How to make a long-lasting natural stone

Natural stone is not only beautiful but is also a long-lasting material. The gneiss offered by Valmarg Stone, provides an attractive vision combined with high quality. No matter whether you choose to use pavement or tiles for your natural stone flooring, you need to make sure that you prepare the base under it beforehand. A suitable base will ensure additional sturdiness and stability of your flooring indoors and outdoors.

естествен камък за настилки

It is crucial that the ground is properly cleaned

Before you install the flooring, make sure that the floor or ground is meticulously cleaned from any dust and other residues. Also, clean up any oily or other stains from the floor as well.

The types of bases (bedding) you can use for your natural stone flooring
•    cement mortar
•    sand
•    adhesive materials

Cement mortar base

This is the most commonly used material for creating a base for your gneiss stone flooring. The mortar itself is a mixture of sand, water and a bonding material. The material used for bonding the mixture is cement – Portland, grey or white. You can prepare the mixture in a concrete mixture or use a shovel to properly mix them. The mortar which you will get is characterized with excellent rigidity.

The base should be at least 4cm thick, but if the ground is uneven, it should be even thicker.

Before you start placing the gneiss material, the base should be dampened, especially if it is made of a fast-drying material or if the weather is hot.

In order to provide the best contact between the base and the gneiss tiles or pavement,  Valmarg Stone recommends that you lay a thin cement layer on top of the mortar base. You should also do the same with each tile or pavement stone before installing it on the ground.

 

камъни за настилка

Sand bedding

Valmarg Stone recommends this option for outdoor areas, such as balconies, patios and gardens. The advantage of this type of bedding is that the pavement or tiles can easily be replaced or rearranged. Sand allows for better regulation of the thickness and the draining. We recommend that your sand base has a thickness of 3 to 5cm.

It is important that this bedding is protected from too much dampness. This is why the ground underneath it must be compact and have proper drainage. The installation of the stone flooring is done by arranging them and knocking them into the bedding with a rubber hammer or other tool. Sand must be applied on top in order to fill the joints between the paving slabs and make them even. Pour water on top in order to seal the joints.

For added stability, you can use adhesive materials or supporting elements. These elements need to be installed 24 hours after the gneiss tiles or pavement has been installed.

Adhesive bedding

This type of bedding is not as common as the others. If you decide to install your gneiss tiles or pavement slabs with the help of adhesive materials, apply a thin layer on the base, as well as on each tile or slab before sticking it to the ground.

If the stone flooring needs to withstand the weight of heavy vehicles, such as trucks and buses, or if you are going to use it for parking your car, it is recommended that you use reinforced concrete for the base, which will provide sufficient stability and durability to your natural flooring.