Natural Stone Tile
Neutrality remake campaign: from-scratch field derivation per authoring cheatsheet; project parameters and derived dispositions
Showing changes from Rev 7
to Rev 8
in Natural Stone Tile.
−---
−title: Natural Stone Tile
−category: Architectural / Finishes
−toc_depth: 3
−description: >
− When to use: Interior and protected exterior natural dimension-stone tile and thin slab finishes — granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate, quartzite, sandstone, and serpentine ("green marble") — installed on floors, walls, wainscots, stair treads, thresholds, and countertops in commercial, institutional, hospitality, retail, and high-end multi-family construction. Covers stone-type selection and the governing ASTM dimension-stone material specifications, physical-property testing (absorption, density, compressive and flexural strength, abrasion), surface finishes, slip resistance, setting-material selection including the epoxy and white-mortar requirements for moisture-sensitive and translucent stone, crack-isolation and waterproof membranes, movement-joint design, substrate flatness, sealing, and the failure modes peculiar to natural stone (efflorescence, picture-framing, warping, shade and vein variation).
− Not intended for: Manufactured ceramic, porcelain, glass, and quarry tile, including stone-look porcelain (see [[sync/ceramic-tile]]); poured and precast terrazzo (see [[sync/terrazzo]]); resilient, vinyl, and rubber flooring (see [[sync/resilient-flooring]]); polished concrete floors (see [[sync/polished-concrete]]); exterior anchored or rainscreen stone cladding and stone veneer engineered as a structural envelope component; cast stone and agglomerate/engineered "quartz" countertops; structural slab design, placement, and curing; and below-grade building-envelope waterproofing (see [[sync/below-grade-waterproofing]]).
−---
−
−# Scope {toc}
−
−## This standard governs the materials and installation of natural dimension-stone tile and thin slabs — granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate, quartzite, sandstone, and the serpentine stones commonly sold as "green marble" — set by the thin-bed, medium-bed, and thick-bed (full mortar-bed) methods on interior and protected exterior floors, walls, wainscots, stair treads, risers, thresholds, base, and countertops. {note}
−
−## The Contractor shall treat the installation as a coordinated system.
−## The Contractor shall select a method from the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation and the Natural Stone Institute Dimension Stone Design Manual appropriate to the stone, substrate, and service.
−## The Contractor shall verify that the stone, setting material, membrane, and grout are mutually compatible and approved for the specific stone.
−## The Contractor shall not begin setting stone until the substrate has passed the flatness, soundness, and moisture acceptance criteria of this standard.
−## The Contractor shall coordinate the concrete substrate, its surface finish, its curing, and the location of structural and control joints with the structural and concrete work, so that every structural, cold, and control joint in the substrate and every change in substrate plane or material is carried through the stone as a movement joint.
−## The Contractor shall coordinate waterproofing of the building envelope and of wet areas with [[sync/below-grade-waterproofing]] where stone is applied over a waterproofed assembly.
−## The Contractor shall coordinate transitions to adjacent finishes with [[sync/ceramic-tile]], [[sync/terrazzo]], [[sync/resilient-flooring]], and [[sync/polished-concrete]] so that thresholds, transition profiles, and finish-floor elevations reconcile.
−## Natural stone is specified where the depth, movement, and individuality of a natural material are wanted, and because every piece is a sample of a geologic deposit whose color, vein, shade, density, porosity, and strength vary from piece to piece, the correct stone type, its governing ASTM material specification, and the service environment are the most important things to identify. {note}
−## A stone installation is a layered system whose durability is governed far more by the substrate, setting bed, membrane, and movement-joint design than by the stone itself, and the majority of field failures originate in substrate movement, wrong setting material, omitted movement joints, or unaccounted-for moisture rather than in a defect of the stone. {note}
−
−# Referenced Standards {toc}
−
−## The following standards are referenced in this document. {note}
−
−| Standard | Title |
−|----------|-------|
−| ASTM C503 / C503M | Specification for Marble Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C568 / C568M | Specification for Limestone Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C615 / C615M | Specification for Granite Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C616 / C616M | Specification for Quartz-Based (Sandstone) Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C629 / C629M | Specification for Slate Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C1526 | Specification for Serpentine Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C1527 / C1527M | Specification for Travertine Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C97 / C97M | Test Methods for Absorption and Bulk Specific Gravity of Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C99 / C99M | Test Method for Modulus of Rupture of Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C170 / C170M | Test Method for Compressive Strength of Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C880 / C880M | Test Method for Flexural Strength of Dimension Stone |
−| ASTM C241 / C241M | Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Stone Subjected to Foot Traffic |
−| ASTM C1353 / C1353M | Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Dimension Stone Subjected to Foot Traffic Using a Rotary Platform Abraser |
−| ASTM C1028 | Test Method for Static Coefficient of Friction (superseded by ANSI A326.3 for slip resistance) |
−| ANSI A137.1 | Specifications for Ceramic Tile (referenced for tile-form stone dimensional and DCOF requirements) |
−| ANSI A108.01 / A108.02 | General Requirements and Materials, Environmental, and Workmanship for Installation of Tile |
−| ANSI A108.5 | Installation with Dry-Set or Latex-Portland Cement Mortar |
−| ANSI A108.6 | Installation with Chemical-Resistant, Water-Cleanable Tile-Setting and -Grouting Epoxy |
−| ANSI A108.13 | Installation of Load-Bearing, Bonded, Waterproof Membranes for Thin-Set Ceramic Tile and Dimension Stone |
−| ANSI A108.17 | Installation of Crack-Isolation Membranes for Thin-Set Ceramic Tile and Dimension Stone |
−| ANSI A118.1 | Dry-Set Portland Cement Mortar |
−| ANSI A118.3 | Chemical-Resistant, Water-Cleanable Tile-Setting and -Grouting Epoxy |
−| ANSI A118.4 | Modified Dry-Set Cement Mortar |
−| ANSI A118.5 | Chemical-Resistant Furan Mortars and Grouts |
−| ANSI A118.6 | Standard Cement Grouts |
−| ANSI A118.7 | High-Performance Cement Grouts |
−| ANSI A118.10 | Load-Bearing, Bonded, Waterproof Membranes for Thin-Set Installation |
−| ANSI A118.12 | Crack-Isolation Membranes for Thin-Set Installation |
−| ANSI A118.15 | Improved Modified Dry-Set Cement Mortar |
−| ANSI A326.3 | Test Method for Measuring Dynamic Coefficient of Friction of Hard-Surface Flooring Materials |
−| TCNA Handbook | TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation (method designations and movement-joint guideline EJ171) |
−| NSI Dimension Stone Design Manual | Natural Stone Institute Dimension Stone Design Manual |
−| IBC | International Building Code (current edition adopted by jurisdiction) |
−
−## All materials, testing, and installation shall comply with the latest edition adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction for each of the standards listed above.
−## Where the contract documents, a referenced standard, the TCNA Handbook method called out, the Natural Stone Institute Dimension Stone Design Manual, or the stone or setting-material manufacturer's or fabricator's written instructions impose a more stringent requirement than the minimum of any other standard, the more stringent requirement governs unless the Architect of Record directs otherwise in writing.
−## For natural stone the fabricator's and setting-material manufacturer's written instructions for the specific stone are not merely advisory, because a moisture-sensitive or friable stone has handling, setting, and sealing requirements the generic standards do not capture, and disregarding them voids the installation warranty. {note}
−## The ASTM dimension-stone material specifications (C503, C568, C615, C616, C629, C1526, C1527) are the foundation of this standard, each defining for its stone type the minimum physical properties — absorption per ASTM C97, density, compressive strength per ASTM C170, modulus of rupture per ASTM C99 and flexural strength per ASTM C880, and abrasion resistance per ASTM C1353 — that a sound, durable stone must meet. {note}
−## The TCNA Handbook supplies the tested installation methods by designation and the movement-joint guideline EJ171, the NSI Dimension Stone Design Manual is the recognized source for stone-specific selection and tolerance guidance, and where stone is supplied in tile form the dimensional and slip-resistance provisions of ANSI A137.1 and ANSI A326.3 also apply. {note}
−
−# Submittals {toc}
−
−## Action Submittals {toc}
−
−### The Contractor shall submit the following for the Architect's review prior to procurement and installation:
−
−- Stone material certification reporting, for each stone, the commercial and geologic name, the quarry source, the governing ASTM specification, and the measured physical properties (absorption and density per ASTM C97, compressive strength per ASTM C170, flexural strength per ASTM C880 or modulus of rupture per ASTM C99, and abrasion resistance per ASTM C1353 for floor stone), demonstrating compliance with the governing specification
−- Product data for each setting material, membrane, grout, and accessory, identifying the governing ANSI specification and a written statement that the selected setting material, membrane, and grout are approved by their manufacturer for the specific stone and substrate and for the service condition, including an explicit statement of suitability for moisture-sensitive or translucent stone where such stone is specified
−- The TCNA Handbook method designation, or the NSI Dimension Stone Design Manual detail, proposed for each stone location, identifying the substrate, membrane, setting bed, and movement-joint treatment
−- Full-range samples and, for stone with significant directional vein or shade variation, full-size sample sets or a reviewed approved range establishing the acceptable extremes of color, vein, shade, and finish
−- Slip-resistance (DCOF) test data per ANSI A326.3 for each floor stone in its specified finish, identifying the use classification for which the value qualifies the stone
−- Shop drawings showing stone layout, setting-out and control lines, vein direction and match (book-match, slip-match, blend), the location of every movement and perimeter joint, edge and trim profiles, stair and threshold details, and slab jointing, coordinated with the [[drawing: finish plans, elevations, stone layout, and details]]
−- For slabs on or below grade and for moisture-sensitive stone, the substrate moisture test result and the basis for the membrane and setting-material selection
−- Sealer and impregnator product data with the stone manufacturer's or fabricator's confirmation of compatibility, and a statement of whether a pre-installation impregnating sealer is required
−
−```datasheet
−label: Action Submittals Required
−type: checkbox
−options:
− - "Stone material certification — name, source, ASTM spec, and measured physical properties (C97, C170, C880/C99, C1353)"
− - "Product data — setting materials, membranes, grout (ANSI designation + stone-specific compatibility statement)"
− - "TCNA method / NSI detail per location"
− - "Samples — full color/vein/shade range and approved range set"
− - "DCOF slip-resistance data per ANSI A326.3 (floor stone, specified finish)"
− - "Shop drawings — layout, vein match, movement joints, edge profiles, stair/threshold details"
− - "Substrate moisture test result (slabs on/below grade and moisture-sensitive stone)"
− - "Sealer/impregnator product data with compatibility confirmation"
−default: "Stone material certification — name, source, ASTM spec, and measured physical properties (C97, C170, C880/C99, C1353)"
−```
−
−### Installation shall not begin until the stone material certification, the setting-material compatibility statement, and, where applicable, the substrate moisture report have been submitted and reviewed.
−### The stone type and substrate condition together determine the setting material, the membrane, the sealing requirement, and the freeze-thaw suitability. {note}
−
−## Closeout Submittals {toc}
−
−### The Contractor shall submit the following closeout documentation:
−
−- Manufacturer warranty documentation for the stone, setting materials, and sealer, executed in the Owner's name where an owner-registered warranty is offered
−- Maintenance instructions describing permitted cleaning agents, the resealing interval and product, and prohibited cleaners (acidic cleaners on calcareous stone, abrasive pads on polished finishes) for each stone and finish
−- Attic-stock transmittal documenting the quantity, stone, finish, size, and block/lot of spare stone delivered to the Owner
−
−```datasheet
−label: Closeout Submittals Required
−type: checkbox
−options:
− - "Manufacturer warranty documentation for stone, setting materials, and sealer (executed in Owner's name where offered)"
− - "Maintenance instructions (permitted cleaning agents, resealing interval and product, prohibited cleaners)"
− - "Attic-stock transmittal (quantity, stone, finish, size, block/lot of spare stone)"
−default: "Manufacturer warranty documentation for stone, setting materials, and sealer (executed in Owner's name where offered)"
−```
−
−# Quality Assurance {toc}
−
−## Installer Qualifications {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Installer Qualification
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Credentialed stone / large-format installer required (slabs, polished, moisture-sensitive, or any edge over 15 in)"
− - "Experienced commercial natural-stone installer"
− - "Experienced commercial tile installer (calibrated stone tile, interior dry only)"
−default: "Experienced commercial natural-stone installer"
−```
−
−### Stone shall be installed by an installer with documented experience in commercial natural-stone installations of the specific stone type, finish, and method required.
−### The Contractor should employ installers credentialed under a recognized industry program for stone and large-format work.
−### The Contractor shall not assign stone work — particularly moisture-sensitive, friable, polished, or large-slab stone — to labor experienced only in manufactured tile.
