Delivery
DELIVERY & UNLOADING
Delivery - We offer two types of delivery:-
1) Delivery by a lorry with a tailgate that can be lowered to the floor (This is a kerbside delivery) : The crate of stone will be unloaded at the rear of the truck onto the floor. If the site is not level, the ground not firm or there is a gravel drive, getting the stone any closer to the property or to a more convenient location may not be possible. Thereafter your own contractors are required to move the material to the required location & to dispose of the crates responsibly (Please ensure that your contractors are on site on the day of delivery). This is the cheapest form of delivery. Your stone & ancillary products will arrive on separate vehicles as they come from different warehouses. Please be aware that for insurance purposes, not all third party delivery companies will be prepared to drive their vehicle onto your property/driveway, therefore goods will be dropped as close as is feasible.
2) Delivery by a lorry with a small crane: Where possible, the driver will bring the lorry as near as he can to the property & will lift the stone off the lorry with the crane. Here the stone may be able to be placed either side of the truck in convenient locations or onto a smaller vehicle for movement closer to the property. It is much more flexible & should be specified if the delivery site is not level, the ground is not firm or if you have a gravel drive. Thereafter your own contractors are required to move the stone to the required location & to dispose of the crates responsibly. (Please ensure that your contractors are on site on the day of delivery). This form of delivery is usually more convenient, more expensive but may save a lot of time. The cost of hiring in a crane arm is in the region of £500 plus VAT per vehicle - subject to postcode, weight of load & number of crates etc. Should you wish for us to quote on a crane arm delivery, please contact us at least 7 working days prior to your delivery. Your stone & ancillary products will arrive on separate tail-lift vehicles as they come from different warehouses.
Please check which type of delivery has been ordered: Please doublecheck the delivery specified on your order. If you have any doubts over which delivery method is suitable for your property please contact us.
Important: Please make us aware at the time of placing your order of any access restrictions to you property such as narrow roads, difficult or steep access points, congested parking, parking restrictions (metered or otherwise – e.g. permit only), narrow turning circles &/or whether the road is a school/college drop off/parking zone.
Time of Delivery: Deliveries are usually made between 9.00am & 5.00pm. We can ask the driver to ring you 1 hour before the delivery to arrange to meet you on site. He will usually be able to do this. We can also usually offer a pre 11am delivery at a charge of £30 + VAT. If you require either of these two options please advise asap. We book deliveries weeks in advance & it may not be possible to accommodate requests made at the last minute. Please let us know if your site has specific opening times.
Unloading & dry storage: We will normally aim to deliver the week before your tiler starts work. The stone will be delivered on wooden crates (approx 1 metre square), they are very heavy (approx 1 tonne per crate). Please arrange for yourself and your contractor to meet the delivery & advise our driver of your preference as to where the material should be left. It will be your responsibility to take the stone from the vicinity of the truck to the area awaiting tiling & to dispose of the crates responsibly. IMPORTANT: THE STORAGE MUST BE IN A SAFE & DRY LOCATION. If you do not have a contractor on site or cannot arrange for labour for unloading, please liaise with your tiler who should be able to arrange unloading himself.
Important - Checking your stone: Please check your stone on delivery to make sure that it is the right type, of satisfactory quality, undamaged & that you have received the correct amount of stone. Please advise us of any discrepancies within 48 hours of receipt. If you have any queries or questions about your stone, Martin Moore Stone must be notified within 5 days of the delivery. Claims for short delivery cannot be accepted beyond the 5 day period. Please contact us as soon as possible after the delivery if for any reason you are uncertain about your stone - DO NOT proceed with installation. Martin Moore Stone cannot accept responsibility for or replace stone that has already been installed.
Delivery for the second time: Martin Moore Stone have quoted on making one delivery only to your property. We reserve the right to charge if for whatever reason further deliveries have to be made.
INSTALLATION, CARE & MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS
SUB FLOOR
As with all rigid tiles a firm sub-floor is needed for the laying of a natural stone floor. An even and level sand and cement screed is the ideal surface, but suspended wooden floors need not be a problem as long as they are strengthened. Normally waterproof plywood screwed down to existing floorboards at 200mm centres is enough, but it is best to get professional advice. If levels are problem, plywood can be screwed straight to joists (if the joints between the sheets are supported by noggins at 250mm intervals)
INSTALLATION
The tiles should be laid with an adhesive. The adhesive bed should average +/- 5mm in thickness, but should never exceed 10mm. When laying on a suspended wooden floor or using any form of underfloor heating, a flexible additive must be used with the adhesive and the grout.
In all instances the back of the stone should be ‘buttered’ before fixing to provide a key. If the tile is too dry it must first be wet with water to improve adhesion. When laying light colored or thin limestone white adhesive or white cement slurry with sand/cement semidry must be used.
SEALING
Every natural stone is porous and therefore we always recommend that a sealer is used.
The amount of sealer to be used depends on the porosity of the stone. It is always best to apply three coats, the first of which must be applied before grouting. After grouting, a second and then third coat should be applied. There is a saturation level beyond which the stone will not take any sealant. Excessive sealing will leave streaks on the surface, which is difficult to remove. If streaks appear on the surface they should be wiped off with a dry cloth.
The sealers always work best when applied to dry stone. It is important to wait until the stone is completely dry before starting to seal the floor.
GROUTING
A cement-based grout should be used. It is important to use the right colour of grout, usually light beige or light grey is the best option. We recommend that the grout is specified to be as close in colour as possible to the stone. If the right shade is not available off the shelf, a darker colour should be mixed with white. When grouting limestone it is important to work very cleanly, avoiding any reside at all drying on the surface of the stone. This is important because the normal way of removing grout is with an acid, which would attack the limestone.
Width of joint is a question of taste. As a general rule a wide joint (6 to 10mm) will give a more rustic look than a narrow one (2 to 3 mm). If in any doubt over the colour of grout to use we recommend that you ask the tiler to make up some grout samples for you to approve.
CARE AND MAINTENANCE
Once the floor has been laid and sealed the care and maintenance required is low.
The floor should be mopped with a recommended stone cleaner or water. For everyday use we recommend the Lilothin cleaner Easycare. It is vitally important that any cleaner that contains detergents should never be used – repeated use of detergents can strip the sealer from the floor. A sealant will protect the floor from the majority of stains, but care must still be taken with oil and acid based products. Spillages should be cleaned as soon as detected. Any stain that does occur can be cleaned with an intensive stone cleaner. Please be assured that marks on limestone floors are very rare. For further information please contact us.
Every 4 to 5 years (dependant on wear) the floor will need resealing. This is normally done by a tiler. If you need tiler details please do not hesitate to contact us.
WAXING / POLISHING
The appearance of some stones can be improved by adding a sheen to the surface. There are several ways of doing this:
- Using a Lilothin product such as Careseal or Multiseal. This is applied with a mop and will give the appearance that the floor has been polished. To maintain the finish these products create the treatment should be carried out every 2 – 3 months ( dependant on wear )
- It is also possible to polish / wax some floors. This is a more labour intensive method than the treatment above. It is recommended that you ask a tiler to carry out this process.
This is only an appended version of our installation, care and maintenance notes, the full version is supplied when you place your order.