TILE INSTALLATION GUIDELINES

Applications
Eurostone Quartz is ideal for interior commercial and residential applications, including floors, shower walls and tub surrounds, and interior cladding. This product is not suitable for exterior use, discoloration occurs with exposure to UV There is no warranty for outdoor use.

SIZES

Tiles

• 12″x12″ (30x30Cm), 16″x16″ (40x40Cm), 12″x24″ (30x60Cm), 24″x24″ (60x60Cm), 12″x48″ (30x120Cm), 24″x48″ (60x120Cm), 48″x48″ (120x120Cm).
  All sizes have 3/8″ thickness

Finishes

• Polished (Gloss), Grain (Honed), Jaipur (Honed and textured), Rocface (Textured and rough).

Storage
Tiles should be stored indoors to avoid moisture.

Visual Inspection
Before installing or cutting the stone, clean and inspect the stone in direct light for Defects, Blemishes, Hairline Cracks, Chips, inconsistent polish and Manufacturing flaws. Make sure that tiles match in. If you encounter a problem, do not use the stone and contact EuroStone for a resolution. Claims will not accepted once the slabs have been cut or altered in any way.

Jaipur (textured), Rocface, and Grain (honed) Finishes.
These finishes are made to mimic natural materials. The brushed, textured, non-uniform surface of Jaipur and Rocface, may show variations in texture, color and tones all within the same tile. These intended variations are not faults but organic enhancements. Not any two tile has the same texture.
The Grain finish is our way of honing which minimizes finger prints etc.

• It is required that these finishes be sealed as follows:
  Tiles must be cleaned, allowed to dry and be coated with one coat of sealer recommended by Eurostone A second coat can be applied after final cleaning.
• These finishes require more maintenance than a polished surface. Use of the sealer will minimize this issue.

CARE + MAINTENANCE
EuroStone Quartz surfaces have been designed to require minimum maintenance. The product is non porous and resists most stains.

Polished Surfaces Simply wipe the surface using a cloth or sponge with soap and warm water to maintain the beauty and shine. For more stubborn food stains, use a multipurpose house cleaner or soft scrub gel with bleach and wipe with soap & water. Adhered material such as gum or paint can be removed by scraping with a sharp blade and then clean with a cleaning agent. Do not use paint thinners or Varnish removers.

Grain (honed) Finish Stones. This surface may be cleaned with a sponge and soap for everyday maintenance. Do not rub hard with a scouring pad as this action may cause blemish marks on the surface. Also note that grease leaves marks on the darker Grain colors, but these marks can be easily removed using a mild detergent. It is recommended that the Grain finishes be sealed per instructions on the textured finishes.

Jaipur + Rocface Finish Stones. Jaipur models (Anis, Pepper, Vanilla, Ginger, Thyme) & Rocface finish models are cleaned much the same as the grain finish. If left for a long period, Tea, Coffee, Red Wine, Markers, Ink & Mustard may leave a mark. This will easily clean with soft scrub gel with bleach, wash with water to remove any residue. To minimize this effect, it is recommended that these surfaces be sealed per instructions on the textured finishes.

Mother of Pearl (Lido, Poloperla): This natural product (mostly calcium carbonate) is unpredictable in composition and needs extra care. The mother of pearl shell is softer than the Quartz material and may react with acids. Avoid acids and acidic cleaners on these models (Neutral cleaners or alcohol are best used to clean). Acidic foods such as lemon or tomato juice, Vinegar, red wine, yogurt etc. should not be left on these surfaces and should be wiped off as quickly as possible. It is not uncommon for some smaller pieces to dislodge from the slab. This does not constitute a defect and the void can be filled with a suitable material.

WHAT TO AVOID
Chemicals. Avoid exposing your EuroStone surface to strong chemicals and solvents, especially solvents that contain trichlorethane or methylene chloride such as paint strippers. Avoid aggressive cleaning agents such as oven, furniture cleaners and bleach. Permanent markers, ink, lipstick and other coloring agents may leave marks that will need aggressive cleaning.
Pure concentration of Acetone and Mineral Spirit can safely be used to clean Eurostone

Tile Installation Guidelines
The use of traditional sand and cement for the laying EuroStone tiles is to be utterly avoided.
Recommended, are adhesives such as Mapei, Laticrete, Kerakoll etc. which have been specifically studied for the general bonding of recomposed stone materials. Our tiles are supplied finished and ready to be laid. They are calibrated, squared , pre-polished and chamfered.

