Laying Instructions  
 

 
 

In the past, Marble/Granite was not as popular as it is today because it was scarcely available and only few could afford it. Mechanisation, availability and improvement of infrastructural facilities have now brought marble within the reach of a large number of people. Marble has outstanding qualities and advantages over other materials. It is more durable, attractive and impervious and is available in various colours including White, Yellow, Red, Black, Green and Brown which can be used to match with any kind of decor.

For laying marble for flooring, we recommend using White Cement, which gives the marble a highly elegant and attractive finish which is heavy, hard, durable and dust-free. Marble possesses greater reflectance and the crystalline structure of polished marble gives it a bright lusture.

The Marble slabs and tiles should be edged at perfectly 90 degrees so as to have perfect joints.

 
     
 
Marble slabs and tiles are available in the following finishes :
1. Sand Abrasive finish - a flat non-reflective surface.
2. Home Finish - a velvet smooth surface with little or no gloss.
3. Polished finish - a highly finished glossy surface which brings out the full
  colour and character of marble.
 
     
  Classification  
 
The commercial classification is on the basis of their natural qualities.
Group Quality
A
 Sound marble with uniform and available working quality
B
 Less available working quality
C
 Uncertain variation in working quality. These contain flaws, veins and lines of separation
D
 Large proportion of natural variation with maximum variation in working quality.

* In case of exterior finishes, Group A quality marble should be used and if marble of Group B, C and D are used, they should be treated for soundness by spraying surface treatment compounds.

 
     
  Applications   
     
 
The marble should be laid in white or coloured mortar, depending on the colour of the marble, made with a good white cement over a damp-proof membrane. Since the real effect of marble flooring would come only when its base substance is of the same colour, it becomes even more important that a base of white mortar is laid before laying the marble. This ensures true reflection and retains the sheen of the marble.
 
     
  Procedure for Laying of Marble Flooring  
     
 

1.
Before laying the marble tiles, make sure that all tiles are of regular shape, i.e. for rectangular, square, hexagonal shape of tiles, the diagonals must be of exactly the same size for the same size of tile because a slight difference in edges and corners may disturb the flooring pattern.

2.
First of all, for laying the tiles, prepare the base mortar consisting of OPC and fine aggregate (Bajri) in 1:5 to 1:6 proportion. The mortar should have a low water cement ratio.
3.
Minimum thickness recommended for the  mortar is 25 mm.
4.
Fix the marble tiles, temporarily with the base mortar in a single or double row as per your design pattern by pressing it over the mortar with the help of a wooden handle of the hammer or some other wooden piece to get it in the required level.
5.
After fixing this pattern, for one or two rows of tiles, remove the tiles and put them again after spreading  Cement slurry (cement mixes with water in 2:1 ratio) over the base mortar. This procedure is to be followed for each tile, one by one.
6.
Press the marble with the wooden handle of the hammer.
7.
In similar fashion, complete the floor. Finally, fill up the joints of the tiles with White Cement.
8.
First grinding of the floor should be done after a minimum of five days of   fixing the tiles with the help of a grinding machine and carborandum stone.
9.
Again apply White Cement slurry over the floor after first grinding. And after   one day, second grinding should be done. A minimum of three grindings are recommended for a good finish.
10.
Wash the floor completely and polish it.
 
  Do's and Don'ts  
 
1. Use coasters to avoid direct contact with the floor.
2. If there is a spill, wipe it out immediately.
3. Seal door sills, window sills, floors and table tops with White Cement paste.
4. Do not drag furniture across a marble floor.
5. Protect heavy traffic areas with rugs.
6. Vacuum-clean the floor frequently.
7. Damp mop weekly with clear water or with mild detergent.
 
     
  The need to use White Cement Slurry  
 
Marble has a tendancy to absorb the colour of base mortar due to its porosity, which ultimately results in the change of colour of the marble. So, a thin layer of White Cement in the form of slurry provided in between the marble and the ordinary cement mortar acts as a separator. It not only prevents the penetration of the grey cement into the marble, but it also but it also helps in retaining the original colour of the marble. But if the marble/granite is opaque in nature, then ordinary cement could also be used for making the slurry.
 
     
 
 
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