Fitting Instructions

We always deliver our mosaics in an untreated condition, as chemical preservatives, mineral naphtha or colour enhancers should only be applied after fitting.
If you want to see the actual colours of the marble before fitting, please wet the stone only with normal water.

Warning

• NEVER bring the marble mosaic purchased from us into contact with conventional silicone adhesives.
  The solvents and oils contained in normal silicone penetrate the stone and cause long-term damage!
• All of the work materials used must always be suitable for laying limestone (marble, granite, etc.)!
• Do not leave the mosaic in direct sunlight for a long period.
  The mosaic adhesive can be damaged in temperatures above 40 degrees. If you want to store the mosaic unassembled for a longer period, choose a dry place with room temperature.
• Do not bend the mosaic at temperatures under 10 degrees.
  Bring the mosaic to room temperature before shaping and flattening it, otherwise the mesh can break.
• Never assemble mosaic with blue stones in places exposed to bright sunlight.
  The blue stones are comprised of synthetically manufactured materials. The energy of direct sunlight changes the colour to pink over the course of a few years.
• Marble is generally unsuitable for fitting in places in which the material can come into contact with road salt.
• Avoid all contact with acids! Marble is a limestone. All chalks disintegrate when they come into contact with acids.

Fitting steps

* Applies to all mosaics with netting on the reverse (standard) *

1. Prepare the wall or floor for mounting the mosaic. The rules for laying tiles apply. If the mosaic is to be laid in a humid or wet room, the laying area must be made waterproof. Special sealing adhesive for laying are available in DIY stores.
2. Remove the protective film from the reverse of the mosaic and carefully remove the loose adhesive with a wire brush, so that the tile adhesive can bind with the stones or with the fixed adhesive. Please do not damage the mesh. It is particularly important to prepare the reverse side carefully when laying floor tiles, due to the subsequent pressure load!
3. Should individual stones have become loose during transport, you can reattach them using a solvent-based adhesive such as Pattex. Or you can add the stone as soon as the picture has been fitted to the wall, while the adhesive is still wet.
4. In the case of floor laying, the adhesive must not be applied too thickly, otherwise the weight of the mosaic will cause it to sink in the middle and rise at the edges (displacement). The sandwich method has proven to be the ideal fitting procedure. Here, the reverse of the mosaic and the floor (or wall) are coated in a thin layer of adhesive. The use of a notched towel (2 mm notches) can be of benefit, though not absolutely required.
5. Press the mosaic with the flat of your hand, using your sense of feeling to push out any air between the surfaces to be fixed.
6. In the case of wall laying, slipping by can be prevented by nailing little nails into the gaps between the stones.
7. Remove the adhesive that has oozed out, as long as it has not become hard. You can also wash the mosaic with clear water. Never use abrasive cleaning fluids! You can put a small amount of washing up liquid into the water used while fitting. For the log-term care of floor mosaics, purchase a cleaning agent for limestone.
8. Grout the mosaic after the adhesive has dried. Any surplus grout should be washed off, as long as it has not become hard.
9. At edges or material transitions, which might cause tension due to the expansion of materials, a flexible transition should be laid using silicone suitable to limestone.
10. Check the mosaic fitted on the floor for any disturbing sharp edges. Should you discover any uneven spots, these can be sanded down after grouting with all devices that are suitable for using on stone or metal.

Please employ a tile fitter to lay your mosaic if you are unsure

Basically, marble mosaic can be treated just the same as every other kind of marble. You can sand and polish it if you wish.

Mosaics in “smoothed” (sanded) and “mellowed” versions are matt by nature. The colours become more pronounced when the stone is wet, or if a surface treatment, such as with mineral naphtha, has been carried out.

The treatment with mineral naphtha is known as permeating or impregnating. It serves to protect from penetrating water and dirt. The treatment should be carried out when the mosaic has been laid, grouted and cleaned.

Marble should be cleaned every 1-2 years and again treated with mineral naphtha. Engrained chalk residues should not be removed with limescale-dissolving fluids, because marble is itself limestone. Sand down heavy surface impurities with fine sandpaper and then treat the stone with mineral naphtha. The mosaic then looks like new.

Download Fitting-Instructions.pdf