QUESTION:
A client currently has a marble 1″x1″ mosaic installed in their shower floor. They would like us to add some sort of matte sand finish with a lot of grip to prevent any slipping because they are of elderly age. I am looking for recommendations for a way to achieve this sand finish without adding extra shine.
ANSWER:
We are including Rod Sigman of MAPEI on this email. Rod is extremely knowledgeable on solutions that may not require physical honing/grinding/sanding and may be able to assist us.
As of this time, MAPEI does not offer an anti-slip treatment product or system for tile or stone.
That being said, there are a number of companies/products that are designed for this purpose such as InvisaTread, Slip Tech, etc. Since I don’t have much experience directly with these products, I unfortunately cannot recommend the best product/system for this application. However a quick Google search of slip treatment products for natural stone will help. I would suggest calling each company to discuss their products’ suitability for your stone/application.
Given that this is a shower, a micro-etch product is probably the way to go, since the other option are coatings – which as you know – is not a great idea in a wet area, let alone a shower floor.
Once the slip treatment product is used, it will need to be sealed and that’s where we can help. We have a product called UltraCare Penetrating Plus SB Stone & Porcelain Tile Sealer that is perfect for this purpose. While all stones are different, likely one application will be fine unless it completely absorbs the first coat in five minutes. If so, apply a second application for added protection. This product is a penetrating sealer and will help prevent staining and water absorption into the stone, but it will not detract from the slip resistance since it resides IN the stone and not ON the stone.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if we can be of further assistance. – Rod Sigman, CTC, CCTS, CSMTT, Business Development Manager – UltraCare, [email protected].
Please see Rod Sigman’s recommendations. Check out the information on Slip Tech here: https://www.sliptech.com/Articles.asp?ID=252 then contact your local MAPEI dealer for product information on the sealers that Rod described. Please let me know if there is anything we can do to help further.
