I am going to drive to San Juan today to try to track down some epoxy mortar so we can start laying the marble in the kitchen and bathroom. This is really slowing us down (at least two weeks now) otherwise I would not be driving out there. San Juan is a pretty big city and very confusing to get around in.
The place that carries the product we need is right across from the Mercedes Benz dealership by the airport. Easy enough right? All I have to do is find the Mercedes Benz dealership in San Juan and I am there! Wrong Answer! The Mercedes Benz dealership in San Juan doesn’t have a website, I can’t find them listed anywhere and because Dal Tile isn’t listed online or in the phone book either, I will be flying blind…which is not easy when your native language is English…and everyone you will ask for direction speaks Spanish.
Oh well, hopefully I’ll get it done and it will just be a day of driving. hmmmm…will the transmission get me there and back? Better to test it out now than when we are on a tight schedule on the way to the airport or something.
WAIT! Marble and Mortar Update:
I am pulling an audible! I found the telephone number for Dal Tile in San Juan and that don’t have any Jamo Products in stock. They told me that the mortar they recommend for Marble Tile is called UltraFlex 1. The only warning it gives, is not to use it on Green Marble or Green Granite. This could mean that we are getting this show back on the road today (since I will only have to drive to Mayaguez Home Depot), but we’ll see. I am not holding my breath. Here is some more information I found online about UltraFlex 1 Mortar
Popularity: 18% [?]
Yo Stefan,
You can use the ultra flex, not on green and some blacks, the marble will curl up.
Porcelain is better, again except for green and black.
Green and black, you have to use Epoxy.
Call Dal, if you need help, pricing or want to use my account let me know. I contacted my rep here in Allentown and we’ll give you all the help we can.
Dal
18 Tony Santana Ave
(say hello to my little friend, mr montana)
Besthree 3 bld
Sorry hit the wrong key.
Dal Tile
18 Santana Ave
Besthree 3 bld
Carolina, PR 00979
787-791-6618
I’d reccomend installing the floor first, the cabinets and then the tops and appliances. Cover the floors while the rest of the construction is going on. We cover them with paper and then cardboard and depending on traffic, 1/4″ luan plywood. At the end of the day it’s worth it.
Couple of things:
Install the floor first = no cutting at the cabinet edge, this will save a ton of time and give a nicer finish.
Althought it cost more the floor is level and solid under all the entire cabinet. If you want to save a little you can use cut pieces etc against the wall for cabinet support.
DW have funny legs, in the DW area finish the floor through to the wall for ease of installation. Same with the oven and refridg areas.
Need any help let me know. Thanks. Chip
House looks great, you guys are doing a terrific job. Need anything, let me know and I’ll do what I can.
Chip:
Great advice. Most of the time I am flying blind on my projects, so I really appreciate the input.
I spoke with the guys at Dal Tile in San Juan and they also recomended that I use the UltraFlex product. Once I got to Home Depot they had a huge variety so I called the manufacturer and they recomended I use UltraFlex 2 to set all the marble tile. He just told me to make sure I mud both the marble and the floor (he called it a double something or other).
It sounds like I am making the right decision as far as the floor goes in the kitchen. We are re-painting the green walls after we get the cabinet bases out of there..we laid down Concrete Board, we are pouring UltraPan on the floor to make sure it is completely level..then we set the tiles from wall to wall. No unnecessary cuts, no matching tile down the line if we remodel the kitchen…I didn’t think about covering the floor to protect it…I’ll add that to the list.
Have you ever used 511 Impregnator to seal and ‘ungloss’ marble floors? It’s on my list…
Stefan,
I have no experience with marble tile…but if you have to come into the San Juan area again and are worried about flying blind, drop me an email. I bet I can find someone who knows how to get there (although you’ll still get “turn left at the Burger King” type directions). I actually knew where the Mercedes dealership was and even the web address as they advertise in the area.
FYI- http://www.garageislaverde.com/mbcenter/b/index.jhtml
I cant help but wonder WTF ppl used for the last 1000 years to set marble before the high tech products showed up? Seems like they have done well for hundreds of years in Europe. Cheap jive ass marble these days?
I think they used to use the blood of virgins to set marble back in the day. That’s frowned upon now, hence the need for super epoxy…
hopefully the marble’s not too cheap…i think it takes less of a mason to set tile these days..because all these high-tech additives make setting tile less of a trade and more of a science (asside from lining them up right…which seems quite difficult) they just need to push them onto the wall and let the epoxy take over. only the best masons’ work lasted thousands of years in Europe, hence them scoring all the virgins in the neighborhood
Aw, the virgins hold the key. No wonder Im clueless.