For Mr. Bud, this ones for YOU!

[Tucks]

This one is for you.

 

[Nick]

Marble Peeling ?
What is that crap ?

 

[BudCline]

WTF Lee? How about a few details?
My crystal ball is in the pawn shop right now!

Looks like a schitty installation with a schitty sealer painted on with a brush before the tile had time to dissipate the moisture from the thinset. That's my guess based on the abundance of forensic information available so far.

Huge grout joints for that particular tile and sanded grout that is questionable.

How ya been?

 

[Tucks]

Bud,
been ok, wondering sometimes what you were up to these days.

Bud, they came out of the box that way, with the sealer on it. On some, it peels, on others, it does not.

Sealer or finish, makes it high gloss or glossy, underneath it, you can see the lines from processing, and those lines telegraph thru the finish.

I was wondering about the grout sizes and choice, and type but their concern is the glossy finish peeling off,

heat makes it cloudy, and it is installed behind a stove,

I had a good one for you a few years ago but did not have your email address. I will see if I can find the photos this weekend, limestone.

anyway, when I saw your name, I knew you would want to see this one, seems they are selling it this way, on the ones that have peel, it is rough, with lots of grinding or planning striations.

I think you can see them in the light in the photos

lee

 

[BudCline]

lots of grinding or planning striations.

I think you can see them in the light in the photos

I did see that! I thought I was seeing brush strokes from a heavily applied sealer.

I don't know that I have ever seen sealer applied like that from the supplier. Is it possible someone sold them an extra seal job and someone up-line paid somebody to pre-seal the tiles?

The grout spacing is (in my experience) a little unusual. Most customers want that type of tile with as little grout spacing as possible. Typically 1/8" is the most you would space those tiles and usually more-so about the space of a credit card thickness typically. Then unsanded grout is used so as not to scratch the tile during installation and unsanded produces a finer look, not as bulky and crude as sanded grout.

But hey...everything is relative these days.

 

[Tucks]

Bud,
nope, sold a a polished marble product, no extra seal, as a glossy product, look where the finish was removed, not glossy, the stone was not polished. They used the glossy finish to get the polished glossy appearance,
is this accepted in the industry?

Isn't life fun?

 

[Ernesto]

Maybe the sanded grout scratched it enough to allow water intrusion under the sealant. Probably never would had held up any how.

 

[BudCline]

is this accepted in the industry?

I wouldn't know how or where to find an "industry standard" on such a thing. It certainly wouldn't be acceptable to me if it was sold as a "polished" product. Seems like a little hanky-panky must be going on. I have never ran in to that product.

You might try The Marble Institute of America. If there was a standard it would be theirs. They have a forum somewhere with some really knowledgeable people. All of their information is also for sale from their website. I haven't been to their site(s) in a long time.

Might also look up Fred Heuston, he is (if you don't already know) the king of stone forensics. Not that this comes under forensics. Ole Fred also has a price but you might stumble into something around his place. Haven't heard from Fred in a coons age either.

 

[Tucks]

Obbbessssedd one,
they installed one, the rest came out of the carton that way.
Installation was halted, and tiles removed,
none of these have been "in use conditions" yet,

I cut some into small pieces and actually boiled one, the finish did not peel,
it is, just, some of them.

anyway, thanks! fun to see us all wondering. I just reported, not polished by usual industry methods, and applied finish on some times have an adhesive issue,
true,
lee

 

[Ernesto]

Well heck make up your mind, installed one, installation halted and the rest removed? Sounds like more than one was installed.

It's pretty difficult to even get lots of penetrating sealer to go in polished travertine, let alone a polished marble. So maybe they were trying to skip polishing and dump it on the market, save money err make money.

It looks like a cross between Turkish travertine and marble. Whats the difference between travertine and marble density wise?

 

[Tucks]

heck,
you the expert, you tell me,
you always say installers know it all, so, know it and tell us!

lee

 

[BudCline]

It looks like a cross between Turkish travertine and marble. Whats the difference between travertine and marble density wise?

Travertine and marble exist within basically the same density range but of course their density's can vary.

Typically travertine is softer ranging from a 3 to a 4 on the MOHS Scale whereas marble's range can be 2.5 to 5 on the MOHS Scale. So...marble is both harder and softer than travertine. Generally speaking they are basically the same stone I guess.

 

[Ernesto]

Some marble and travertine look allot alike. To me travertine usually has pits either filled or not and marble does not. The one Lee presented looks to me like travertine but I don't see pits in it. Its that color I mostly see in travertine though.

I thought marble was always harder because it is a metamorphic rock, not sedimentary like travertine. Marble is mostly highly polished when I see it unless it is tumbled marble. And travertine is honed not polished which is not as glossy. Berry confusing.

I have heard of travertine marble. Maybe thats what they were trying to do is pass off travertine as marble.