−### Stone work demands skills that ordinary tile work does not, including matching vein and shade across a wall, setting moisture-sensitive stone with epoxy, controlling lippage on large gauged slabs, dry-laying and blending from multiple crates, and finishing field-cut edges to match factory edges. {note}
−
−## Mock-Up {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Mock-Up Required
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Yes — representative area of each stone, including a movement joint, an edge/trim condition, and a wet-area or stair detail where applicable"
− - "No"
−default: "Yes — representative area of each stone, including a movement joint, an edge/trim condition, and a wet-area or stair detail where applicable"
−```
−
−### Where a mock-up is required, the Contractor shall install a representative area of each stone type and finish at a location directed by the Architect, including at least one movement or perimeter joint, one edge or trim condition, one internal or external corner, one transition to an adjacent finish, and a stair, threshold, or wet-area detail where such conditions occur.
−### The mock-up shall remain available for comparison throughout the work.
−### For stone the mock-up establishes the accepted standard for the natural range of color, vein, and shade, the joint width and grout color, the lippage, the finish, and the sealer appearance, and because natural variation is intrinsic the approved range, not a single sample, defines acceptance. {note}
−
−## Lippage and Joint Acceptance {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Maximum Allowable Lippage
−type: radio
−unit: in
−options:
− - "1/32 in plus inherent warpage (joints under 1/4 in; gauged/calibrated stone)"
− - "1/16 in plus inherent warpage (joints 1/4 in and wider)"
− - "Per ANSI A108 / NSI for the joint width, stone, and finish"
−default: "Per ANSI A108 / NSI for the joint width, stone, and finish"
−```
−
−### Lippage — the difference in elevation between the edges of two adjacent units — shall not exceed the allowance of ANSI A108 and the NSI Dimension Stone Design Manual for the joint width, stone, and finish, plus any inherent warpage permitted for the stone.
−### The grout-joint width shall not be less than the minimum the stone's dimensional and thickness variation warrants.
−### Lippage is more conspicuous on stone than on tile because polished and honed stone reflects light across the joint and cleft and calibrated stone vary in thickness, and it becomes harder to control as unit size increases and joint width decreases, which is why large slabs demand a flatter substrate and a controlled minimum joint. {note}
−
−## Pre-Installation Conference {toc}
−
−### Before installation begins, the Contractor shall hold a pre-installation conference with the Architect, the stone fabricator, and the installer to review the stone type and its moisture sensitivity and friability, the substrate condition, flatness, and moisture, the TCNA method or NSI detail and the setting materials selected, the layout, vein-match, and blending plan, the movement-joint plan, the sealing requirement and sequence, and the environmental conditions in the space.
−### Most stone disputes trace to a property of the stone or a condition of the substrate that was known but not acted upon before setting, and the conference exists to surface and resolve those conditions before any stone is set. {note}
−
−# Environmental and Service Conditions {toc}
−
−## Service Environment Classification {toc}
−
−### The service environment determines the stone type and finish, the freeze-thaw suitability, the slip-resistance requirement, the membrane requirement, the setting and grouting materials, and the sealing regimen. {note}
−
−### The service environment shall be established for each stone location before materials are selected.
−
−```datasheet
−label: Service Environment
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Interior dry — floors and walls not regularly wetted"
− - "Interior wet — restrooms, showers, food service, fountains"
− - "Interior heavy-duty — high-traffic lobbies, retail, transit floors"
− - "Exterior, freeze-thaw exposed — protected exterior floors, walls, and paving"
− - "Submerged / continuous-wet — pools, fountains, water features"
−default: "Interior dry — floors and walls not regularly wetted"
−```
−### Calcareous stone in freeze-thaw exterior service shall be used only where the specific stone has demonstrated freeze-thaw durability.
−### The Contractor shall confirm the service classification for each location from the contract documents before selecting materials.
−### Interior dry applications tolerate the broadest range of stone and finishes, while interior wet applications require a waterproof assembly, slip-resistant floor stone, an appropriate setting material, and attention to efflorescence and staining in absorptive stone. {note}
−### Exterior and freeze-thaw applications require a dense, low-absorption stone because an absorptive stone — most limestone, most marble, many travertines and slates — will spall, delaminate, or deteriorate when absorbed water freezes, and submerged or continuous-wet service requires a non-staining low-absorption stone, an epoxy or non-efflorescing setting system, and engineering beyond this standard. {note}
−
−## Temperature During Installation and Cure {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Minimum Ambient and Substrate Temperature During Installation and Cure
−type: range
−unit: °F
−options:
− min: 50
− max: 60
− step: 5
−default: 50
−```
−
−### The installation area and the substrate shall be maintained at a minimum of 50 °F (10 °C) and a maximum of 100 °F (38 °C) during installation and for the cure period required by the setting and grouting materials, typically not less than 7 days for cementitious materials before exposure to water or traffic.
−### Cementitious mortars and grouts gain strength through hydration, which slows or stops below approximately 50 °F and which can flash-set or shrink-crack in excessive heat, epoxy materials have a still narrower temperature window, and stone set or grouted outside the window or trafficked before cure debonds or cracks at the bond line. {note}
−
−## Substrate Moisture {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Substrate Moisture Management (slabs on/below grade)
−type: radio
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Bonded waterproof membrane (ANSI A118.10) over slab — wet areas, moisture-sensitive or absorptive stone"
− - "Vapor-managing / moisture-tolerant assembly with cementitious setting bed — durable non-sensitive stone only"
− - "Standard thin-set over sound dry slab — interior dry, above-grade, durable stone only"
−default: "Bonded waterproof membrane (ANSI A118.10) over slab — wet areas, moisture-sensitive or absorptive stone"
−```
−
−### Where stone is installed over concrete slabs on or below grade, the substrate moisture condition shall be evaluated and a bonded waterproof or vapor-managing membrane provided where moisture would otherwise drive efflorescence, staining, debonding, or warping through the assembly.
−### Where the assembly includes moisture-sensitive stone or a moisture-sensitive membrane or adhesive, the substrate moisture shall be measured (the relative-humidity method of ASTM F2170 being the recognized measure) and the membrane and setting materials selected for the measured condition.
−### Natural stone is far more vulnerable to substrate moisture than manufactured tile, because residual slab moisture and alkalinity carry mineral salts that deposit as efflorescence on and within absorptive stone, stain light and translucent stone, and in moisture-sensitive stone supply the water that causes warping and bond loss. {note}
−
−## Lighting for Inspection {toc}
−
−### Permanent or equivalent temporary lighting shall be operating during installation and inspection so that lippage, shade and vein match, joint alignment, hollow-bonded areas, finish uniformity, and surface defects can be evaluated under realistic conditions.
−### The finished work shall be evaluated under the lighting in which it will be viewed in service, except that critical-light conditions called out in the contract documents shall be evaluated under raking light if specified.
−### Polished and honed stone is highly sensitive to raking light, which exaggerates lippage and finish variation. {note}
−
−# Stone Products {toc}
−
−## Stone Type and Governing Specification {toc}
−
−### The stone type and its governing ASTM specification determine the service environment, the freeze-thaw suitability, the strength, the absorption and staining behavior, the moisture sensitivity, the appropriate finishes, and the maintenance regimen. {note}
−
−### The stone type shall be selected for the use, traffic, exposure, and maintenance expectations of each space, shall be identified by both commercial and geologic name and quarry source, and shall be indicated in the [[drawing: stone schedule]].
−
−```datasheet
−label: Stone Type
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Granite (ASTM C615) — dense igneous; floors, exterior, high-traffic, wet"
− - "Marble (ASTM C503) — calcareous metamorphic; interior floors and walls"
− - "Limestone (ASTM C568) — calcareous sedimentary; interior, protected exterior"
− - "Travertine (ASTM C1527) — porous calcareous; interior floors and walls (filled/unfilled)"
− - "Slate (ASTM C629) — fissile metamorphic; floors, treads, exterior paving"
− - "Quartzite / quartz-based sandstone (ASTM C616) — siliceous; durable floors and exterior"
− - "Serpentine 'green marble' (ASTM C1526) — moisture-sensitive; interior, epoxy-set"
−default: "Marble (ASTM C503) — calcareous metamorphic; interior floors and walls"
−```
−### Each stone shall comply with its governing ASTM dimension-stone specification (C503, C568, C615, C616, C629, C1526, or C1527) and shall be certified by measured physical properties.
−### Stone used in exterior, freeze-thaw, or submerged service shall be a dense, low-absorption stone demonstrated to be durable in that service.
−### Calcareous stone shall not be used in freeze-thaw exterior service unless the specific stone is documented as freeze-thaw durable.
−### Granite (ASTM C615) is a dense igneous stone of very low absorption (typically not more than about 0.40 percent) and high strength, the most durable common stone and the default for high-traffic, wet, and exterior freeze-thaw floors, while marble (ASTM C503) is a calcareous metamorphic interior stone, soft and acid-sensitive, etched by acids and unsuitable in most cases for exterior freeze-thaw service. {note}
−### Limestone (ASTM C568) is a calcareous sedimentary stone classified by density into three types whose use is governed by the class, travertine (ASTM C1527) is a porous calcareous stone with natural voids that may be filled or unfilled, slate (ASTM C629) is a fissile cleft stone whose absorption and iron content require attention to staining, quartz-based sandstone and quartzite (ASTM C616) are durable siliceous stones, and serpentine "green marble" (ASTM C1526) is the archetypal moisture-sensitive stone. {note}
−
−## Limestone Density Classification {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Limestone Density Class (ASTM C568)
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Type I — low density (interior, light service)"
− - "Type II — medium density (interior floors and walls, general)"
− - "Type III — high density (high-traffic floors, protected exterior)"
− - "Not applicable — stone is not limestone"
−default: "Type II — medium density (interior floors and walls, general)"
−```
−
−### Where limestone is specified, the density class of ASTM C568 shall be selected for the service.
−### Because absorption, density, compressive strength, and modulus of rupture all rise with the class, a low-density Type I limestone suited to a protected interior wall will absorb, stain, and wear unacceptably as a high-traffic floor where a high-density Type III is required, so selecting limestone without specifying the class invites the wrong stone. {note}
−
−## Physical Properties {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Minimum Abrasion Hardness (Ha) for Floor Stone (ASTM C1353)
−type: select
−options:
− - "Ha 10 — light residential / very light commercial"
− - "Ha 12 — moderate commercial floor traffic"
− - "Ha 15 — heavy commercial / institutional floor traffic"
− - "Per governing ASTM specification for the stone"
−default: "Per governing ASTM specification for the stone"
−```
−
−### Each floor stone, and each stone in structural or exterior service, shall meet the minimum physical properties of its governing ASTM specification for absorption, density, compressive strength, flexural strength or modulus of rupture, and (for floors) abrasion resistance, verified by the test methods cited and reported in the stone certification.
−### Water absorption shall be determined per ASTM C97 and shall not exceed the maximum of the governing specification for the stone and class.
−### Low absorption shall be confirmed for any stone in wet or freeze-thaw service.
−### Compressive strength shall be determined per ASTM C170 and flexural strength per ASTM C880 (or modulus of rupture per ASTM C99), each meeting the minimum of the governing specification.
−### Abrasion resistance of floor stone shall be determined per ASTM C1353 and the abrasion hardness shall be appropriate to the traffic (light, moderate, or heavy commercial).
−### These properties are not interchangeable between stones nor assumable from the commercial name, because two stones sold as "marble" or "quartzite" can differ by an order of magnitude in absorption and strength, and only the measured values against the governing specification establish suitability. {note}
−
−## Stone Form and Thickness {toc}
−
−### The stone form and thickness determine the setting method, the substrate flatness requirement, the handling, and the joint and lippage control. {note}
−
−### The stone form shall be specified, since it determines the setting method, substrate flatness requirement, and joint and lippage control for the installation.
−
−```datasheet
−label: Stone Form
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Gauged / calibrated stone tile — uniform thickness, thin-bed set"
− - "Cleft-finish tile (slate, quartzite) — variable thickness"
− - "Cut-to-size dimension stone — fabricator-cut to plan"
− - "Thin slab — large-format gauged slab"
−default: "Gauged / calibrated stone tile — uniform thickness, thin-bed set"
−```
−
−```datasheet
−label: Nominal Stone Thickness
−type: range
−unit: in
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− min: 0.375
− max: 0.75
− step: 0.125
− setpoints: [0.375, 0.5, 0.625, 0.75]
−default: 0.375
−```
−
−### The stone thickness shall be coordinated with the stone strength, the span and support, and the anticipated load, and indicated in the [[drawing: stone schedule and details]].
−### Gauged calibrated stone tile of uniform thickness is set by the thin-bed method, cleft-finish stone such as slate varies in thickness and is set by a medium-bed or full mortar-bed method that accommodates the variation, and floor stone thinner than the stone's strength warrants will crack over any support gap. {note}
−
−## Surface Finish {toc}
−
−### The finish affects appearance, slip resistance, cleanability, maintenance, and durability. {note}
−
−### The finish shall be selected for the stone, the service, and the slip-resistance requirement, and shall be consistent with the approved mock-up.
−
−```datasheet
−label: Surface Finish
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Polished — high gloss (interior walls, low-traffic floors, countertops)"
− - "Honed — smooth matte (interior floors and walls, general)"
− - "Flamed (thermal) — coarse slip-resistant (granite floors, exterior)"
− - "Brushed / antiqued — textured low-sheen"
− - "Sandblasted — uniform matte texture"
− - "Cleft (natural split) — slate and quartzite"
− - "Tumbled — softened edges and surface"
−default: "Honed — smooth matte (interior floors and walls, general)"
−```
−### Polished finishes shall not be used on wet floors or sloped surfaces where the slip-resistance requirement cannot be met.
