Cleaning
Floor must be washed with water and neutral detergents (allow to dry), you could try Fila Cleaner

Adhesive
Arduit x7 Cement based adhesive with additive Ardion 90 (1 part water, 1 part Ardion 90; 1:1 mix - read the instructions)

Seal Floor with 1 x Coat Fila AC/99 (allow to dry for 24hrs) or any other reputable water based sealer.

NB. Prior to sealing - if some of the tiles have a slightly lighter area (eg. grey) you should rub teak oil (for wooden furniture) into the lighter area to achieve a brown colour. Do not use too much, just a light application rubbed in deeply. For more uniformity, the whole floor can be lightly oiled prior to sealing (however, the oil must be allowed to fully dry off). All you need is teak oil and a rag.

Grouting
Use VERY tight joints 1-2mm
1 Part Chocolate Brown Tilers Grout, 2 Parts Anthracite - achieve a dark grout (not whites/creams !)

Re-Sealing
Seal Floor with 1 or 2 Coats of Fila AC/99 (allow to dry between coats) or any other reputable water based sealer

Treatment
Treat floor with 2 to 3 coats of Fila Stonewax (matt), Fila Longlife (gloss)

Maintenance of Bitter Chocolate Limestone (honed) is extremely simple.

After installation, it is important to remove any residues such as cement, adhesive, grout etc. To achieve this, the floor must be washed with water and neutral detergents.

We recommend that you DO NOT use acid based products to clean and treat the Bitter Chocolate Limestone. As this limestone is impregnated by bitumen, solvents and acids can corrode the surface.

For daily maintenance, it is sufficient to wash the tiled area with a wet cloth soaked in neutral detergent, then dry the area off with a woollen cloth.

Bitter Chocolate can also be 'buffed up' by using a floor polisher with a soft pad.

Suppliers: Fila products can be purchased from your local dealer.

You can find FILA products through the following distributors in New York:

NJ Newark Tile Wholesalers of 659 Market Street stone and pocelain line
Newark Newark, NJ 07105
T. 973 589 2080
F. 973 589 2643
Jorge Serra

NJ Union City Roma Tiles 2300 Central Avenue stone and porcelain line
Union City, NJ 07087
T. 201 271 9494
F. 201 271 0082
Massimo Laresice

NY Brooklyn Mondial Tiles 1402 65th Street all of the products
Brooklyn, NY 11219
T. 718 232 0800
F. 718 256 4341
Alex De Meo

General Information

1. The floor will arrive wet - hence the dark yellowy-orange colour. This will dry out much lighter. We suggest, rather than sealing the floor immediately, let it breathe and dry out properly.

2. The texture is hand finished / antiqued. This will settle down once laid, cleaned, sealed and grouted. Natural wear and tear will also settle the texture into a beautiful patina. These floors improve with time. Floors usually require 1 year to settle in properly.

3. The texture can easily be softened by a quick rub with some emery paper. (or use a hard bristled brush). The surface grain is loose and will come off easily. You will note that after brushing this floor the grit content will reduce very quickly with each brushing as the surface settles down.

4. Tiles are to be laid chiselled face up !

ONLY USE A TRANSPARENT SEALER ON THIS FLOOR, OTHERWISE THE COLOUR WILL BE ENHANCED AND WILL SEND IT DARKER !!!

Please always do a tester area first and have it approved prior to the whole job as client tastes are different.

Installation

1. Stick tiles, chiselled face up, to substrate with Arduit S16 Rapid Set / or fix into sand and cement (sometime we recommend sealing the backs of tiles to prevent effervescence - ie. salts rising to the surface of the tiles - see point 3).

2. Ensure your tiler uses matchstick tight joints ! 1-2mm

3. Seal tiles with 2-3 coats of Stain Stop MN or Marble No. 8 (with whitener) by CCC.

4. Grout floor with a yellowish joint achieved by 1 part silver sand, 1 part builder’s sand (yellow), 1 part white cement.

5. Seal tiles with 2-3 coats of Stain Stop MN or Marble No. 8 (with whitener)

NB. Marble No. 8, although a very high performance sealer, is a colour enhancer and may send the tiles more yellowy / orange. This is why we suggest using the whitener as an additive to lighten the result. It is a matter of taste. The tester area should help you decide your preferred result.

Maintenance and Cleaning
 
Regular sweeping will take care of most household dust and particles.

Periodically one should wash the surface as necessary with mild soap or neutral detergent.

It is important when ‘mopping’ the floor that you use plenty of clean water ensuring that the water is changed during the washing. If have only used one bucket of water for cleaning your whole floor, it is likely that dirt is being washed over dirt thus soiling your floor. PLENTY OF CLEAN WATER !!!

Leather tiles should be allowed to acclimatize to the new environment for at least a week before they are installed. Effective tile installation requires a clean, dust-free environment and should occur after all other site construction has been completed. Tiles are affected by humidity and we advise you not to install tiles in areas with uncontrolled humidity. The tiles should not be used in excessively dry <20% humidity on average.