RECOMMENDED ADHESIVES
Eurostone Quartz have minimal water absorption qualities because they are manufactured using high pressure vacuum industrial procedures. This results in a high level of compactness, accentuated by the structural polyester resin subjected to hot catalysis.
This means that the traditional laying methods- requiring the use of large quantities of water- are not recommended. If the water cannot escape from the underlying screed, from the joints between the tiles or from the perimeter border, the result will be “detachment and tension” and possibly warping.
Existing commercial adhesives are ideal, as they are composed of sand and cement with synthetic latex additives and respond well to stress and thermal strain.
Example of use: for internal flooring and coverings we recommend the two- component Granirapid Mapei, made up of component A (bag of powder) and component B (tin of latex). Please follow manufacturers recommendation for quantities and mixing.
Customers are reminded that the vertical bonding of our materials to exteriors is risky: For this we suggest mechanical anchoring systems.

USE OF ADHESIVES
Apply the adhesive with a serrated spatula, ensuring that the amount spread onto the foundations covers at least 80% of the EuroStone tiles.
For laying of larger sizes (those over 30 x30 cm ) and for areas subject to intensive use (hospitals, factories, department stores etc), we recommend the double spreading system, which guarantees the soaking of 100% of the surface.
To use the adhesive effectively, the manufacturer’s dosages and instructions must be followed.
We recommend the spreading of a small quantity of adhesive at a time, making sure that the tiles are laid within the laying time for the adhesive.

TO INSTALL OUR TILES CORRECTLY, THE STATE AND PREPARATION OF THE FOUNDATIONS MUST BE OPTIMAL
The supporting surfaces or foundations (screed) must be absolutely dry, stable, solid , resistant to compression , sufficiently level and free of dust, grease, wax, paint, dismantling agents and anything else that could impair adhesion.
The concrete slab surface must be sufficiently mature. The maturity of slab is calculated as about 6-8 days per cm of thickness, unless special quick-drying cements are used.
Any pre-existing concrete, tiled, ceramic or marble foundations must be solid, free of cracks, well attached to the base, resistant to the expected loads and complete with adequate structural joints.

HOW AND WHEN TO POSITION THE SLABS AND TILES
The environmental temperature must be between +5° and +30°C;
The residual humidity of the foundations (screed) must be less than 3% (approx.2% – 2,5%) ; the difference in evenness of the foundations must be no greater than 3 mm / meter. A diamond disc or diamond water cutter is required to cut tiles.
We recommend positioning of the large-sized tiles with the help of a sucker.
In order to ensure contact with the foundation, it is advisable to tap tiles with a rubber hammer to avoid the formation of air bubbles and empty spaces.
Good laying and the correct alignment of the tiles require the use of open and uniform joints using specially made nylon spacers.
Closed joints laying is to be utterly avoided except under specific conditions and only in small areas (see below for further information).
The width of the joint depends on the size of the tiles and must according to European regulations (with minimum values from 3 to 5 mm according to tiles sizes : i.e. for 120×120 or 60×60 or 120×60 cm we recommend 5 mm); the size and thermal strain (linear thermal expansion coefficient) must also be taken into consideration. In any case pre-existing expansion joints and required distribution joints must be respected, dividing up the flooring area into 4×4 or 6×6 m squares by inserting a special 5-10 mm PVC batten.
It is advisable to leave joints wide enough to allow filling with one- component silicone sealant around the perimeter and at walls, pillars and steps etc.
The joints to seal must be thoroughly cleaned (removing all traces of adhesive) and then filled with grout by pressing with a smooth spatula.
Excess grout should be removed immediately with a damp sponge. Grouts are available in various colours and different granulometries, depending on the width of the joints. These can contain latex additives to improve ease of cleaning, resistance, waterproofing and elasticity.

EXPANSION AND CONTROL JOINTS and GROUTING JOINTS
In new constructions expansion and control joints are usually specified by the Architect and Civil Engineer whereas in refurbishments and renovation projects, expansion joints should be repeated in the areas where ground settlement took place and ‘natural’ openings occured throughout the years.
Expansion joints should be placed in the perimeter walls, curved walls, columns, etc.
Regardless of sizes, tiles should always be laid with a joint due to the linear thermal expansion coefficient of engineered quartz, although minimal, but still relevant.
That is why we highly recommend both expansion/control joints in a grid pattern with big squares of 4×4 / 6×6 meters and Standard joints between tiles of at least 1.5 mm which is a sufficient space required for grout.