Pollux Manufacturing Inc., Minneapolis
By K. Schipper
MINNEAPOLIS – It’s not just consumers who are noticing that six- or eight-week delay in getting countertops fabricated.
Category: Articles
Import Trends: Mid-Year 2004
By Emerson Schwartzkopf
At the halfway point this year, U.S. stone imports show that the market is staying the same – and yet it’s also showing signs of change.
Quarrying: Ask the Rockman (or Woman)
With the lion’s share of dimensional stone used in North America coming from somewhere across an ocean, what’s the future look like for domestic production?
Patterns for Success, Part III
By Kevin M. Padden
In the past few months, we’ve looked at different basic methods of templating. Now, let’s focus on something I mentioned earlier: supporting the templating process.
ITSS 2004
LAS VEGAS – For the International Tile and Stone Show (ITSS), it’s as easy as one-two-three with its latest event here on Oct. 21-23.
StonExpo 2004: L.A. Education
LOS ANGELES – There are plenty of freeways here, but there’s one bit of highway planned for StonExpo 2004 on Oct. 27-30 that’s not on a map, but full of challenges and opportunities: the learning curve.
Marmomacc 2004
VERONA, Italy – Back in the 1960s, Italian movies used to credit “a cast of thousands” – but Marmomacc 2004 this October is far beyond that.
StoneSpeak: Fixing on Fiberglass
by Vincent Migliore
Q: We are installing an exterior wood-frame porch. The plywood has been coated with fiberglass to prevent rot if water gets into the system. How do we install a stone-tile floor on top of the fiberglass?
A: First, make sure that the substrate conforms to L/720 deflection. I would install a cement-backer unit conforming to ANSI A118.9 in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, using an epoxy conforming to ANSI A118.8 to bond the cement-backer unit to the fiberglass. When cured, install the stone tile with a modified thin-set mortar. Use white thin-set mortar if the stone is limestone or light-colored. Maintain joints of a minimum of 1/8" width. Use pure portland cement as a grout. Dampen the edges of the stone and work a very dry mixture of the portland into the joints. Caulk all edges that are not stone to stone.
Newport Office Center IV, Jersey City, N.J.
By K. Schipper
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — When you’re looking at a $100 million dollar building that’s only one cog in a billion-dollar project, why do you put natural stone in the lobby?
Computerized Workflow: Templating
By K. Schipper
MADISON, Wis. – Any job is only as good as its template, and most natural stone fabricators struggle with finding a method – but now some Midwestern U.S. shops are leaving the job to somebody else.