−### A polished finish maximizes color and reflectivity but minimizes slip resistance and is best reserved for walls, countertops, and low-traffic feature floors, a honed finish is the general-purpose floor and wall finish, flamed and brushed finishes are the standard for granite floors and exterior paving, and cleft finishes occur naturally on slate and some quartzite. {note}
−
−## Slip Resistance {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (ANSI A326.3)
−type: range
−unit: DCOF
−options:
− min: 0.42
− max: 0.60
− step: 0.01
− setpoints: [0.42, 0.50, 0.60]
−default: 0.42
−```
−
−### The dynamic coefficient of friction of floor stone in its specified finish shall be measured per ANSI A326.3 and shall meet the minimum for the applicable use classification.
−### Ramps, shower floors, pool decks, entries subject to tracked-in water, and stair treads require classification-specific values and a textured finish and shall not be defaulted to the level-interior-wet minimum.
−### A minimum DCOF of 0.42 applies to a level interior floor walked upon when wet while wetter and sloped classifications require higher values, the result is meaningful only for the classification under which it was reported, and because slip resistance is a property of the finished surface as installed and maintained the value alone does not predict whether a slip will occur but provides a comparative basis for selecting a finish. {note}
−
−# Setting Materials {toc}
−
−## Setting Method {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Setting Method
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Thin-bed (thin-set) — gauged stone over a flat, sound substrate"
− - "Medium-bed mortar — large units and slightly variable thickness, sloped floors"
− - "Thick-bed (full mortar bed) — variable-thickness cleft stone, leveling required, exterior"
−default: "Thin-bed (thin-set) — gauged stone over a flat, sound substrate"
−```
−
−### The setting method shall match the stone form, the substrate flatness, and the service.
−### The method shall be drawn from the TCNA Handbook or NSI Dimension Stone Design Manual and shown on the [[drawing: details]].
−### The thin-bed method bonds gauged stone to a flat substrate and is the standard for calibrated stone tile, the medium-bed method uses a mortar applied in a thicker bed for large units and modest thickness variation, and the thick-bed full mortar-bed method accommodates variable-thickness cleft stone, establishes slope to drains, and remains the most robust method for cleft slate, sloped wet-area floors, and demanding exterior work. {note}
−
−## Bonding Mortar Type {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Bonding Mortar Type
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.4) — general durable stone, floors and walls"
− - "Improved modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.15) — large units, slabs, demanding bond"
− - "Epoxy mortar (ANSI A118.3) — moisture-sensitive stone, chemical exposure, maximum bond"
− - "Dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.1) — absorptive stone over a cured mortar bed"
−default: "Modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.4) — general durable stone, floors and walls"
−```
−
−### The bonding mortar shall be selected for the stone type, the substrate, and the service, shall comply with the governing ANSI A118 specification, and shall be approved by its manufacturer for the specific stone.
−### Where a fast-setting or rapid-cure mortar is needed, it shall be a product the stone manufacturer approves for the stone, because some rapid-set mortars develop heat or alkalinity that stains sensitive stone.
−### Mortar selection for stone is not interchangeable with tile practice, because the stone's moisture sensitivity, translucency, and the staining risk from the mortar itself all govern the choice, and the wrong mortar produces warping, picture-framing, or staining that no later remedy can fully correct. {note}
−### Modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.4) is the default for durable non-sensitive stone, improved modified mortar (ANSI A118.15) provides higher bond and coverage for large units and slabs, epoxy mortar (ANSI A118.3) is required for moisture-sensitive stone and chemical exposure, and unmodified dry-set mortar (ANSI A118.1) suits absorptive stone over a cured Portland-cement mortar bed. {note}
−
−## Moisture-Sensitive Stone {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Moisture-Sensitive Stone Setting Requirement
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Epoxy mortar (ANSI A118.3) with 100% coverage — required for serpentine 'green marble' and other moisture-sensitive stone"
− - "Manufacturer-approved non-water setting system for the specific sensitive stone"
− - "Not applicable — stone is not moisture-sensitive"
−default: "Not applicable — stone is not moisture-sensitive"
−```
−
−### Moisture-sensitive stone — chiefly serpentine "green marble," and certain marbles, slates, and resin-backed stones identified by the fabricator — shall be set only with an epoxy mortar conforming to ANSI A118.3, or another non-water-bearing system the stone manufacturer approves, applied to achieve full (100 percent) coverage.
−### The Contractor shall confirm with the fabricator whether each stone is moisture-sensitive before selecting a mortar.
−### The Contractor shall not set a moisture-sensitive stone with any water-bearing cement or latex mortar under any circumstances.
−### Moisture-sensitive stone absorbs water from a water-based cement or latex mortar and warps, curling its edges away from the substrate and destroying the bond, whereas epoxy mortar contains no water and sets these stones without driving the warping, and full coverage prevents any joint or edge from absorbing water or being left unsupported. {note}
−
−## White Mortar for Translucent and Light Stone {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Mortar Color for Translucent / Light Stone
−type: radio
−options:
− - "White-pigmented setting mortar required — translucent, white, and light-colored stone"
− - "Standard (gray) mortar acceptable — opaque, dark, or dense stone"
−default: "White-pigmented setting mortar required — translucent, white, and light-colored stone"
−```
−
−### White marble, onyx, light limestone, and other translucent or light-colored stone shall be set with a white-pigmented setting mortar to prevent shadowing of the stone color.
−### The Contractor shall verify the stone's translucency on the mock-up and select the mortar color accordingly.
−### A gray cement mortar shows through a translucent or thin light stone and shadows or darkens its appearance unevenly, a defect known as telegraphing that cannot be corrected after setting, and only a white mortar preserves the true color of the stone. {note}
−
−## Crack-Isolation Membrane {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Crack-Isolation Membrane (ANSI A118.12)
−type: radio
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Required over the full floor — concrete subject to shrinkage cracking or minor in-plane movement"
− - "Required at existing cracks and joints only (spot membrane)"
− - "Not required — substrate sound and not subject to in-plane cracking"
−default: "Required at existing cracks and joints only (spot membrane)"
−```
−
−### A crack-isolation membrane conforming to ANSI A118.12 and installed per ANSI A108.17 shall be provided where the substrate is subject to minor in-plane movement or shrinkage cracking that would otherwise telegraph through and crack the stone.
−### Structural and moving joints shall be carried through the stone as movement joints regardless of any membrane, because a crack-isolation membrane addresses minor in-plane movement only and does not substitute for the movement joints required by EJ171.
−
−## Waterproof Membrane {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Waterproof Membrane (ANSI A118.10)
−type: radio
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Required — showers, wet areas, exterior, and over occupied space"
− - "Required at shower receptors and pans only"
− - "Not required — interior dry application"
−default: "Required — showers, wet areas, exterior, and over occupied space"
−```
−
−### A load-bearing bonded waterproof membrane conforming to ANSI A118.10 and installed per ANSI A108.13 shall be provided in showers, steam rooms, wet areas, exterior installations, and any stone assembly over occupied or moisture-sensitive space.
−### Where a single membrane is selected for both the waterproofing and crack-isolation functions, the Contractor shall verify it is certified to both standards.
−### Stone and cementitious joints are not waterproof, since water passes through joints and through absorptive stone over time, and a continuous bonded waterproof membrane keeps water out of the structure and limits the moisture that drives efflorescence and staining, while many ANSI A118.10 membranes also satisfy the crack-isolation requirements of A118.12. {note}
−
−# Joint Materials {toc}
−
−## Grout and Pointing {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Joint Filler
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "High-performance cement grout (ANSI A118.7) — general stone floors and walls"
− - "Standard cement grout (ANSI A118.6) — interior light-duty"
− - "Epoxy grout (ANSI A118.3) — chemical exposure, food service, maximum stain resistance"
− - "Unsanded cement grout — narrow joints in polished stone (prevents scratching)"
−default: "High-performance cement grout (ANSI A118.7) — general stone floors and walls"
−```
−
−### The joint filler shall be selected for the joint width, the stone finish, the service, and the stain- and chemical-resistance requirement, and shall comply with the governing ANSI specification.
−### For narrow joints in polished stone, an unsanded grout shall be used because the sand in a sanded grout scratches a polished surface during tooling and cleaning.
−### Grout containing pigments or aggressive constituents that could stain a sensitive or absorptive stone shall not be used without the stone manufacturer's confirmation.
−### Absorptive and sensitive stone shall be pre-sealed before grouting where the grout would otherwise stain the stone.
−### High-performance cement grout (ANSI A118.7) is the general default for stone floors and walls, and epoxy grout (ANSI A118.3) is used where chemical resistance, maximum stain resistance, or a non-absorptive joint is required. {note}
−
−## Grout Joint Width {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Grout Joint Width
−type: range
−unit: in
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− min: 0.0625
− max: 0.375
− setpoints: [0.0625, 0.125, 0.1875, 0.25, 0.375]
−default: 0.125
−```
−
−### The joint width shall be selected for the stone size, edge type, and thickness variation, and shall not be less than the minimum the stone's dimensional variation warrants.
−### The joint width shall be shown in the [[drawing: stone schedule and details]].
−### Gauged stone with a precise edge can take a narrow joint while cleft and tumbled stone with irregular edges requires a wider joint, because running a joint narrower than the stone's dimensional and thickness variation produces visible lippage and uneven joints. {note}
−
−# Movement Joints {toc}
−
−## Movement Joint Design {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Field Movement Joint Spacing — Interior
−type: range
−unit: ft
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− min: 20
− max: 25
− step: 1
− setpoints: [20, 25]
−default: 25
−```
−
−```datasheet
−label: Field Movement Joint Spacing — Exterior or Sunlight/Moisture Exposed
−type: range
−unit: ft
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− min: 8
− max: 12
− step: 1
− setpoints: [8, 12]
−default: 12
−```
−
−### Movement joints shall be provided throughout stone work in accordance with the TCNA movement-joint guideline EJ171, and their locations shall be shown on the [[drawing: stone shop drawings and details]] before any stone is set.
−### Interior field movement joints shall be provided at the spacing EJ171 establishes for interior conditions, commonly on the order of 20 to 25 feet in each direction.
−### Exterior installations, and interior installations exposed to direct sunlight or to moisture and wide temperature swings, shall have field movement joints at substantially closer spacing, commonly on the order of 8 to 12 feet in each direction, because the larger thermal and moisture movement of an exposed assembly builds destructive stress over a shorter run.
−### The closer of the EJ171 requirement and any project-specific requirement governs.
−### Perimeter movement joints shall be provided where stone abuts restraining surfaces, walls, columns, curbs, and dissimilar floors.
−### Movement joints shall be carried through over every structural, cold, and control joint in the substrate and at every change in substrate plane or material.
−### Movement joints shall be left open of grout and filled with the specified sealant or fitted with a preformed movement-joint profile.
−### Movement joints allow the assembly to expand and contract without building the compressive stress that causes stone to tent, debond, and crack, and omitting field movement joints in a large floor is a leading cause of catastrophic failure because thermal and moisture expansion with no place to go lifts the stone off the floor in a ridge. {note}
−
−## Movement Joint Filler {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Movement Joint Filler
−type: radio
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Field-applied elastomeric sealant over backer rod / bond breaker"
− - "Preformed metal or rigid movement-joint profile"
− - "Preformed flexible movement-joint profile"
−default: "Field-applied elastomeric sealant over backer rod / bond breaker"
−```
−
−### Movement joints shall be filled with an elastomeric sealant of the type and color specified, installed over a backer rod or bond breaker so the sealant adheres only to the two joint faces and can stretch and compress, or shall be fitted with a preformed movement-joint profile suited to the traffic and exposure.
−### The sealant shall be a non-staining sealant compatible with the stone, verified non-staining on the specific stone where the joint is in contact with absorptive stone.
−### The sealant or profile shall be capable of the movement the joint will see.
−### A movement-joint sealant must adhere only to the two joint faces so it can stretch and compress freely, because bonding to the joint bottom restrains and tears it, and many common sealants bleed plasticizers that stain absorptive stone, so a sealant tested non-staining on the specific stone is required.
−
−# Substrate Preparation {toc}
−
−## General Substrate Requirements {toc}
−
−### The substrate shall be structurally sound, clean, dimensionally stable, and free of dust, paint, oil, grease, curing and sealing compounds, sealers, laitance, efflorescence, and any other bond-inhibiting substance.
−### Concrete substrates shall be fully cured and shall present an open, absorptive surface; troweled-smooth, sealed, or curing-compound-treated concrete shall be mechanically abraded or shot-blasted to an open profile before stone is set, because the setting mortar bonds mechanically and cannot grip a sealed or contaminated surface.
−### The Contractor shall verify the condition of the substrate before installation and shall not set stone over a noncompliant substrate.
