FAQ

Est 1994

Porcelain tiles are manufactured from extremely pure materials, and are fired at a very high temperature which gives a fully vitrified body. A typical porcelain tile is made from 50% Feldspar, 30-40% white clay, up to 15% Kaolin and up to 15% quartz and other fusible materials. The result is a dense, strong tile with a superior performance compared to normal ceramics, including durability, abrasion, frost and chemical resistance and virtually impervious to water.

Natural stones need to be cut with a suitable wet diamond wheel cutter.

We would strongly recommend you use a professional tiller, which is equipped and experienced in laying and cutting stone.

Yes, but your floor needs to reinforced to stop any localized movement which would cause the stone to fracture. Special adhesives and grouts are available, that absorb vibration and allows fitment onto wooden substrates.

Question 7 : My floor is wooden floorboards, can I still fit natural stone?

Question 8 : Can I fit natural stone myself?

Question 9 : How do you cut tiles made form natural stones?

Question 10 : What are Porcelain tiles?

a. What do I need?

All you need is a heating mat, a control device, an R.C.D (R.C.D. stands for residual current device. This is a safety device that cuts off power within milliseconds in the unlikely event of someone penetrating the floor. In many houses there will already be an R.C.D. on the main board. An electrician can check this for you.) and the adhesive to hold the mat down to the sub-floor.

b. What size heating mat?

It is essential to make sure that the correct sized heating mat is ordered; remember, under-floor heating is not installed under permanent furniture. The bathroom pictured is 1800mm long by 2500mm wide, this equals 4.5m² of floor area, but the actual amount of under-floor heating required is only 1.5m². It is essential to make sure that the correct sized heating mat is ordered; remember, under-floor heating is not installed under permanent furniture. The bathroom pictured is 1800mm long by 2500mm wide, this equals 4.5m² of floor area, but the actual amount of under-floor heating required is only 1.5m². To calculate how much heating is required, add the lengths of all the runs i.e. (0.6 + 1.0 + 1.4 = 3.0 linear metres). Then, to calculate the m², multiply the overall length by the width, (in this case a UFHD Standard mat at 0.5m² wide), 3.0m x 0.5m = 1.5m². If the measurement is not equal to a mat size you should always select a system that is smaller, never larger than required.

When calculating a floor area check the width of the mat, some of our systems are 0.3m wide and some are 1.0m wide.

c. What controls should I use?

For most areas, we recommend having a time control and thermostat combined unit. This timer / thermostat can be used to monitor the temperature at floor level. If the system is to be used for floor warming, you should have a floor thermostat, and for sole source heating an air and floor thermostat. (Individual thermostats are available).

d. What type of system?

D.K. Heating Systems design under-floor heating products, to create beautifully warm floors and offer a product to suit every room and every budget. We can do this because our factories are set up purely to manufacture quality under-floor heating products, making us, as you will see, the sensible choice

Questions about Under-floor Heating.

Stone is naturally a porous material; it needs to be treated when it is first laid. Once the tile has been sealed correctly with multiple applications of Impregnator, it will be completely sealed and can be maintained in the same way as a ceramic or porcelain floor. This advice also applies if you want to use stone in a bathroom, once treated the stone provides a waterproof barrier

Honed, this means it is ground flat by a mechanical process and left with a matt/satin finish - if it were paint it would be described as eggshell. Honed and then polished, it is machined for a longer period of time using finer abrasives until the surface is highly shiny and reflective. - If it were paint it would be described as high gloss.

Think of buying marble the same way you would buy a diamond or any precious stone, you are interested in the purity of the stone. The more pure (or less blemishes) the more you pay. The quality of the surface finish or shape/thickness of the tile is no different throughout the grades, each type is cut and polished to the same standard but in reality what is the difference.

First Quality

This is as good as it gets, there is almost no veining or surface imperfections on this stone at all. The colour is true and consistent throughout the slab; it is the purest form of your chosen stone.

High Standard

High Standard is Marble that didn’t quite make it as 1st Quality but was very close; the majority of the slab will be pure and consistent with the colour staying consistent throughout the whole slab. There may be a small amount of veining and tiny patches of discoloration, but you have to look hard to find them.

Commercial

The veining is starting to become pronounced and there will be variation in shading/colour throughout the slab.

Clasico / Cremna

There will be moderate to heavy veining on this stone, the shading and colour throughout the slab will be inconsistent and some areas of the stone may appear to have discoloration that looks like light or pigment staining.

Frequently Asked Questions

When the unfortunate circumstance arises that your natural stone tile is stained, there are many standard household products that can be used to remove them. If the stain is particularly difficult to remove a commercial stain remover can be used. The following list provides solutions to some of the most common staining problems.

Take note - You should always test on a small area out of sight before attempting to remove a stain in the middle of a room.

Tea - Bleach, household cleaners

Coffee - Baking soda, bleach, household cleaners

Chewing Gum - Ice cubes, paint remover

Fats - Detergent, baking soda

Lipstick - Bleach, household cleaners, hydrogen peroxide

Nail Polish - Bleach, nail polish remover

Ink - Baking Soda, bleach

Wine - Baking soda

Blood - Baking soda, bleach, household cleaners

Question 1 :Can you give any cleaning tips for natural stones?

Question 2 : Why do Natural Stones have grades? Can you explain grades?

Question 3 : What is honed or polished?

Question 5 : Will the stone stain if I use it on my kitchen floor?

Once the stone has been treated, it will not require any maintenance other than the usual cleaning that any other hard surface requires, it would however be prudent to reseal the stone every 4 to 5 years. For frequently used floors we recommend you seal every 2 years.

Question 6 : How often do I have to retreated natural stone?

To contact us:

Phone: 01327 358880

Fax: 01327 358880

E-mail: info@towcestertiles.co.uk

Towcester Tiles is the trading name of Towcester Tile Centre Ltd.

1. Can you give any cleaning tips for natural stones?

2. Why do Natural Stones have grades? Can you explain grades?

3. What is honed or polished?

4. Why are small holes starting to appear in my filled and honed travertine floor?

5. Will the stone stain if I use it on my kitchen floor?

6. How often do I have to retreated natural stone?

7. My floor is wooden floorboards, can I still fit natural stone?

8. Can I fit natural stone myself?

9. How do you cut tiles made form natural stones?

10. What are Porcelain tiles?

11. Questions about Underfloor Heating.

Travertine is a sedimentary rock, which is made up of layers of calcite formed from the accumulation of organic matter in hot springs and spa areas. This type of stone has a natural honeycomb structure, where water has flowed through the material. It is very strong stone, which when cut into tiles exposes the small holes on the surface. These holes are filled in the factory with a very hard resin or filler and honed smooth. Over time, where the tiny holes in the stone are exposed, small holes may appear on the surface of the tiles.

This is a part of the charm of this ancient stone and the small holes can easily be filled with grout in a sympathetic color. Because of the natural variation and mottled shading of this type of stone, the infill is hardly noticeable at floor level.

Question 4 : Why are small holes starting to appear in my filled and honed travertine floor?

Custom Search

You couldn`t find your question/ answer? Please try custom search below.