Discoloured Marble, New Install. Help Please !! - Tile Advice

[marblehelp]

My contractor installed Venatino Polished marble tiles this week. My wife and I noticed that four of them were scratched after install, so he pulled them out and reinstalled 4 new ones. Now the 4 new ones that he has installed are much darker in color compared to the rest of the floor and look terrible.

The 4 new ones were installed a few days ago, prior to install they looked exactly the same color as the other floor tiles, now they look much darker after install. I was hoping that they were just wet, now days later and they are still exactly the same dark color.

I read online that sometimes marble takes weeks to dry up back to the natural color, however the other floor tiles dried up within hours of install and never remained looking dark like this.

The problem is the rest of my bathroom is coming in next week, so if i need to rip them out and start again I will need to do this tomorrow as i do not want the bathroom being finished with me " hoping " that in a few weeks they will dry up and match the rest of the floor only to realize in a few weeks they are still discolored and now I am stuck with them .

Could the installer have used a product that discolored the tiles ? What could have done this ? What can i do to fix this ? If i rip them out, whats to say that this wont happen again if i pull them out and put four new ones in again ?

 

[marblehelp]

Photos taken today four days after install.

 

[Ian]

Are they from the same batch of stone? And was the same adhesive colour used for the original tiling and the 4 new ones?

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Did he pre seal, before laying
As above , which adhesive slow or fast set
I get a few of these -if not sealed , can take a week or so to migrate the moisture dependant on addy. If sealed - we may need to release it or possibility of moisture staining.

 

[marblehelp]

Thank you for replying, we did not seal them first as we wanted to allow the moisture to escape.

Yes white thin set, white epoxy grout , and the tiles match exactly as they were all purchased at the same time and double checked.

We left the house came back after install, saw them like this and thought they must be just wet. Now four days later zero improvement. My contractor was already upset about having to pull four of them up and replace them with the new ones due to scratches. He is going to flip if i ask him to pull them back up and lay new ones.

The other floor tiles were set a few days prior to these four replacements and only stayed wet looking for hours before drying back to the perfect natural color.

 

[Dave]

Did he use the same thinset ?

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Thank you for replying, we did not seal them first as we wanted to allow the moisture to escape.

Ok so you didn't seal them first, but have you sealed these?

 

[cam_low]

if they were scratched why did he not polish them out?

 

[marblehelp]

He said that we would need a special machine to buff the tiles and it would be cheaper to just replace them.

if they were scratched why did he not polish them out?

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Are these tiles sealed at all?

 

[marblehelp]

they have not been sealed - they are very polished though which i hear works sometimes like a seal making it hard for moisture to escape.

 

[Tile Shop]

they're grouted??? with epoxy??? and not been sealed first???

Never heard of that before. I must have missed something if anyone can clarify what it is?? Anyway, the grouting alone will lock moisture in.

The first time they were laid and when the replacements were also laid, how much time was given after fixing before the grout was applied for both instances? It would also be helpful if you could answer if the adhesive was slow or rapid set. Exact name would be better.

 

[Lithofin BOB]

As above , good thing we are not sealed , I have had floors take a couple of weeks to shed a slow set addy through a dense tile, we may just need to wait and let it dry , hopefully it won't water stain before it releases.

Bit about the polish acting like a seal- myth , the moisture release will be the same.
If I had a pound!!!!! For people not sealing before grouting because of a polished face and they get a contamination

 

[Tile Shop]

Bob, can you clarify something while we're on the subject of sealers and epoxy.

Ltp do a sealer for crackled tiles (solvent based). On the tin it said not to use with epoxy grout. So i rang them to ask if any of their other sealers would be affected and they said it may affect any of their solvent sealers..... so.....

1. Have you heard or had any experience with sealers failing with epoxy grout?
2. Ltp would suggest their mpg sealer for polished marble.... but would their mattstone h2o work with epoxy and a polished tile? (I would ask them but its out of hours and i'll forget by morning)
3. Baring in mind we want the marble to dry out, what would be your step by step guide have been to laying this floor with epoxy grout and Lithofin sealers? (Including aproximate drying times)

I know its a big question or 3 so sorry to lump this on ya, but i need to learn this kind of stuff and i have to get you back somehow for suggesting people find my tent and wee on it! This goes a small way lol

 

[Lithofin BOB]

Hi Paul ,
Epoxy grout is generally fully chemically resistant, once cured the solvents should have no effect on this grout short term during the saturation period of a solvent impregnator To seal the stone.

The water based should work fine on the stone with the correct saturation but again the epoxy will repel it , you don't need to seal the epoxy grout. I seal with our Eco water based not a problem, still would seal with the Mn solvent if possible like the mpg. (25 years of putting it down, I like the buzz!!! Always use solvent based sensibly and ware a mask. Do not take to Glastonbury !!!

Finally , I didn't think as you did, epoxy would be used surrounding a natural stone tile.
Have had issues with bleed from this type of product before ( long time ago) but again I didn't think it was advised to be used with these products . Ceramics only.? Sure the guys can give us the correct info on this. so i wouldn't ever spec this up!! General natural installation lay- ensure all moisture released , seal, grout generally cementisiouse , again once fully dry impregnate again.