I’ll be setting some 12 X 12 flagstone tiles soon (I haven’t seen them yet). I usually use the flexible bonding stuff (versaflex, fulllex, etc) for ceramic tiles, but I just noticed that HD sells a different thinset for marble and granite. The package says it’s “perfect for installing natural stone” while versabond says that it’s “ideal for installing natural stone”
Is this just marketing or are there significant differences?
-Don
Replies
Don't know - but have one Q: is the flagstone of uniform thickness?
Don't know - but have one Q: is the flagstone of uniform thickness?
I don't know since I haven't seen it yet, but that would definitely make it more "interesting" to install. It's going in an entryway where, I assume, they want the finish height to be level.
Maybe the diffeence is the color. You can't use grey mortar for certain colors of stone cuz it bleeds through.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Don't know if it's the same thing, but I have used what my tile store sold as 'marble mortar' and it's a somewhat creamier version of thinset, in white. The white color is to prevent it from showing thru light-colored translucent stone, and the creaminess helps a little when you are working with ungauged stone that needs to be tapped down carefully to be flush. I don't know if there are chemical differences that make it bond better to stone than a tile adhesive would, but there may be. I always like buying tile stuff from a pro tile store because they can answer questions like that.
You are installing Slate, not Flagstone if they are 12x12. Just a WAG anyway.
The difference you see in the products available at HD are in quality and strength. I'm not sure how the order goes but last time I looked they had thre or four setting mixes.
I have set slate tiles with thinset.
Eric
You better get yourself educaterd before you try to grout those suckers!!
Grout Release.
It's Never Too Late To Become
What You Might Have Been
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You better get yourself educaterd before you try to grout those suckers!!
Grout Release.
I knew that, but it slipped my mind. Thanks for the reminder!
You're right. It's slate. And it's a real challenge. Loose flakes, doesn't always cut clean, varying thickness and so far 2 coats of sealer and it's still absorbing.
Does it eventually stop absorbing? Is that when I can grout?
Thanks,
Don
I rarely seal stone to grout.
Sealer should be applied after grouting and when it is fully cured. Now what you will end up with is grout with x coats of sealer and stone with x+4 coats of sealer.
I use grout release. And no; I don't know if you can use it now over the sealer.
EricIt's Never Too Late To Become
What You Might Have Been
[email protected]