−### Setting stone over a noncompliant substrate transfers a known defect into the finished work, which is why the condition of the substrate is the Contractor's responsibility to verify before installation. {note}
−
−## Flatness Tolerance {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Substrate Flatness Tolerance
−type: radio
−unit: in
−options:
− - "1/4 in in 10 ft and 1/16 in in 1 ft (gauged stone with all edges under 15 in)"
− - "1/8 in in 10 ft and 1/16 in in 2 ft (large units and slabs, any edge 15 in and over)"
− - "Per the requirement for the stone size, form, and method"
−default: "Per the requirement for the stone size, form, and method"
−```
−
−### The substrate shall meet the flatness tolerance required for the stone size, form, and method.
−### High spots shall be ground down and low spots filled with a cementitious patching or self-leveling underlayment compatible with the setting system.
−### Where cleft variable-thickness stone is set by the thick-bed method, the mortar bed accommodates substrate variation, but the finished stone surface shall still meet the flatness and lippage tolerances of this standard.
−### For gauged stone with all edges under 15 inches the recognized tolerance is 1/4 inch in 10 feet and 1/16 inch in 1 foot, while for large units and slabs with any edge 15 inches and over it tightens to 1/8 inch in 10 feet and 1/16 inch in 2 feet, because a large rigid unit will rock on an undulation a small unit would tolerate. {note}
−
−## Substrate Type Verification {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Substrate Type
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Concrete slab — cured, sound, profiled"
− - "Cementitious backer unit over framing — walls and floors"
− - "Cured Portland cement mortar bed (thick-bed)"
− - "Existing sound tile / terrazzo (bond-coat or membrane over)"
−default: "Concrete slab — cured, sound, profiled"
−```
−
−### The setting system and method shall match the substrate type.
−### Stone over wood-framed floors shall be set over an appropriate backer board or uncoupling/crack-isolation membrane rated for the stone, and the floor deflection shall be verified within the limit the stone tolerates.
−### Stone shall not be set over a deflecting floor regardless of the mortar.
−### Stone over wood-framed floors requires a stiff floor and an appropriate backer board or membrane because wood expands, contracts, and deflects with moisture and load and will crack stone bonded directly to it, and heavy or large stone over wood framing requires verifying the floor deflection is within the limit the stone tolerates. {note}
−
−# Installation {toc}
−
−## Layout and Blending {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Vein / Pattern Match
−type: select
−drawing_ref: true
−options:
− - "Blend / random — distribute natural variation evenly"
− - "Book-match — mirror-matched adjacent slabs"
− - "Slip-match (side-slide) — repeating vein run"
− - "Vein-directional — consistent vein direction"
−default: "Blend / random — distribute natural variation evenly"
−```
−
−### The Contractor shall establish the layout from the control lines and setting-out points shown on the [[drawing: finish plan and stone layout]] so that border and cut units are balanced and of adequate width, full units fall at the most prominent locations, vein and pattern align and match as the design requires, and movement joints fall where the design and EJ171 require.
−### Because natural stone varies, the Contractor shall dry-lay and blend the stone from several crates at once, distributing the natural range of color, vein, and shade across the work so that no concentration of dark, light, or heavily veined pieces forms a blotch, and shall obtain the Architect's approval of the dry-laid blend and vein match before setting.
−### Layout and blending shall be completed and approved before any mortar is spread.
−### Where book-match, slip-match, or directional veining is specified, the stone shall be sequenced and oriented to achieve the match shown on the shop drawings, and the fabricator's numbered layout shall be followed.
−### Book-matched and directional work is unforgiving, since a single piece set out of sequence or rotated breaks the pattern, which is the reason approved numbered shop drawings and crate sequencing are required. {note}
−
−## Mortar Application and Coverage {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Minimum Mortar Coverage Beneath Stone
−type: radio
−unit: '%'
−options:
− - "80% — interior dry floors and walls (durable stone)"
− - "95% — exterior, wet areas, and heavy/rolling-load floors"
− - "100% — moisture-sensitive stone (epoxy-set)"
−default: "95% — exterior, wet areas, and heavy/rolling-load floors"
−```
−
−### Bonding mortar shall be applied with the trowel notch, technique, and open time the mortar and stone require, combed in one direction with directional troweling, and the stone set with a slight perpendicular movement to collapse the ridges and eliminate voids.
−### The mortar coverage achieved beneath the stone shall be not less than 80 percent for interior dry applications and not less than 95 percent for exterior, wet, and heavy-load applications, with full coverage at edges and corners and no voids beneath.
−### Moisture-sensitive stone shall achieve full (100 percent) coverage.
−### Large units, slabs, and all floor stone shall be back-buttered in addition to combing the substrate to achieve the required coverage.
−### Stone shall be set with full mortar coverage at all edges and corners and with no voids beneath, verified by periodic removal and inspection of set stone.
−### Inadequate coverage is a leading cause of stone cracking, debonding, and hollow floors, because a stone bridging a void fractures under load and an edge void admits water, and the required coverage cannot reliably be achieved on a large or floor unit by combing the substrate alone, which is why such units are back-buttered. {note}
−
−## Beating-In and Lippage Control {toc}
−
−### Floor stone shall be beaten in or rolled with a beating block or the manufacturer's tool, and large units and slabs shall be set with a mechanical lippage-control (leveling) system where required, to seat the stone fully into the mortar, collapse the ridges, and bring adjacent edges into plane within the lippage allowance.
−### Polished and honed stone makes lippage conspicuous under reflected light, so the lippage tolerance is tighter and the leveling discipline more important than for textured tile. {note}
−
−## Grouting and Pointing {toc}
−
−### Grouting shall not begin until the bonding mortar has cured for the period the mortar manufacturer requires, typically not less than 24 to 72 hours.
−### Absorptive and sensitive stone shall be sealed with an impregnating sealer before grouting where the grout would otherwise stain the stone face.
−### Joints shall be cleaned of mortar and debris to a uniform depth, the grout worked fully into the joints to fill them solid, the excess struck off, and the surface cleaned promptly to remove grout residue before it cures onto the stone.
−### For polished stone, an unsanded grout shall be used and the cleaning performed before any abrasive residue can scratch the finish.
−### Joints intended to function as movement joints shall be left open of grout and shall not be filled with grout under any circumstances.
−### Grouting before the bonding mortar has cured disturbs the bond, and grouting absorptive or sensitive stone without first sealing it lets grout pigment stain the stone face permanently. {note}
−
−## Curing and Protection {toc}
−
−### The completed stone shall be protected from traffic and from other trades during the cure period and shall not be exposed to water, washing, or traffic until the setting and grouting materials have cured for the period they require, typically not less than 7 days for cementitious materials.
−### Floors shall be protected with a breathable covering that does not trap moisture against the stone, does not transfer color or adhesive, and does not stain the stone.
−### Protective coverings and tapes in contact with stone shall be verified non-staining for the specific stone.
−### Heavy construction traffic, rolling loads, and point loads shall be kept off the floor until cure is complete.
−### Many common protective films and tapes stain absorptive and polished stone, so only products verified non-staining on the specific stone may be placed in contact with it. {note}
−
−# Field Testing and Inspection {toc}
−
−## Bond and Installation Inspection {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Post-Installation Inspection Required
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Yes — full-area sounding and visual inspection under permanent lighting"
− - "No"
−default: "Yes — full-area sounding and visual inspection under permanent lighting"
−```
−
−### After installation and cure, the stone shall be inspected for full bond, with no hollow-sounding (unbonded) units, no lippage exceeding the allowance, no cracked, chipped, or warped units, uniform joints fully packed and free of voids, correct vein match and shade blend, the specified finish uniform and free of scratches and grout residue, and movement joints correctly formed and left open of grout, under the permanent or equivalent lighting.
−### Stone shall be sounded — tapped to detect the hollow ring of an unbonded unit — across the floor, and hollow or unbonded units shall be removed and reset.
−### The Contractor shall confirm by periodic removal of set stone that the required mortar coverage was achieved across the work.
−### Sounding the stone to detect the hollow ring of an unbonded unit, and periodic removal of set stone, are the means by which bond and the achieved mortar coverage are confirmed after cure. {note}
−
−## Stone Property Verification {toc}
−
−### Stone is a natural material whose properties vary across a quarry; verification testing of the actual supplied lot guards against substitution of a weaker or more absorptive stone than was certified. {note}
−
−### Where required by the contract documents or where the stone source is unverified, samples of the supplied stone shall be tested by an independent laboratory for the physical properties of the governing ASTM specification (absorption per ASTM C97, compressive strength per ASTM C170, flexural strength per ASTM C880 or modulus of rupture per ASTM C99, and abrasion per ASTM C1353 for floor stone) to confirm that the delivered stone meets the certified values.
−
−```datasheet
−label: Independent Stone Property Verification
−type: radio
−options:
− - "Required — test supplied lot against governing ASTM specification"
− - "Not required — manufacturer certification accepted"
−default: "Not required — manufacturer certification accepted"
−```
−
−# Cleaning, Sealing, and Protection {toc}
−
−## Cleaning {toc}
−
−### After cure, the stone shall be cleaned of grout residue, construction soil, and marks using only cleaners the stone manufacturer permits for the specific stone and finish.
−### Acidic cleaners shall not be used on calcareous stone (marble, limestone, travertine, serpentine) because acids etch and dissolve the surface, dulling polish and pitting the stone.
−### Abrasive pads and powders shall not be used on polished finishes because they scratch the surface.
−### The permitted cleaners and the prohibited cleaners for each stone shall be recorded in the maintenance instructions.
−### Acids etch and dissolve calcareous stone and abrasive pads and powders scratch polished finishes, and because the permitted and prohibited cleaners differ by stone and finish they must be recorded so the Owner does not damage the stone in service. {note}
−
−## Sealing {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Sealer / Impregnator
−type: select
−options:
− - "Penetrating impregnating sealer — absorptive interior stone (marble, limestone, travertine, slate)"
− - "Penetrating sealer rated for wet / exterior service"
− - "Pre-grout impregnating sealer plus final sealer — stain-prone absorptive stone"
− - "No sealer — dense low-absorption stone (most granite, dense quartzite) where not required"
−default: "Penetrating impregnating sealer — absorptive interior stone (marble, limestone, travertine, slate)"
−```
−
−### Absorptive stone shall be sealed with a penetrating impregnating sealer compatible with the stone and finish, applied after the stone and grout have cured for the period the products require, to reduce absorption, staining, and etching susceptibility.
−### The sealer shall be a penetrating impregnating type compatible with the stone and finish; film-forming sealers shall be used only where the manufacturer recommends them for the specific stone.
−### The sealer, the resealing interval, and the application method shall be documented in the maintenance instructions.
−### A penetrating impregnating sealer is preferred over a film-forming sealer for floors because a topical film wears unevenly, can reduce slip resistance, and traps moisture, stain-prone absorptive stone may require a pre-grout sealer in addition to the final sealer, and dense low-absorption stone that does not benefit from sealing need not be sealed. {note}
−
−# Delivery, Storage, and Handling {toc}
−
−## Stone, setting materials, grout, membranes, sealers, and accessories shall be delivered in the manufacturer's original packaging with labels and crate markings intact, identifying stone, finish, size, and block/lot.
−## Stone shall be stored indoors where practicable, protected from weather, freezing, staining, and breakage, and kept off the ground on non-staining dunnage.
−## Cardboard, wood, and adhesives that stain absorptive stone when wet shall be kept from contact with the stone faces.
−## Cementitious setting materials and grout shall be stored dry and off the floor, and material that has hardened or exceeded its shelf life shall be discarded.
−## Epoxy and polymer components shall be stored within their storage-temperature window and discarded when their limited shelf life is exceeded.
−## Slabs shall be transported, stored, and handled in A-frames and moved with the clamps and frames the fabricator requires, because an unsupported slab cracks under its own weight.
−## All stone for a continuous area should be from the same block or lot wherever possible, because color, vein, and shade vary between blocks and a block change within a single visual field is apparent.
−## An unsupported slab cracks under its own weight, cardboard, wood, and adhesives that contact stone faces when wet stain absorptive stone, and color, vein, and shade vary between blocks, so material handling and lot control protect both the integrity and the appearance of the stone. {note}
−
−# Warranty {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Stone and Setting-Material Manufacturer Warranty Period
−type: select
−unit: years
−options:
− - "1 year (materials)"
− - "As offered by the manufacturer for the products specified"
−default: "As offered by the manufacturer for the products specified"
−```
−
−```datasheet
−label: Installation Workmanship Warranty Period
−type: select
−options:
− - "1 year from substantial completion"
− - "2 years from substantial completion"
−default: "1 year from substantial completion"
−```
−
−## The stone supplier and setting-material manufacturers shall warrant their products against manufacturing and material defects for the period offered, and where a setting-material manufacturer offers an owner-registered system warranty covering the membrane, mortar, and grout as an installed system, that warranty should be obtained and executed in the Owner's name.
−## The Contractor shall warrant the installation — including substrate preparation, membrane and mortar selection and application, mortar coverage, vein match and shade blend, lippage and joint quality, grouting, movement-joint formation, and sealing — against defective workmanship for the project warranty period.
