Stone makes a gorgeous look for indoor or outdoor flooring or for an accent wall. Your professional installer will take a different tack to installing it though than you may have observed when watching tile installed.

Installation Differences

The similarity to the processes of grouting tile and https://www.hunker.com/13424733/instructions-for-grouting-outdoor-stone-patio grouting stone is that both use grout. The differences are many. First, stone requires a specific type of grout. You must install it directly over the sub-floor of either concrete or plywood. For outdoor installations, the installer will use an epoxy-based, sanded grout. These grouts produce a more durable hold and are more water-resistant. Epoxy-based grout withstands differences in temperature better. Sanded grout refers to grout that includes sand. Sand makes the mortar stronger. That strengthens the bond in wider joints and gaps. This works well on patios. There are a multitude of ways to beautify indoors or outdoors with stone and grout.

Stone Choices

Many choices exist for installing stone as a floor or wall. These include limestone, marble, slate and terracotta. Your professional installer will seal these stones with a penetrating sealer before grouting them. You can choose an epoxy-based grout that matches the stone.

Outdoor Grouting Takes Time

You probably want to use your patio immediately, but once the stone gets laid, the grout must be applied. Your installer will grout in small patches of just a few square feet at a time. They will start at the outer most portion of your yard and work toward your patio door. They’ll stop to clean the surface of the fully installed patch periodically.

Once they grout the entire patio, it requires 24 hours to dry. You cannot step on it until this drying process has finished.

Your installer may stop by to check the installation after the drying period. If they observe haze on the stone, they will mop it. If this does not remove the haze, they will use a grout haze remover to clean the stone’s surface.

A Second Sealant

The stone installer will also seal the grout after the installation dries. Outdoor grout has to be sealed due to its constant exposure to the elements. Unsealed grout stains easily. On an outdoor installation, any liquids or soil will stain the material. If you do not want a child’s Kool-Aid spill to stain the patio or grout or your spouse’s wine or beer, to stain the patio, the installer needs to seal it very well with penetrating sealer.

Using Your New Patio or Floor

After all of that, you get to use your floor as soon as the second sealant dries. Once it dries though, you can safely have that barbeque or watch party. You won’t even have to worry if someone spills a vat of sauce on it.

Ready to put a stone patio or floor in at your home, contact us. You can call us at 847-356-6928. We will consult with you to develop a design that suits your home and your lifestyle. We’ll let you know the steps required to install the patio you choose and afterward, we will be there for you to conduct maintenance when you need it.