If there is luan under the vinyl that stuff also has little or no compressive strength and will compress under heavy weight causing a void that can lead to a cracked tile.
6. Associations that track such things have concluded that tile over vinyl is high on the list of reasons for tile floor failures
There are more but I think its enough to defend my position. If the lino comes up what is under it? You may need to beef up the floor to properly support the tile.

Run a screed coat of mofified thinset over the red brick. Knock down any high spots first with a chisel then go back with the chisel and a sanding block after the thinset dries to get any more bumps off the wall. The flatter you get the wall first, the smoother the tile will set to it. You will need to set a ledger board or some type of support to hold the tile in place that span across the top of the firebox opening. Use a white modified thinset everywhere for the tile.

 

Please see the "sticky" on tiling over vinyl.