Thassos 1/4 inch tiles for bathroom floor

We are re-doing our bathroom, and plan to use carrara marble on the walls. We are thinking about using 1/4 inch polished Thassos mosaic for the floor (including the shower). It is a very tight weave of beautiful sparkly white Thassos mosaic tiles. We like the purity and sparkle of the Thassos, and we also like the small tiles in the tight weave -- since it will not show lots of grout. (We do not like wide grout lines -- especially since we live in NYC and the grout always gets dirty.) Are there any reasons we should be concerned about using this 1/4 inch Thassos on our floor? Will it be hard to keep clean? Will we be able to put enough grout in between the tight weave of the tiles to make for a waterproof seal in the shower? Should the floor be sealed or left in its natural polished state? Many thanks! Jonathan Lieberman

 

Dear Jonathan:

 

“ (We do not like wide grout lines -- especially since we live in NYC and the grout always gets dirty.) ”

 

Any particular reason why the grout gets dirtier in New York City ??...

 

“ Will we be able to put enough grout in between the tight weave of the tiles to make for a waterproof seal in the shower? ”

 

Finally somebody concerned about a vital issue! It's a very good question with no answer from me without actually seeing the gap available within mosaic pattern. If you're not positive that you can grout it thoroughly, go to plan “B” with your selection!

 

“ Should the floor be sealed or left in its natural polished state? ”

 

I'm not sure I understand the question. The application of an impregnator (a.k.a. sealer) only reduces the natural absorbency rate of the stone, but since it's a below-the-surface (of the stone) product, it can't and in fact does not affect in any way, shape or form the original factory finish. In the case of White Thassos (and White Carrara, too) if it were my own bathroom the sealing thing wouldn't even cross my mind for a second. Not only both stones are quite dense (contrary to popular and widespread misconception), but the chance of spilling something that could stain them (coffee, cooking oil, etc.) without realizing it are minuscule to say the least. Sealer for stone do not offer any protection whatsoever to the surface of the stone and polished marble can seldom be technically sealed to begin with, fir it's just to dense and an impregnator would have a very hard time to absorbed by it.

The issue of what you'll be doing day in and day out to your stone is – as it should be intuitive – vastly more important than its sealing (if and when possible and/or advisable) and it's all too often neglected. As you can tell by reading many of this site's postings, you're not likely to get good information about it from your dealer or installer. Don't become another statistic! By logging into the Helpful Hints section of our website at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/helpful-hints.htm, you will be able to get the short version of our maintenance guidelines at no charge. The full version of it – a 7-page document considered by many as an industry benchmark – is available in pay-per-download format in our Educational Literature section at: http://www.marblecleaning.org/literature.htm.  

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Thank you  

Ciao and good luck,

Mauri z io Bertoli

 

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