The tiles are to be adhered directly to a FLAT surface. When applying the tiles be sure that the entire site has been thoroughly vacuumed and cleaned of dust and dirt. Once the surface has been cleaned, apply the T52 adhesive (or another reputable trowled adhesive). Firstly, apply the adhesive to both the substrate and to the back of the tile with a brush or serrated trowel and stick to the substrate.

The concept behind our patinated leather tiles originates from old Cotto Floors – not all joints will be tight and these can be later filled in with wax.

Once the tile has been applied and has time to dry, it is virtually impossible to move the tiles.

The cleaning regime for sealed and unsealed / polished Limestone floors is the same. In all situations the floor should first be swept daily with a soft brush or vacuumed to remove any dust and loose dirt.

High Traffic Floors
Occasional machine cleaning with a soft padded scrubber-drier with clean water. It should be noted that the use of industrial cleaning machines will shorten the life of sealers and impregnators.

Low Traffic Floors
Weekly damp mopping with clean water.

All Floors – DO NOT
• use chemicals containing acids. They will attack the Limestone, damage the surface and discolour the stone.
• use household soaps, as they tend to leave a slippery scum, particularly in hard water areas.
• although alkaline, bleach is not recommended as a cleaning agent as it may discolour the stone.

Stain Removal
All spillages should be mopped up as quickly as possible with continually replaced clean warm water, particularly if the medium is aggressive such as red wine, coffee, cola or oils. In most cases this initial treatment will minimize the requirement for more formal treatments.

Most stains can generally be removed by the application of specific stone maintenance cleaners. Where these are to be used on a treated floor it is important to check their compatibility with the treatments. Due to constant development, details on such products are available upon request.

Any cleaning agent used should be removed by rinsing with clean water.

Metal tiles should be allowed to acclimatize to the new environment for at least a week before they are installed. Effective tile installation requires a clean, dust-free environment and should occur after all other site construction has been completed. Tiles are affected by humidity and we advise you not to install tiles in areas with uncontrolled humidity. The tiles should not be used in excessively dry <20% humidity on average.

The tiles are to be adhered directly to a FLAT surface. When applying the tiles be sure that the entire site has been thoroughly vacuumed and cleaned of dust and dirt. Once the surface has been cleaned, apply the T52 adhesive (or another reputable trowled adhesive). Firstly, apply the adhesive to both the substrate and to the back of the tile with a brush or serrated trowel and stick to the substrate.

Once the tile has been applied and has time to dry, it is virtually impossible to move the tiles.

This is purely a thought...

The Mosaics of Heraclea - located on the outskirts of Bitola in the southern part of Macedonia (From 4th-6th century) are protected during the winter months by covering them in sand.

This may be a good way of protecting exterior flooring that may (or may not) be suitable for exterior use. This is also worth considering for exterior mosaic floors in cold climates.

In these Terms and Conditions "the Company" means De Ferranti Limited (Trading as DE FERRANTI) and "Customer" means the person or Company that purchases the goods. "Goods" means the goods specified in the Company's invoice.

1. While every effort is made to define and control its range of products, the Company accepts no liabilities whatsoever in respect of natural geological and handmade (where applicable) variations concerned with colour or texture or claims against accidental damage or injury, whether occasional by its recommendations or those of it's Staff.

2. All prices quoted are subject to confirmation at time of order and are exclusive of delivery charges and VAT, which is charged at the current rate.

3. The Company will endeavour to comply with estimated delivery dates but the Company cannot guarantee compliance therewith.

4. All goods must be examined upon delivery to certify the goods correspond with delivery notes and/or receipts provided. In order to validate a claim, any shortages, damages or other discrepancies should be indicated on the documentation provided. Additionally, the Company must be notified in writing within 48 hours from receipt of goods. Strict compliance with these conditions is required, otherwise no liability is accepted. NO CLAIMS ARE ACCEPTED AFTER INSTALLATION.

5. Estimates and Quotations are submitted by the Company on a 'best endeavours' basis only on information supplied by the Customer and we accept no responsibility for the accuracy of materials estimated by any member of staff.

6. The Company will not accept returned goods that are surplus to requirements

7. Unless the Company shall otherwise specify in writing, all goods sold by the Company to the Customer shall be and remain the property of the Company until the full purchase price thereof (and other indebtedness to the Company by the Customer) shall be paid to the Company.

8. Payment of accounts (account customers only) must be effected within 30 days from date of invoice. Failure to effect payment when due will result in suspension of deliveries without prejudice to any other remedy which the Company may have.

9. All pro-forma invoices / invoices to be paid within 7 days from date of documentation to ensure supply of goods intended. Invoices unpaid after this 7 day time frame are subject to a 5% weekly surcharge until settled in full.

10. The Company's standard payment terms are 50% of total monies due with confirmed order placement and the remaining 50% balance when goods are fully produced and ready to leave the factory and/or warehouse. Should our estimate, quotation or invoice state otherwise then these terms are superseded.

1. Adhesive

• Cement based adhesive, White Arduit x7

2. Grout

• 2 parts silver sand
• 1 part white portland cement

3. Sealing

• Marble No. 8 - contact us to purchase this high performance sealer