Sparkle Quartz Stone Tiles Fitting Guide

Prior to ordering & installation please ensure the tiles are suitable for the application. If not fitting yourself make sure your tiler is familiar with fixing Quartz Stone tiles and that you fully discuss your requirements and expectations.

A wastage factor should be taken into account for each project prior to ordering. This is normally a minimum of 10% which should allow for cuts and any minor tile imperfections.

Read the instructions on the packaging of Adhesives, and Sealants very carefully. Keep everything meticulously clean and orderly as work progresses.

No complaints regarding the appearance of the product will be accepted by The Stone and Tile Company Ltd once the tiles have been installed and sealed.

Quartz Stone should be stored inside prior to installation.

Surface Preparation: Just as with ceramic and porcelain tile installation, it’s imperative that the surface you’re tiling on is properly prepared, suitably level, sound, clean, dry, and free of dust, grease or any loose material. All surfaces must be completely secure without any obvious deflection and capable of carrying the additional load. Please refer to further substrate information on our General Installation Guide.

It is essential that the substrate to which it is intended to fix the tiles is fully cured and dry as the tiles may show varying degrees of moisture sensitivity. On new cement we recommend disconnecting sheets to prevent cracks from movement.

Planning: Due to the natural characteristics of the Quartz used to produce this product, shade and texture alterations are possible. It is important to sort your tiles into colour batches prior to fixing. This will mean opening all crates or pallets of materials supplied and stacking them vertically against a wall in the appropriate colour groups. We then recommend that you dry lay them to blend them visually before final application to your floor or wall, this will ensure that you are happy with colour variation. Dry laying will also allow you to determine which tiles you can select for the external cuts of your project.

We recommend incorporating movement joints at a frequency of approximately 20sqm. The type and design of the movement joint should always be fit for purpose.

Underfloor heating: Quartz Stone tiles can be used with electric underfloor heating up to 150 watts only.

Quartz Stone should not be in direct sunlight or close to intense heat for prolonged periods, (such as in a conservatory or as a splash back behind a hob)

Adhesive: It is important to note that when installing quartz tiles, you must use a non-water-based adhesive. This is because quartz tiles are susceptible to moisture damage. We recommend a rapid setting, low water content cement-based adhesive to ensure the tiles are not adversely affected by moisture from the adhesive. For ultimate strength and ease of fixing we recommend Proflex S2 Tile Adhesive.

Cutting: Quartz tiles are quite thick, meaning that it can be quite difficult to cut them using a score and snap cutter. To ensure accuracy we’d recommend using an electric diamond wheel tile cutter with a diamond encrusted blade, especially when taking on irregular cuts such as around plug sockets, taps, pipes etc.

Grouting: We recommend using a rapid setting cement-based grout or an epoxy resin grout. UltraTile Flexjoint Premium wall & floor tile grout is rapid-setting with strength and flexibility, and has ultimate colour consistency too. Allow your tile adhesive a full 24 hours to cure before grouting. Mix the grout as per manufacturer’s instructions to form an even paste. Apply using a rubber float or squeegee at a 45° angle to the wall or floor making sure to press the grout firmly into the gaps. Wipe any excess grout from the face of the tile using a damp sponge, being careful not to remove the grout from the grout line. After approximately 30 minutes, buff the tiles with a soft dry cloth to remove any grout haze. This can be repeated until the face of the tiles are clean.

Sealing: Quartz Stone tiles do require post-installation sealing. We recommend using LTP Polished Porcelain Sealer to keep them at their sparkling best throughout the life of the tiles.

Cleaning and Maintenance: Quartz tiles require little maintenance and will last a lifetime with the correct care. All you will need to do is brush them and mop them weekly with a mild detergent to keep them in perfect condition. We recommend neutral cleaners such as LTP Waxwash as it won’t strip your beautiful sealer and will actually enhance the longevity of your sealer too.