Installation Guidelines and Recommendations for Engineered Marble Products

Important Notice

These Installation Guidelines and Recommendations are intended to provide information to the project engineer, supervising engineer and installation contractor regarding the installation requirements of POOLSTONES by SOFIKITIS Engineered Marble Products.

They do not constitute a project-specific installation design or technical specification.

The final selection of the installation system, adhesive materials, joints, and all technical details shall be the sole responsibility of the project’s supervising engineer.

Before Installation

This document shall be provided to the project engineer or supervising engineer before the commencement of any installation work.

Purpose of This Document

This document accompanies all POOLSTONES by SOFIKITIS Engineered Marble Products and describes the basic requirements and recommendations for their safe and proper installation.

These recommendations are based on:

• our company’s extensive experience gained from projects completed in numerous countries;
• the technical characteristics of the material;
• practical experience from real-life applications;
• the principles of good engineering practice for the installation of engineered stone products.

Their purpose is to ensure that all parties involved are properly informed, thereby minimizing the risk of incorrect installation and potential future failures.

Engineered Marble Is Not Natural Marble

Engineered Marble is a reconstituted material with performance characteristics that differ from those of natural marble.

For this reason, it must not be installed using conventional natural marble installation practices.

The material behaves differently with regard to:

• thermal expansion;
• water absorption;
• compatibility with adhesive systems;
• performance under temperature variations.

Basic Technical Characteristics

The following properties are derived from laboratory testing of the product and are provided to facilitate a better understanding of the material’s performance.

The above characteristics require:

• the selection of an appropriate adhesive system;
• proper design of movement joints;
• avoidance of rigid restraint of the elements;
• strict compliance with the instructions of the supervising engineer and the manufacturers of the installation materials.

Design Responsibility and Selection of Installation Materials

POOLSTONES by SOFIKITIS provides the installation requirements applicable to its products. It does not provide a project-specific installation design.

The final selection of the following shall be determined by the project engineer or supervising engineer:

• adhesive materials;
• primers;
• grouting materials;
• elastic sealants;
• installation thickness;
• movement joint locations;
• material quantities;
• installation methods.

This selection shall take into consideration the substrate, the dimensions of the elements, the anticipated temperature variations, the climatic conditions, and the instructions issued by the manufacturers of the installation materials being used.

Installation shall be carried out by qualified installers experienced in the installation of engineered stone products.

General Installation Guidelines

• Before the commencement of any installation work, the project engineer or supervising engineer shall approve the installation system, taking into consideration the specific requirements of the project and the instructions provided by the manufacturers of the installation materials.
• The installed surfaces shall be protected from premature foot traffic or mechanical loading until the installation materials have fully cured. The manufacturer’s instructions regarding the mixing, application and curing times of the installation materials shall be strictly followed.
• The substrate shall be sound, clean, dry, adequately cured and suitable for its intended application.
• The surfaces shall be properly levelled and prepared prior to installation. The use of the adhesive to compensate for significant substrate irregularities or unevenness of the substrate is not recommended.
• The adhesive system shall be suitable for engineered stone products with very low water absorption and shall be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Full and uniform contact between each element and the substrate shall be achieved. Voids beneath the elements, which may result in localized stresses, shall be avoided.
• Installation without joints is not permitted.
• Existing structural movement joints shall be continued through to the finished surface.
• The elements shall not be rigidly restrained between fixed structural components.

Joints

The proper design and execution of joints is an essential requirement for the long-term performance and durability of the installation.

Recommended Joint Widths

• Joint width between adjacent elements: 3 mm.
• In large continuous surfaces, appropriate movement joints shall be provided in accordance with the project design.
• For overflow swimming pool applications, POOLSTONES’ experience indicates that expansion joints of 8–10 mm should be provided every 4–5 metres of continuous length, unless otherwise specified in the project design.
• Expansion joints shall be sealed with a suitable elastic sealant in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer of the jointing system.

Special Installation Guidelines for Overflow Pool Copings

The proper performance of an overflow swimming pool depends largely on the accuracy of the coping installation. For this reason, the following recommendations should be observed:

Preparation

• The pool edge shall be levelled in advance using a suitable levelling mortar.
• Before installation begins, all sides of the pool shall be accurately measured and checked.

Alignment

• The use of a laser level or optical level is recommended to ensure accurate installation.
• The use of a conventional spirit level or water level does not provide the accuracy required for a uniform overflow system.

Installation

• Installation should begin with the corner pieces.
• Where cutting is required, it should preferably be carried out at the centre of each side to ensure a symmetrical distribution of the elements.
• Installation of the coping units shall be completed before installing the outer border.

Overflow Grating

• The overflow grating shall be installed during the final stage of the installation works.
• During installation of the outer border, a single grating section may be used as a guide to verify the required spacing.
• The specified distance between the coping, the grating and the outer border shall be maintained in accordance with the project design.
• The use of a suitable anti-vibration strip at the grating support points is recommended, in accordance with the installation system manufacturer’s instructions.
• Before final handover of the swimming pool, a test filling should be carried out to verify the proper and uniform operation of the overflow system.

Applications for Stair Treads and Cladding

The basic principles described in this document apply to all POOLSTONES by SOFIKITIS Engineered Marble Products, including stair treads, wall cladding and other architectural applications.

The presence of one or more free edges does not eliminate the material’s thermal expansion characteristics or the requirement for a suitable adhesive system and properly designed movement joints.

For these applications, it is recommended that:

• Rigid restraint of the elements between fixed structural components shall be avoided.
• The required perimeter and movement joints shall be provided in accordance with the project design.
• The manufacturer’s instructions regarding bonding, grouting and sealing materials shall be strictly followed.
• Point loads and mechanical stresses shall be avoided until the adhesive materials have fully cured.

Indicative Manufacturers of Adhesive Systems

The selection of the appropriate adhesive system shall be made by the project’s supervising engineer, taking into consideration the specific requirements of the application, the characteristics of the substrate and the instructions provided by the manufacturer of the installation materials.

Suitable adhesive systems may be selected from internationally recognised manufacturers, including:

Final Inspection Before Handover

Before completion of the installation works, it is recommended to verify that:

• ☐  The substrate has been prepared in accordance with the project design.
• ☐  The approved installation materials have been used.
• ☐  The specified joints have been correctly executed.
• ☐  No elements are rigidly restrained or subjected to undue stress.
• ☐  The alignment and overall appearance comply with the project requirements.
• ☐  For overflow swimming pools, the correct operation of the overflow system has been verified.
• ☐  The installation has been cleaned and handed over free of any material residues.

Disclaimer

These Installation Guidelines and Recommendations have been issued by POOLSTONES by SOFIKITIS to provide engineers, supervising engineers and installation contractors with guidance regarding the basic installation requirements of its Engineered Marble Products.

This document does not constitute a project-specific installation design or technical specification and does not replace the responsibility of the project’s supervising engineer for selecting the appropriate installation system, installation materials and technical details for each individual project.

The final selection of the adhesive system, primers, grouting materials, elastic sealants, joints, material quantities and installation method shall remain the sole responsibility of the project’s supervising engineer, taking into consideration the actual site conditions and the instructions provided by the manufacturers of the installation materials.

Failure to comply with these guidelines and recommendations, or the use of installation systems not approved by the project’s supervising engineer, may result in installation failures for which POOLSTONES by SOFIKITIS cannot be held liable.