−## Manufacturer system warranties are typically void unless the complete tested system was installed per the manufacturer's instructions and the cited TCNA method or NSI detail, including the epoxy and white-mortar requirements for moisture-sensitive and translucent stone, and the installation record is part of the warranty basis. {note}
−## Failures arising from substrate movement where required movement joints were omitted, from warping of moisture-sensitive stone set with a water-bearing mortar, from water intrusion where a required waterproof membrane was omitted, from cleaning or sealing contrary to the manufacturer's instructions, or from loads exceeding the rated service are excluded from both warranties, and variation in color, vein, and shade within the approved range is an inherent characteristic of natural stone and not a defect. {note}
−
−# Spare and Extra Materials {toc}
−
−```datasheet
−label: Attic Stock Quantity
−type: range
−unit: '% of installed area'
−options:
− min: 2
− max: 5
− step: 1
−default: 3
−```
−
−## The Contractor shall deliver to the Owner spare stone of each type, finish, and size installed, in the percentage of installed area stated, in full crates labeled with the stone, finish, size, and block/lot.
−## Spare stone shall be stored by the Owner in a dry, protected location on non-staining dunnage.
−## Attic stock from the same block or lot is especially important for natural stone because later-quarried replacement stone will differ in color, vein, and shade and cannot be matched, and the spare material allows the Owner to repair damage with stone that matches the original installation. {note}
+---
+title: Natural Stone Tile
+category: Architectural / Finishes
+description: >
+ When to use: Interior and protected exterior natural dimension-stone tile, cut-to-size stone, and gauged thin stone slab — granite, marble, limestone, travertine, slate, quartzite, sandstone, serpentine, onyx, soapstone, and basalt — set on floors, walls, wainscots, stair treads and risers, thresholds, base, and countertops. Covers stone type and the governing ASTM dimension-stone material specifications, physical-property and abrasion testing, slip resistance, form, dimensions, and surface finish, pattern and vein match, setting method and bonding mortar, crack-isolation and waterproof membranes, joint filler and joint width, movement-joint design, substrate preparation and moisture, installation, field inspection, cleaning, and sealing.
+ Not intended for: Manufactured ceramic, porcelain, glass, and quarry tile, including stone-look porcelain (see [[sync/ceramic-tile]]); poured and precast terrazzo (see [[sync/terrazzo]]); resilient, vinyl, and rubber flooring (see [[sync/resilient-flooring]]); polished concrete floors (see [[sync/polished-concrete]]); anchored and rainscreen stone cladding engineered as a structural envelope component; cast stone, agglomerate stone, and engineered quartz surfacing; structural slab design, placement, and curing; and below-grade building-envelope waterproofing (see [[sync/below-grade-waterproofing]]).
+---
+
+# Scope {toc}
+
+## This standard governs natural dimension-stone tile, cut-to-size stone, and gauged thin stone slab set by the thin-bed, medium-bed, and mortar-bed methods on interior and protected exterior floors, walls, wainscots, stair treads and risers, thresholds, base, and countertops. {note}
+
+## The Contractor shall verify that the stone, the setting material, the membrane, the joint filler, and the substrate are mutually compatible and approved by their manufacturers for the specific stone before material is ordered.
+## The Contractor shall select the installation method for each location from the TCNA Handbook or the Natural Stone Institute Dimension Stone Design Manual for the stone, substrate, and service environment indicated.
+## The Contractor shall not set stone until the substrate has been accepted under the soundness, flatness, and moisture criteria of this standard.
+## The Contractor shall coordinate the location of structural, cold, and control joints in the substrate with the structural and concrete work so that each is carried through the stone as a movement joint.
+## The Contractor shall coordinate waterproofing of the building envelope with [[sync/below-grade-waterproofing]] where stone is applied over a waterproofed assembly.
+## The Contractor shall coordinate thresholds, transition profiles, and finish-floor elevations with the adjacent finishes covered by [[sync/ceramic-tile]], [[sync/terrazzo]], [[sync/resilient-flooring]], and [[sync/polished-concrete]].
+
+## The following are outside the scope of this standard: {note}
+
+- Manufactured ceramic, porcelain, glass, and quarry tile, including stone-look porcelain ([[sync/ceramic-tile]])
+- Poured and precast terrazzo ([[sync/terrazzo]])
+- Resilient, vinyl, and rubber flooring ([[sync/resilient-flooring]])
+- Polished concrete floors ([[sync/polished-concrete]])
+- Anchored and rainscreen stone cladding engineered as a structural envelope component
+- Cast stone, agglomerate stone, and engineered quartz surfacing
+- Structural slab design, placement, and curing
+- Below-grade building-envelope waterproofing ([[sync/below-grade-waterproofing]])
+
+## Every piece of natural stone is a sample of a geologic deposit, so color, vein, shade, density, absorption, and strength vary from piece to piece within a single lot, and the range delivered is a property of the material rather than a defect in it. {note}
+## A stone installation is a layered assembly whose service life is governed by the substrate, the setting bed, the membrane, and the movement-joint layout at least as much as by the stone, and most field failures originate in substrate movement, an incompatible setting material, omitted movement joints, or unmanaged moisture. {note}
+
+# Referenced Standards {toc}
+
+## Materials, testing, and installation shall comply with the latest edition of each of the following standards adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction unless a specific edition is cited.
+## Where the contract documents, a referenced standard, the cited TCNA Handbook method, the Dimension Stone Design Manual, or the stone fabricator's or setting-material manufacturer's written instructions differ, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Architect of Record directs otherwise in writing.
+
+| Standard | Title |
+|----------|-------|
+| ASTM C97 / C97M | Test Methods for Absorption and Bulk Specific Gravity of Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C99 / C99M | Test Method for Modulus of Rupture of Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C170 / C170M | Test Method for Compressive Strength of Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C241 / C241M | Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Stone Subjected to Foot Traffic |
+| ASTM C503 / C503M | Specification for Marble Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C568 / C568M | Specification for Limestone Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C615 / C615M | Specification for Granite Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C616 / C616M | Specification for Quartz-Based Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C629 / C629M | Specification for Slate Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C880 / C880M | Test Method for Flexural Strength of Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C1353 / C1353M | Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Dimension Stone Subjected to Foot Traffic Using a Rotary Platform Abraser |
+| ASTM C1526 | Specification for Serpentine Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C1527 / C1527M | Specification for Travertine Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM C1528 / C1528M | Guide for Selection of Dimension Stone |
+| ASTM F2170 | Test Method for Determining Relative Humidity in Concrete Floor Slabs Using in situ Probes |
+| ANSI A108.01 | General Requirements for Installation of Tile |
+| ANSI A108.02 | Materials, Environmental, and Workmanship Requirements for Installation of Tile |
+| ANSI A108.5 | Installation with Dry-Set or Latex-Portland Cement Mortar |
+| ANSI A108.6 | Installation with Chemical-Resistant, Water-Cleanable Tile-Setting and Grouting Epoxy |
+| ANSI A108.13 | Installation of Load-Bearing, Bonded, Waterproof Membranes for Thin-Set Ceramic Tile and Dimension Stone |
+| ANSI A108.17 | Installation of Crack-Isolation Membranes for Thin-Set Ceramic Tile and Dimension Stone |
+| ANSI A118.1 | Dry-Set Portland Cement Mortar |
+| ANSI A118.3 | Chemical-Resistant, Water-Cleanable Tile-Setting and Grouting Epoxy |
+| ANSI A118.4 | Modified Dry-Set Cement Mortar |
+| ANSI A118.5 | Chemical-Resistant Furan Mortars and Grouts |
+| ANSI A118.6 | Standard Cement Grouts |
+| ANSI A118.7 | High-Performance Cement Grouts |
+| ANSI A118.10 | Load-Bearing, Bonded, Waterproof Membranes for Thin-Set Installation |
+| ANSI A118.12 | Crack-Isolation Membranes for Thin-Set Installation |
+| ANSI A118.15 | Improved Modified Dry-Set Cement Mortar |
+| ANSI A326.3 | Test Method for Measuring Dynamic Coefficient of Friction of Hard-Surface Flooring Materials |
+| TCNA Handbook | Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation (method designations and movement joint guideline EJ171) |
+| NSI Dimension Stone Design Manual | Natural Stone Institute Dimension Stone Design Manual |
+| IBC | International Building Code |
+
+## The fabricator's written instructions for a specific stone carry handling, setting, and sealing properties that the consensus standards do not address, because a stone that is moisture-sensitive, friable, or resin-backed behaves differently from other stone sold under the same type name. {note}
+
+# Submittals {toc}
+
+## Action Submittals {toc}
+
+### The Contractor shall submit the following for review before stone is procured:
+
+- Stone material certification for each stone identifying the commercial name, the geologic name, the quarry source, the governing ASTM material specification, and the measured physical properties of the supplied lot
+- Product data for each setting material, membrane, joint filler, sealant, and sealer, identifying the governing ANSI specification and the manufacturer's written approval of the product for the specific stone, substrate, and service environment
+- The fabricator's written statement of whether each stone is moisture-sensitive, friable, or supplied with a mesh or resin backing
+- The TCNA Handbook method designation or the Dimension Stone Design Manual detail proposed for each location, identifying the substrate, membrane, setting bed, and movement-joint treatment
+- Samples establishing the full range of color, vein, shade, and finish for each stone
+- Dynamic coefficient of friction data measured per ANSI A326.3 for each floor stone in its specified finish, reported for the use classification of the location
+- Abrasion resistance data measured per ASTM C1353 or ASTM C241 for each floor stone
+- Shop drawings showing layout, control lines, vein direction and match, movement and perimeter joint locations, edge and trim profiles, stair, threshold, and countertop details, and crate sequencing
+- Substrate moisture test results for slabs on and below grade
+- Sealer and impregnator product data with the fabricator's written confirmation of compatibility with the stone and finish
+- Installer qualification documentation for the stone type, finish, and setting method required
+
+```datasheet
+label: Action Submittals Required
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - "Stone material certification with measured properties of the supplied lot"
+ - "Product data for setting materials, membranes, joint filler, sealant, and sealer"
+ - "Fabricator statement of moisture sensitivity, friability, and backing"
+ - "TCNA method designation or Dimension Stone Design Manual detail per location"
+ - "Samples establishing the full color, vein, shade, and finish range"
+ - "Dynamic coefficient of friction data for each floor stone"
+ - "Abrasion resistance data for each floor stone"
+ - "Shop drawings for layout, vein match, movement joints, and edge profiles"
+ - "Substrate moisture test results"
+ - "Sealer and impregnator product data with compatibility confirmation"
+ - "Installer qualification documentation for the stone and method"
+default:
+ - "Stone material certification with measured properties of the supplied lot"
+ - "Product data for setting materials, membranes, joint filler, sealant, and sealer"
+ - "Fabricator statement of moisture sensitivity, friability, and backing"
+ - "TCNA method designation or Dimension Stone Design Manual detail per location"
+ - "Samples establishing the full color, vein, shade, and finish range"
+ - "Shop drawings for layout, vein match, movement joints, and edge profiles"
+ - "Installer qualification documentation for the stone and method"
+```
+
+### Stone shall not be procured until the stone material certification and the setting-material compatibility statement have been reviewed.
+### Installation shall not begin until the substrate moisture test results required by this standard have been reviewed.
+
+## Closeout Submittals {toc}
+
+### The Contractor shall submit the following before the stone work is accepted:
+
+- Manufacturer warranty documentation for the stone, the setting materials, and the sealer, executed in the Owner's name where an owner-registered warranty is offered
+- Maintenance instructions identifying, for each stone and finish, the permitted cleaning agents, the prohibited cleaning agents, the sealer, the reapplication interval, and the application method
+- A record of the block or lot supplied for each area, with the documentation of the accepted range
+- Attic-stock transmittal documenting the quantity, stone, finish, size, and block or lot of the spare stone delivered
+
+```datasheet
+label: Closeout Submittals Required
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - "Manufacturer warranty documentation executed in the Owner's name where offered"
+ - "Maintenance instructions with permitted and prohibited cleaning agents"
+ - "Record of the block or lot supplied for each area"
+ - "Attic-stock transmittal with quantity, stone, finish, size, and lot"
+default:
+ - "Manufacturer warranty documentation executed in the Owner's name where offered"
+ - "Maintenance instructions with permitted and prohibited cleaning agents"
+ - "Attic-stock transmittal with quantity, stone, finish, size, and lot"
+```
+
+# Quality Assurance {toc}
+
+## Installer Qualifications {toc}
+
+### Matching vein and shade across a wall, setting moisture-sensitive stone in epoxy, controlling lippage on large gauged units, dry-laying and blending from several crates, and field-finishing cut edges to match factory edges are stone-specific skills that manufactured-tile work does not develop. {note}
+### The installer qualification shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Installer Qualification
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Installer credentialed under a recognized stone or large-format installation program"
+ - "Installer with documented commercial natural-stone experience"
+ - "Installer with documented commercial tile experience"
+default: "Installer with documented commercial natural-stone experience"
+```
+
+### The Contractor shall submit documentation of the installer's qualification for the stone type, finish, and setting method required before stone work begins.
+
+## Mock-Up {toc}
+
+### For natural stone the mock-up establishes the accepted range of color, vein, and shade together with the joint width, grout color, lippage, finish, and sealed appearance, and because variation is intrinsic to the material the accepted range rather than a single sample defines acceptance. {note}
+### The requirement for a mock-up shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Mock-Up
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Required for each stone type and finish"
+ - "Not required"
+default: "Required for each stone type and finish"
+```
+
+### Where a mock-up is required, the Contractor shall install a representative area of each stone type and finish at a location the Architect directs.
+### The mock-up shall include at least one movement or perimeter joint, one edge or trim condition, one internal or external corner, one transition to an adjacent finish, and one stair, threshold, or wet-area detail where such conditions occur in the work.
+### The mock-up shall remain in place and available for comparison until the stone work is accepted.
+
+## Lippage and Joint Tolerance {toc}
+
+### Polished and honed stone reflects light across the joint, so an elevation difference that would pass unnoticed on a textured tile reads as a defect, and the allowance tightens as the joint narrows. {note}
+### The lippage allowance of ANSI A108.02 is the difference in elevation between the edges of two adjacent units and varies with the grout joint width: {note}
+
+| Grout joint width | Allowable lippage, plus inherent warpage |
+|---|---|
+| 1/16 in to less than 1/4 in | 1/32 in |
+| 1/4 in and wider | 1/16 in |
+
+### Lippage shall not exceed the allowance of ANSI A108.02 for the grout joint width installed, plus the inherent warpage permitted for the stone by its governing material specification.
+### Warped, twisted, and out-of-tolerance units shall be culled before setting rather than absorbed into the joint.
+
+## Pre-Installation Conference {toc}
+
+### Most stone disputes trace to a property of the stone or a condition of the substrate that was known before setting but not acted upon. {note}
+### Before stone work begins the Contractor shall hold a pre-installation conference with the Architect, the stone fabricator, the setting-material manufacturer's representative, and the installer.
+### The conference shall review the stone type and its moisture sensitivity and friability, the substrate condition, the selected method and setting materials, the layout and blending plan, the movement-joint plan, the sealing sequence, and the environmental conditions in the space.
+
+# Environmental and Service Conditions {toc}
+
+## Service Environment Classification {toc}
+
+### The service environment governs which stone and finish can be used, the freeze-thaw exposure, the slip-resistance requirement, the membrane, the setting and grouting materials, and the sealing regimen. {note}
+### The service environment for each stone location shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Service Environment
+type: select
+drawing_ref: "finish plans and room schedule"
+default: deferred
+options:
+ - "Interior, not regularly wetted"
+ - "Interior, intermittently wet"
+ - "Interior, continuously wet"
+ - "Interior, heavy pedestrian or rolling-load traffic"
+ - "Exterior, protected from freeze-thaw exposure"
+ - "Exterior, exposed to freeze-thaw cycling"
+ - "Continuously submerged"
+```
+
+### Absorbed water expands when it freezes, so a stone with high absorption spalls, delaminates, or deteriorates in freeze-thaw exposure, and continuous immersion additionally drives efflorescence and staining through the joint and through the stone. {note}
+### Stone in exterior freeze-thaw service shall have measured absorption and documented freeze-thaw performance qualifying it for that exposure.
+### Calcareous stone shall not be used in exterior freeze-thaw service unless the specific stone is documented by its fabricator as freeze-thaw durable in that exposure.
+### Stone in continuously submerged service shall be selected together with the setting and grouting materials as a system its manufacturers approve for continuous immersion.
+
+## Temperature During Setting and Cure {toc}
+
+### Cementitious mortars and grouts gain strength by hydration, which slows sharply below roughly 50 °F and can flash-set or shrink-crack in high heat, and epoxy systems have a narrower working window still. {note}
+### The ambient and substrate temperature shall be maintained at or above the minimum indicated in the datasheet during setting and throughout the cure period the setting and grouting materials require.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Ambient and Substrate Temperature During Setting and Cure
+type: range
+unit: °F
+min: 35
+max: 75
+step: 5
+default: 50
+```
+
+### The ambient and substrate temperature shall not exceed 100 °F during setting and cure unless the setting-material manufacturer states a higher limit in writing.
+### Water, washing, and traffic shall be kept off the installation until the setting and grouting materials have reached the cure their manufacturers require.
+
+## Substrate Moisture Condition {toc}
+
+### Residual slab moisture and alkalinity carry mineral salts that deposit as efflorescence on and within absorptive stone, stain light and translucent stone, and supply the water that warps moisture-sensitive stone and breaks its bond. {note}
+### Where stone is installed over a concrete slab on or below grade, the Contractor shall measure the substrate moisture condition by the in situ relative-humidity probe method of ASTM F2170 and report the result before setting materials are ordered.
+### The measured substrate relative humidity shall not exceed the maximum indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Maximum Substrate Relative Humidity (ASTM F2170)
+type: range
+unit: '%'
+min: 60
+max: 100
+step: 5
+```
+
+### Where the datasheet does not indicate a maximum substrate relative humidity, the limit stated by the setting-material and membrane manufacturers for the products selected shall govern, and the Contractor shall report that limit in the product-data submittal.
+### The moisture-vapor treatment over slabs on and below grade shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Substrate Moisture-Vapor Treatment
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Bonded waterproof membrane (ANSI A118.10) over the slab"
+ - "Moisture-vapor-mitigation coating over the slab"
+ - "Unbonded mortar bed over a cleavage membrane"
+ - "No moisture-vapor treatment at this location"
+```
+
+## Lighting for Inspection {toc}
+
+### Polished and honed stone is sensitive to raking light, which exaggerates lippage and finish variation that diffuse light does not reveal. {note}
+### Permanent lighting, or temporary lighting of equivalent type and intensity, shall be operating during installation and inspection of the stone.
+### The finished work shall be evaluated under the lighting in which it will be viewed in service, except where the contract documents identify a critical-lighting condition to be evaluated under raking light.
+
+# Stone Material {toc}
+
+## Stone Type and Governing Specification {toc}
+
+### The stone type determines the governing ASTM material specification, the absorption and staining behavior, the strength, the exposure the stone can take, the finishes available to it, and the maintenance regimen. {note}
+### The stone type for each location shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Stone Type
+type: select
+drawing_ref: "stone and finish schedule"
+default: deferred
+options:
+ - "Granite"
+ - "Marble"
+ - "Limestone"
+ - "Travertine"
+ - "Slate"
+ - "Quartzite"
+ - "Sandstone"
+ - "Serpentine, sold as green marble"
+ - "Onyx"
+ - "Soapstone"
+ - "Basalt"
+```
+
+### The ASTM material specification governing each stone type is as follows: {note}
+
+| Stone type | Governing specification |
+|---|---|
+| Granite | ASTM C615 |
+| Marble, onyx | ASTM C503 |
+| Limestone | ASTM C568 |
+| Travertine | ASTM C1527 |
+| Slate | ASTM C629 |
+| Quartzite, sandstone | ASTM C616 |
+| Serpentine | ASTM C1526 |
+| Basalt, soapstone | No ASTM material specification; selected per ASTM C1528 |
+
+### Each stone shall comply with the ASTM material specification governing its type and shall be certified by measured physical properties taken from the supplied lot.
+### Stone for which no ASTM material specification exists shall be selected in accordance with ASTM C1528 and certified by measured physical properties for the service environment indicated.
+### The stone shall be identified in the submittals by commercial name, geologic name, and quarry source.
+
+## Limestone Density Classification {toc}
+
+### Absorption, density, compressive strength, and modulus of rupture all rise with the ASTM C568 density class, so the class rather than the commercial name determines the service a limestone can take. {note}
+### Where limestone is specified, the density class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Limestone Density Class (ASTM C568)
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Type I, low density"
+ - "Type II, medium density"
+ - "Type III, high density"
+ - "Not applicable, the stone is not limestone"
+```
+
+## Quartz-Based Stone Classification {toc}
+
+### ASTM C616 separates quartz-based stone by free-silica content, and absorption falls and strength rises across the three classes, so material sold as sandstone and material sold as quartzite can differ by an order of magnitude in service. {note}
+### Where sandstone or quartzite is specified, the ASTM C616 class shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Quartz-Based Stone Class (ASTM C616)
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Class I, sandstone"
+ - "Class II, quartzitic sandstone"
+ - "Class III, quartzite"
+ - "Not applicable, the stone is not quartz-based"
+```
+
+## Travertine Void Treatment {toc}
+
+### Travertine forms with open voids along its bedding, and whether those voids are filled, what they are filled with, and when the filling is done change the appearance, the cleanability, and the way the surface wears under traffic. {note}
+### Where travertine is specified, the void treatment shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Travertine Void Treatment
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Factory-filled with cementitious fill"
+ - "Factory-filled with resin"
+ - "Filled at the site after setting"
+ - "Left unfilled with the voids open"
+ - "Not applicable, the stone is not travertine"
+```
+
+## Stone Backing and Reinforcement {toc}
+
+### Mesh and resin backings are applied at the fabricator to hold friable or fissured stone together in handling and in service, and they also place a polymer layer between the stone and the setting bed that a cement mortar does not reliably bond to. {note}
+### The stone backing and reinforcement shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Stone Backing and Reinforcement
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "No backing or reinforcement applied to the stone"
+ - "Fiberglass mesh backing"
+ - "Resin reinforcement of the stone body"
+ - "Fiberglass mesh backing with resin reinforcement"
+```
+
+### Where the stone carries a mesh or resin backing, the bonding mortar shall be a product that both the stone fabricator and the mortar manufacturer approve in writing for bonding to that backing.
+
+## Physical Property Compliance {toc}
+
+### Two stones sold under the same commercial name can differ by an order of magnitude in absorption and in strength, so only the values measured against the governing specification establish what a particular stone can be used for. {note}
+### Each stone shall meet the minimum absorption, density, compressive strength, and flexural strength or modulus of rupture of its governing ASTM material specification for the class specified.
+### Absorption and bulk specific gravity shall be determined in accordance with ASTM C97.
+### Compressive strength shall be determined in accordance with ASTM C170.
+### Flexural strength shall be determined in accordance with ASTM C880, or modulus of rupture in accordance with ASTM C99, as the governing material specification requires.
+### The Contractor shall report the measured values for the supplied lot in the stone material certification.
+
+## Abrasion Resistance of Floor Stone {toc}
+
+### Abrasion hardness measures how a stone surface wears under foot traffic, and a stone meeting the minimum of its material specification can still dull, polish, or groove in a heavily trafficked entry where a higher value is specified. {note}
+### Abrasion resistance of floor stone shall be determined in accordance with ASTM C1353 or ASTM C241.
+### Abrasion hardness of floor stone shall be not less than the minimum of the governing ASTM material specification, or not less than the value indicated in the datasheet where the datasheet indicates a higher value.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Abrasion Hardness (Ha) of Floor Stone
+type: range
+min: 8
+max: 30
+step: 1
+```
+
+## Slip Resistance of Floor Stone {toc}
+
+### A dynamic coefficient of friction describes the finished surface as installed and maintained under the wet level condition of the test method, so it supports comparing finishes rather than predicting whether a slip will occur, and ramps, shower floors, pool decks, and stair treads are wetter or steeper conditions than that test represents. {note}
+### The dynamic coefficient of friction of each floor stone in its specified finish shall be measured in accordance with ANSI A326.3 and reported for the use classification of the location.
+### The measured dynamic coefficient of friction shall be not less than the value indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Minimum Dynamic Coefficient of Friction (ANSI A326.3)
+type: range
+unit: DCOF
+min: 0.30
+max: 0.80
+setpoints: [0.30, 0.35, 0.42, 0.50, 0.60, 0.70, 0.80]
+default: 0.42
+```
+
+### Where the use classification of ANSI A326.3 applicable to a location requires a higher dynamic coefficient of friction than the datasheet indicates, the classification requirement shall govern.
+### ANSI A326.3 sets 0.42 as the minimum dynamic coefficient of friction for a level interior floor expected to be walked on when wet, and its wetter, sloped, and exterior classifications call for higher values. {note}
+
+# Stone Form, Dimensions, and Finish {toc}
+
+## Stone Form {toc}
+
+### Gauged stone of uniform thickness bonds to a flat substrate in a thin bed, while cleft stone varies in thickness across each piece and needs a bed deep enough to absorb that variation. {note}
+### The stone form shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Stone Form
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Gauged (calibrated) stone tile"
+ - "Cleft stone tile"
+ - "Cut-to-size dimension stone"
+ - "Gauged thin stone slab"
+ - "Split-face or rough-back stone"
+default: "Gauged (calibrated) stone tile"
+```
+
+## Face Dimensions {toc}
+
+### Unit size drives the substrate flatness required beneath it, the lippage risk, the offset a running-bond pattern can carry, and the handling method. {note}
+### The nominal face dimensions of each stone unit shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Nominal Face Dimensions
+type: text
+drawing_ref: "stone and finish schedule"
+default: deferred
+```
+
+### Where any unit edge is 15 in or greater, the Contractor shall meet the substrate flatness, back-buttering, and pattern offset requirements of this standard for large units.
+### Facial dimension, thickness, and warpage tolerances shall be as the stone fabricator states for the stone and size supplied, and the stated tolerances shall be reported in the stone material certification.
+
+## Stone Thickness {toc}
+
+### Stone thickness is selected against the span, the support, and the load rather than against the face size, and a floor unit thinner than its strength warrants cracks over any void or unsupported edge. {note}
+### The nominal stone thickness shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Nominal Stone Thickness
+type: range
+unit: in
+drawing_ref: "stone schedule and details"
+default: deferred
+min: 0.25
+max: 3
+step: 0.0625
+```
+
+### Gauged thin stone slab is commonly supplied in 2 cm and 3 cm nominal thickness, and calibrated stone tile in nominal thicknesses from 3/8 in through 3/4 in. {note}
+
+## Surface Finish {toc}
+
+### The finish changes the slip resistance, the cleanability, the visible depth of color, and the rate at which traffic dulls the surface, and a polished surface has a materially lower dynamic coefficient of friction than a flamed or brushed surface of the same stone. {note}
+### The surface finish for each stone shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Surface Finish
+type: select
+drawing_ref: "finish schedule"
+default: deferred
+options:
+ - "Polished"
+ - "Honed"
+ - "Flamed (thermal)"
+ - "Brushed"
+ - "Bush-hammered"
+ - "Sandblasted"
+ - "Sawn (as-sawn)"
+ - "Cleft (natural split)"
+ - "Split-face"
+ - "Tumbled"
+ - "Leathered"
+```
+
+### Where a polished finish is indicated on a floor, the measured dynamic coefficient of friction shall meet the requirement of this standard for that location.
+### The finish shall not be changed after the mock-up is accepted unless the Architect accepts a revised mock-up.
+
+## Exposed Edge Profile {toc}
+
+### An exposed edge at a countertop, stair nosing, threshold, or curb is a fabricated surface that has to match the face finish, and the profile determines how much stone remains at the arris to resist chipping. {note}
+### The profile of exposed stone edges shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Exposed Edge Profile
+type: select
+drawing_ref: "stone details"
+default: deferred
+options:
+ - "Square (sawn) edge"
+ - "Eased edge"
+ - "Chamfered edge"
+ - "Beveled edge"
+ - "Half bullnose"
+ - "Full bullnose"
+ - "Ogee"
+ - "Mitered edge"
+ - "Tumbled edge"
+```
+
+### Field-cut exposed edges shall be finished to match the factory finish of the stone face.
+
+# Pattern and Appearance {toc}
+
+## Installation Pattern {toc}
+
+### The pattern determines the cutting waste, where cut units fall, and, in an offset pattern, how much of a unit's warpage shows up as lippage at the center of the neighboring piece. {note}
+### The installation pattern shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Installation Pattern
+type: select
+drawing_ref: "finish plans"
+default: deferred
+options:
+ - "Stack bond (grid)"
+ - "Running bond (offset)"
+ - "Diagonal"
+ - "Herringbone"
+ - "Basketweave"
+ - "Modular (Versailles) pattern"
+ - "Ashlar (modular random) pattern"
+```
+
+### Where a running-bond pattern is used with units having any edge 15 in or greater, the offset shall not exceed 33 percent of the unit length unless the stone fabricator approves a greater offset in writing.
+
+## Vein and Shade Match {toc}
+
+### Book-matched and directional work is unforgiving, because a single piece set out of sequence or rotated breaks the pattern across the whole field. {note}
+### The vein and shade match shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Vein and Shade Match
+type: select
+drawing_ref: "stone layout shop drawings"
+default: deferred
+options:
+ - "Blended, with the natural range distributed at random"
+ - "Book-match"
+ - "Slip-match"
+ - "End-match"
+ - "Quarter-match"
+ - "Vein-directional"
+ - "No match requirement"
+```
+
+### Where a book-match, slip-match, end-match, quarter-match, or vein-directional layout is indicated, the stone shall be sequenced and oriented to the fabricator's numbered layout shown on the accepted shop drawings.
+
+# Setting Materials {toc}
+
+## Setting Method {toc}
+
+### The thin-bed method bonds gauged stone directly to a flat substrate, the medium-bed method carries larger units and modest thickness variation in a deeper bed, a bonded mortar bed absorbs variable thickness and establishes slope to drains, and an unbonded mortar bed over a cleavage membrane separates the stone from a substrate that moves. {note}
+### The setting method shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Setting Method
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Thin-bed (thin-set) method"
+ - "Medium-bed mortar method"
+ - "Bonded mortar bed"
+ - "Unbonded mortar bed over a cleavage membrane"
+ - "Wire-reinforced mortar bed"
+default: "Thin-bed (thin-set) method"
+```
+
+### The method shall be a tested method of the TCNA Handbook or a detail of the Dimension Stone Design Manual for the substrate, stone, and service environment at each location, and its designation shall be identified in the submittals.
+### Installation with dry-set or latex-portland cement mortar shall comply with ANSI A108.5.
+### Installation with epoxy shall comply with ANSI A108.6.
+
+## Bonding Mortar Type {toc}
+
+### Mortar selection for stone departs from tile practice because water and alkalinity from the mortar itself can warp, stain, or shadow the stone, and none of those effects can be corrected after setting. {note}
+### The bonding mortar shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Bonding Mortar Type
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.1)"
+ - "Modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.4)"
+ - "Improved modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.15)"
+ - "Epoxy bonding mortar (ANSI A118.3)"
+ - "Furan mortar (ANSI A118.5)"
+default: "Modified dry-set cement mortar (ANSI A118.4)"
+```
+
+### The bonding mortar shall be approved in writing by its manufacturer for the specific stone, the substrate, and the service environment.
+### The Contractor shall obtain the fabricator's written statement of whether each stone is moisture-sensitive before the bonding mortar is ordered.
+### Stone identified by its fabricator as moisture-sensitive shall be set in an epoxy bonding mortar conforming to ANSI A118.3, or in another setting system carrying no free water that the fabricator approves for that stone.
+### Where a rapid-setting mortar is used, it shall be a product the stone fabricator approves for the specific stone.
+### Moisture-sensitive stone, chiefly serpentine sold as green marble together with some marbles, slates, and resin-backed stone, absorbs water from a cement or latex mortar and curls its edges away from the substrate, and once a unit has warped it cannot be flattened. {note}
+### Some rapid-setting formulations generate heat and alkalinity during cure that stain sensitive stone. {note}
+
+## Setting Mortar Color {toc}
+
+### A gray cement mortar reads through a translucent or thin light-colored stone and shadows it unevenly, and the shadowing cannot be corrected after setting. {note}
+### The setting mortar color shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Setting Mortar Color
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "White-pigmented setting mortar"
+ - "Gray setting mortar"
+```
+
+### Translucent, white, and light-colored stone shall be set in a white-pigmented mortar unless the datasheet indicates otherwise.
+### The Contractor shall verify the translucency of the stone on the mock-up before the setting mortar color is ordered.
+
+## Crack-Isolation Membrane {toc}
+
+### A crack-isolation membrane accommodates minor in-plane movement and shrinkage cracking in the substrate, and it does not accommodate the movement at a structural or control joint, which is why those joints are still carried through the finish. {note}
+### The crack-isolation treatment shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Crack-Isolation Treatment
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Full-coverage crack-isolation membrane (ANSI A118.12)"
+ - "Crack-isolation membrane at existing cracks and joints"
+ - "Uncoupling membrane over the installation area"
+ - "No crack-isolation treatment at this location"
+```
+
+### A crack-isolation membrane shall conform to ANSI A118.12 and shall be installed in accordance with ANSI A108.17.
+### Structural, cold, and control joints shall be carried through the stone as movement joints whether or not a crack-isolation membrane is installed.
+
+## Waterproof Membrane {toc}
+
+### Stone and cementitious joints are not waterproof, since water passes through the joints and through absorptive stone over time, and a bonded membrane keeps that water out of the structure and limits the moisture that drives efflorescence and staining. {note}
+### The extent of the waterproof membrane shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Waterproof Membrane Extent
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Full installation area, floors and walls"
+ - "Wet areas with their adjoining floors and walls"
+ - "Shower receptors and pans"
+ - "No waterproof membrane at this location"
+```
+
+### The waterproof membrane type shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Waterproof Membrane Type
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Liquid-applied bonded membrane (ANSI A118.10)"
+ - "Bonded sheet membrane (ANSI A118.10)"
+ - "Bonded membrane certified to both ANSI A118.10 and ANSI A118.12"
+ - "No waterproof membrane at this location"
+```
+
+### A load-bearing bonded waterproof membrane shall conform to ANSI A118.10 and shall be installed in accordance with ANSI A108.13.
+### Shower receptors, steam rooms, and wet-area floors shall be waterproofed as the code adopted by the Authority Having Jurisdiction requires, whatever extent the datasheet indicates.
+### Where one membrane is used for both waterproofing and crack isolation, the Contractor shall verify that it is certified to both ANSI A118.10 and ANSI A118.12.
+
+# Joint Materials {toc}
+
+## Joint Filler Type {toc}
+
+### The joint filler carries the stain resistance, chemical resistance, and water absorption of the joint, and a cement grout absorbs water and staining agents that an epoxy or furan grout does not. {note}
+### The joint filler shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Joint Filler
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Cement grout (ANSI A118.6)"
+ - "High-performance cement grout (ANSI A118.7)"
+ - "Epoxy grout (ANSI A118.3)"
+ - "Furan grout (ANSI A118.5)"
+ - "Single-component ready-to-use polymer grout"
+default: "High-performance cement grout (ANSI A118.7)"
+```
+
+### The joint filler shall be approved in writing by its manufacturer for the specific stone and for the service environment.
+### Joint filler containing pigment or aggressive constituents shall not be used on absorptive or sensitive stone without the fabricator's written confirmation that it will not stain the stone.
+
+## Grout Aggregate {toc}
+
+### The sand in a sanded grout scratches a polished or honed surface during tooling and cleaning, while an unsanded grout shrinks more and is limited to narrower joints by its manufacturer. {note}
+### The grout aggregate shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Grout Aggregate
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Sanded grout"
+ - "Unsanded grout"
+```
+
+### Joints in polished stone shall be filled with an unsanded grout unless the grout manufacturer confirms in writing that the product does not scratch the specified finish.
+### The grout selected shall be within the joint-width range its manufacturer states for the product.
+
+## Grout Joint Width {toc}
+
+### Gauged stone with a sawn edge takes a narrow joint, while cleft and tumbled stone with irregular edges needs a wider joint to absorb the dimensional variation, and a joint run narrower than that variation shows as uneven joint lines and lippage. {note}
+### The grout joint width shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Grout Joint Width
+type: range
+unit: in
+drawing_ref: "finish schedule and stone details"
+default: deferred
+min: 0.03125
+max: 0.75
+step: 0.03125
+```
+
+### The joint width shall be not less than the minimum the stone's dimensional and thickness variation permits within the lippage allowance of this standard.
+
+## Grout Color {toc}
+
+### Grout color against a variable natural stone either reads as a deliberate line or disappears into the field, and the choice is made against the accepted range rather than against a single sample. {note}
+### The grout color shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Grout Color
+type: text
+drawing_ref: "finish schedule"
+default: deferred
+```
+
+### The grout color shall be confirmed on the accepted mock-up before grouting begins.
+
+# Movement Joints {toc}
+
+## Movement Joint Spacing {toc}
+
+### Thermal and moisture expansion with nowhere to go builds compressive stress until the stone tents off the substrate in a ridge, and omitted field movement joints are a leading cause of catastrophic floor failure. {note}
+### Movement joints shall be provided in accordance with TCNA guideline EJ171 for the exposure at each location.
+### Interior field movement joint spacing shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Field Movement Joint Spacing — Interior
+type: range
+unit: ft
+min: 8
+max: 25
+step: 1
+default: 25
+```
+
+### Field movement joint spacing for exterior installations, and for interior installations exposed to direct sunlight or to moisture, shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Field Movement Joint Spacing — Exterior or Exposed
+type: range
+unit: ft
+min: 6
+max: 16
+step: 1
+default: 12
+```
+
+### Where the datasheet indicates a spacing wider than EJ171 establishes for the exposure at a location, the EJ171 spacing shall govern.
+### Perimeter movement joints shall be provided where stone abuts a restraining surface, including walls, columns, curbs, thresholds, and dissimilar floor finishes.
+### Movement joints shall be carried through the stone over every structural, cold, and control joint in the substrate, and at every change in substrate plane or material.
+### Movement joints shall be left free of grout, mortar, and debris for their full depth.
+### The location of every movement joint shall be shown on the shop drawings and accepted before any stone is set.
+### An assembly exposed to sunlight, weather, or moisture moves further over a given run than a conditioned interior assembly, which is why the exposed spacing is closer. {note}
+
+## Movement Joint Filler {toc}
+
+### A movement-joint sealant has to adhere to the two joint faces and not to the joint bottom, because a three-sided bond restrains the sealant and tears it, and many sealants bleed plasticizers that stain absorptive stone. {note}
+### The movement joint filler shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Movement Joint Filler
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Field-applied elastomeric sealant over backer rod or bond breaker"
+ - "Preformed rigid metal movement-joint profile"
+ - "Preformed flexible movement-joint profile"
+```
+
+### Sealant shall be installed over a backer rod or bond breaker so that it adheres to the two joint faces and not to the joint bottom.
+### Sealant in contact with absorptive stone shall be documented by its manufacturer as non-staining on the specific stone.
+### The filler shall accommodate the movement anticipated at the joint without loss of adhesion or cohesion.
+
+# Substrate Preparation {toc}
+
+## Substrate Soundness and Cleanliness {toc}
+
+### A setting mortar grips mechanically, so it cannot bond to a sealed, dusty, or contaminated surface, and a defect left in the substrate is transferred into the finished stone. {note}
+### The substrate shall be structurally sound, dimensionally stable, clean, and free of dust, paint, oil, grease, curing and sealing compounds, laitance, efflorescence, and other bond-inhibiting material.
+### Concrete substrates shall be fully cured before stone is set.
+### Troweled-smooth, sealed, and curing-compound-treated concrete shall be mechanically abraded or shot-blasted to an open, absorptive profile before stone is set.
+### The Contractor shall inspect the substrate before setting stone and shall report any noncompliant condition to the Architect in writing.
+### The Contractor shall not set stone over a substrate that does not comply with this standard.
+
+## Substrate Flatness Tolerance {toc}
+
+### A large rigid unit rocks on an undulation that a small unit bridges, so the flatness a substrate needs is set by the size of the units going on it. {note}
+### The substrate shall meet the flatness tolerance of ANSI A108.02 for the size of the stone units installed on it, as follows:
+
+| Largest unit edge | Maximum variation from the required plane |
+|---|---|
+| All edges less than 15 in | 1/4 in in 10 ft and 1/16 in in 1 ft |
+| Any edge 15 in or greater | 1/8 in in 10 ft and 1/16 in in 2 ft |
+
+### High spots shall be ground down and low areas filled with a patching compound or self-leveling underlayment compatible with the setting system.
+### Where variable-thickness cleft stone is set in a mortar bed, the finished stone surface shall meet the lippage allowance of this standard even though the bed absorbs the substrate variation.
+
+## Substrate Type and Deflection {toc}
+
+### Wood framing expands, contracts, and deflects with moisture and load, and stone bonded directly to it cracks. {note}
+### The Contractor shall verify the substrate type and construction at each stone location from the [[drawing: as indicated on the contract documents]] before selecting the setting system.
+### The setting system and method shall be a TCNA Handbook or Dimension Stone Design Manual assembly for the substrate type at each location.
+### Stone over wood-framed construction shall be set over a backer board, a mortar bed, or an uncoupling or crack-isolation membrane that its manufacturer rates for stone over that framing.
+### The Contractor shall verify that the deflection of the supporting construction under design load is within the limit stated for the stone assembly by the membrane, backer board, or mortar manufacturer.
+### The Contractor shall report supporting construction that exceeds that deflection limit to the Architect before stone is set.
+
+# Installation {toc}
+
+## Layout and Blending {toc}
+
+### Because color, vein, and shade vary from piece to piece, stone drawn straight from sequential crates concentrates dark, light, or heavily veined pieces into blotches that read as a defect across the finished field. {note}
+### The Contractor shall establish the layout from the control lines and setting-out points shown on the [[drawing: finish plans and stone layout]].
+### The layout shall balance border and cut units, place full units at the most prominent locations, and locate movement joints where the design and EJ171 require.
+### Cut units shall not be less than one-half unit in width unless the accepted shop drawings show otherwise.
+### The Contractor shall dry-lay and blend stone from several crates at once so that the natural range of color, vein, and shade is distributed across the work.
+### The Contractor shall obtain the Architect's acceptance of the dry-laid blend and vein match before any mortar is spread.
+
+## Mortar Application and Coverage {toc}
+
+### A unit bridging a void fractures under load and an unfilled edge admits water, and on a large unit the required coverage cannot be reached by combing the substrate alone, which is why those units are back-buttered. {note}
+### Bonding mortar shall be applied with the trowel notch, technique, and open time its manufacturer states for the stone size and substrate.
+### Mortar ridges shall be combed in one direction and the stone set with a perpendicular movement that collapses the ridges.
+### Mortar coverage beneath the stone shall be not less than 80 percent in interior locations that are not regularly wetted.
+### Mortar coverage beneath the stone shall be not less than 95 percent in exterior, wet, and heavy or rolling-load locations.
+### Moisture-sensitive stone set in an epoxy mortar shall achieve full coverage beneath the unit.
+### Mortar coverage at the edges and corners of every unit shall be full, with no voids beneath.
+### Units with any edge 15 in or greater, gauged thin slab, and all floor stone shall be back-buttered in addition to combing the substrate.
+### The Contractor shall verify the coverage achieved by periodically lifting a set unit before the mortar cures, and shall reset the lifted unit in fresh mortar.
+
+## Beating-In and Lippage Control {toc}
+
+### Seating a unit into the mortar collapses the ridges and brings adjacent edges into plane, and a mechanical leveling system holds those edges in plane while the mortar sets. {note}
+### Floor stone shall be beaten in with a beating block, or rolled with the mortar manufacturer's tool, immediately after setting.
+### Units with any edge 15 in or greater and gauged thin slab shall be set with a mechanical lippage-control system unless the accepted mock-up demonstrates that the lippage allowance is met without one.
+
+## Grouting and Pointing {toc}
+
+### Grouting before the bonding mortar has cured disturbs the bond, and grout pigment driven into an unsealed absorptive stone stains the face permanently. {note}
+### Grouting shall not begin until the bonding mortar has cured for the period its manufacturer requires.
+### Where the datasheet indicates a sealer applied before grouting, the stone shall be sealed and the sealer cured before grout is placed.
+### Joints shall be cleaned of mortar and debris to a uniform depth before grouting.
+### Grout shall be worked into the joints to fill them solid for their full depth.
+### Excess grout shall be struck off and the surface cleaned before grout residue cures onto the stone.
+### Joints that function as movement joints shall be left free of grout.
+
+## Curing and Protection {toc}
+
+### Many protective films, tapes, and papers transfer color or adhesive to stone or trap moisture against it, and the resulting stain can be permanent in an absorptive stone. {note}
+### The completed stone shall be protected from traffic and from other trades until the setting and grouting materials have cured for the period their manufacturers require.
+### Floors shall be covered with a breathable protective covering that does not trap moisture against the stone.
+### Protective coverings, tapes, and adhesives placed in contact with stone shall be documented by their manufacturer as non-staining on the specific stone.
+### Construction traffic, rolling loads, and point loads shall be kept off the stone until the cure is complete.
+
+# Field Inspection {toc}
+
+## Bond and Appearance Inspection {toc}
+
+### An unbonded unit rings hollow when it is tapped, which is the only nondestructive way to find a void beneath stone that looks sound from above. {note}
+### After the stone has cured, the Contractor shall sound the full area of set stone to detect unbonded units.
+### Hollow-sounding and unbonded units shall be removed and reset in fresh mortar at no additional cost to the Owner.
+### The stone shall be inspected under the lighting required by this standard for lippage, joint width and alignment, cracked, chipped, and warped units, shade and vein match, finish uniformity, grout residue, and movement joints left free of grout.
+### Units that do not comply shall be removed and replaced with stone from the accepted range at no additional cost to the Owner.
+### Where the Contractor and the Architect disagree whether a unit falls within the accepted range of color, vein, and shade, the accepted mock-up shall be the basis of comparison and the Architect of Record shall make the initial determination.
+
+## Independent Stone Property Verification {toc}
+
+### Stone properties vary across a quarry and between blocks, so a certification issued against one block does not establish the properties of the stone actually delivered. {note}
+### Independent verification testing of the supplied stone shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Independent Stone Property Verification
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Required for the supplied lot"
+ - "Not required for the supplied lot"
+default: "Not required for the supplied lot"
+```
+
+### Where verification testing is required, samples taken from the supplied stone shall be tested by an independent laboratory for the physical properties of the governing ASTM material specification.
+### Where a tested sample fails to meet the certified values, the cost of the failed test, the retest, and the replacement stone shall be borne by the Contractor.
+
+# Cleaning and Sealing {toc}
+
+## Stone Cleaning {toc}
+
+### Acids etch and dissolve calcareous stone, dulling a polished surface and pitting the face, abrasive pads and powders scratch polished and honed finishes, and the cleaners that are safe differ by stone and by finish. {note}
+### Stone shall be cleaned of grout residue, construction soil, and marks with cleaners the stone fabricator permits for the specific stone and finish.
+### Acidic cleaners shall not be used on calcareous stone, including marble, limestone, travertine, onyx, and serpentine.
+### Abrasive pads and powders shall not be used on polished and honed finishes.
+### The permitted and prohibited cleaning agents for each stone and finish shall be recorded in the maintenance instructions delivered to the Owner.
+
+## Sealer Application {toc}
+
+### An impregnating sealer occupies the pore structure and slows absorption without changing the surface, while a film-forming sealer sits on the face, wears unevenly under traffic, and can lower the dynamic coefficient of friction. {note}
+### The sealer for each stone shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Sealer Type
+type: select
+options:
+ - "Penetrating impregnating sealer"
+ - "Color-enhancing impregnating sealer"
+ - "Topical film-forming sealer"
+ - "No sealer applied to this stone"
+```
+
+### The requirement for a sealer applied before grouting shall be as indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Pre-Grout Sealer
+type: radio
+options:
+ - "Required before grouting"
+ - "Not required before grouting"
+```
+
+### The sealer shall be documented by its manufacturer as compatible with the stone and with the specified finish.
+### Sealer shall be applied after the stone and the grout have cured for the period the sealer manufacturer requires.
+### Where a sealer is applied to floor stone, the dynamic coefficient of friction shall be measured per ANSI A326.3 on the sealed surface and shall meet the requirement of this standard for that location.
+### The sealer, the reapplication interval, and the application method shall be recorded in the maintenance instructions delivered to the Owner.
+
+# Delivery, Storage, and Handling {toc}
+
+## Stone, setting materials, joint filler, membranes, sealants, and sealers shall be delivered in the manufacturer's original packaging with labels and crate markings intact.
+## Crate markings shall identify the stone, the finish, the size, and the block or lot.
+## Stone shall be stored under cover, protected from weather, freezing, staining, and breakage, and kept off the ground on non-staining dunnage.
+## Cardboard, wood, and adhesives that stain absorptive stone when wet shall be kept out of contact with stone faces.
+## Cementitious setting materials and joint filler shall be stored dry and off the floor.
+## Material that has hardened or passed its shelf life shall be removed from the site and shall not be used in the work.
+## Epoxy and polymer components shall be stored within the temperature range their manufacturer states.
+## Slab shall be transported, stored, and handled on edge in A-frames and moved with the clamps and frames the fabricator requires.
+## Stone for a single continuous area should be drawn from the same block or lot.
+## A slab carried or laid flat without support cracks under its own weight, and color, vein, and shade shift between blocks, so a block change inside one visual field is visible in the finished work. {note}
+
+# Warranty {toc}
+
+## A manufacturer system warranty is conditioned on the complete tested system being installed to the manufacturer's instructions and to the cited method, so the submittal and installation record is part of the warranty basis. {note}
+## The stone supplier and the setting-material manufacturers shall warrant their products against manufacturing and material defects for the period indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Stone and Setting-Material Warranty Period
+type: range
+unit: years
+min: 1
+max: 25
+setpoints: [1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 25]
+```
+
+## Where the datasheet does not indicate a warranty period, the standard warranty offered for the products supplied shall apply and the Contractor shall report its term in the product-data submittal.
+## The Contractor shall warrant the installation against defective workmanship for the period indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Installation Workmanship Warranty Period
+type: range
+unit: years
+min: 1
+max: 5
+step: 1
+default: 1
+```
+
+## The workmanship warranty shall cover substrate preparation, membrane and mortar application, mortar coverage, lippage and joint quality, grouting, movement-joint formation, and sealing.
+## The warranty period for a repair made under warranty shall run for a full term from the date of the repair, or for the remainder of the original term, whichever is longer.
+## Failure arising from loads exceeding the service the assembly was specified for, from cleaning or sealing contrary to the recorded maintenance instructions, or from movement of the supporting construction beyond the deflection limit verified before setting shall be excluded from the workmanship warranty.
+## Variation in color, vein, and shade within the accepted range is an inherent characteristic of natural stone and is not a defect under either warranty. {note}
+
+# Spare Stone {toc}
+
+## Stone quarried later differs in color, vein, and shade from the installed lot and cannot be matched to it, so spare stone from the original block is the only material that repairs damage invisibly. {note}
+## The Contractor shall deliver to the Owner spare stone of each type, finish, and size installed, in the quantity indicated in the datasheet.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Spare Stone Quantity
+type: range
+unit: '% of installed area'
+min: 0
+max: 10
+step: 1
+```
+
+## Spare stone shall be delivered in full crates labeled with the stone, the finish, the size, and the block or lot.
+## Spare stone shall be stored where the Owner directs, in a dry, protected location and on non-staining dunnage.