Onyx is a calcareous stone, formed by dissolving limestone and redeposited as a new kind of stone. In caves, drip water forms onyx as stalactites and stalagmites. It can be back lit to give you a unique look that will be sure to impress. Onyx ranks about a 6.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. Its deep, rich tones suggest comfort and strength while its layering tells a story of the earth’s growth and its veins add an aura of life and vitality to any space.

Onyx is a lighter-weight material in comparison to marble or granite slabs and can easily be installed in innovative applications. Most of the world’s onyx is quarried into small-sized slabs making it easy to handle and fabricate. Onyx applications are striking with the unique patterning and colors. A more inspiring application is installing onyx as a wall finish or cladding in a grid pattern where the slabs are cut into manageable sized sections and secured to the wall with metal fasteners or channels. Onyx is on the softer end of the stone density scale, making it better suited for interior and vertical applications. Onyx is, simply put, mesmerizing. It is a beautiful but brittle stone and should be carefully evaluated for its intended use. Onyx naturally has a magnificent range of colors and patterns. Onyx slabs and tiles look more like gemstones rather than granite. In addition to countertops and shower surrounds, the fluid-like movement in onyx is ideal for carved products including statues, figurines, sinks, and fireplace mantels.

Onyx is one of the most beautiful natural stones. Note that the onyx is mined in the Arabian Peninsula, in Brazil, India, Iran, Mexico, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey as well as the United States and Uruguay. This greatly under-utilized material is versatile and elegant allowing it to look good almost anywhere. Onyx is considered luxurious in the world of stone for many reasons. This softer stone is considered more delicate than other natural stones including marble and that delicacy has its advantages and disadvantages. Although onyx kitchen countertops are beautiful, they are not as practical as granite countertops and require more care. However, onyx slabs have some of the most unique movement and patterning among natural stones giving it great value, beauty, and intrigue.

A unique technical charateristic to onyx is that it’s somewhat translucent and has the appearance of being delicate and soft to the touch.  This luxurious quality allows it to be easily backlit. Backlighting a stone with even light distribution can greatly enhance the color and movement within a stone. Depending on the spectrum of the backlighting source, the colors in onyx have a tendency to appear warmer and more vibrant, bringing out the dynamic beauty of the stone. It is common to use backlighting on a vertical application such as a stone wall feature or room divider in a space. Backlit onyx countertops are breathtaking in restaurant bars as well as backlighting onyx on the face of a hotel front desk. Since backlighting stone tends to be magnetic and draws attention, it is often seen in public spaces designed to enlighten or energize the crowd such as casinos, hotel lobbies, and bars.

WHY SHOULD YOU CHOOSE NATURAL STONE?

Natural stone is held in high regard as a premier building material because it reflects unique character, stability, and grandeur. Variations in natural stone’s broad range of color, pattern, and texture are visually interesting and impossible to replicate. And, because it comes from the earth, from eco-friendly compositions, it is a natural choice.

Variety: The diversity of natural stone products encourages limitless design potential. Aesthetically, what you do with stone is as varied as your imagination. Its many factors in the way stone formed within the Earth contribute to its varieties and enhance the innovation it provides, something that cannot be duplicated in a laboratory or come from a mould.

Durability: Natural stone exhibits a durability not found in other building materials. There is an emotional connection to buildings and monuments built in stone that carries a great deal of meaning due to enduring history and a legacy of mankind through the ages.

Green Attributes: Natural stone products like those formed in granite, marble, travertine, onyx, tra-onyx, quartzite, limestone, sandstone, slatestone and others, differently from artifical materials, innate characteristics that contribute toward LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or LEED intended construction. Consider stone’s low embodied energy, ready availability as a naturally occurring material, no off-gases to impair indoor air quality, high thermal capacitance, and exceptional durability for low maintenance and structural permanence. Using natural stone for your projects shows that you care about the environment and consciously strive to preserve it.

Unique: Design projects should stand out and reflect the passion, taste, and personality of the designer. Natural stone is a one-of-a-kind building material that sets you apart from others because it can’t be mimicked, manufactured, or faked.

Value: The value in natural stone is more than a monetary measure. It involves longevity, ease of maintenance, permanence and stability that far exceed initial investment. Utilizing natural stone is now more affordable than ever due to advancing stone quarrying and processing technology that has improved efficiency over the years. New automated machinery allows fabricators to cut natural stone thinner, faster, more consistently and at less cost than in times past. Development of anchoring technologies and systems make installation easier, quicker, and more secure. In addition, natural stone is simple to care for, has an appearance that literally improves with age and can last a lifetime.

NATURAL STONE INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

The proper choice of tools and implements is very important; angle grinder machine or water jet cutting table with diamond blades, notched trowel, spirit level, white rubber mallet, rubber trowel for grouting, cross-spacers for joints and mixing vessels for adhesive preparation etc.

The flatness of the substrate should not be over 5 mm span, therefore must be checked with a 2 meter rule. In case of any flatness defect, the substrate must be re-leveled in order to fix the difference. The substrate must be resistant, stable and totally dry, in order to obtain a correct adherence.

In order to avoid bonding problems, the substrate must be totally clean, free of dust, grease, mortar residues, etc. It is advisable to clean the surface before laying the tiles.

The adhesive type must be chosen in relation to the material absorption and the substrate properties. In any situation, as a precautionary measure, we do not recommend sand mortars use, since sand contains different salts, and when mixed with the cement and water, could be absorbed by the material porosity and may produce pathologies called efflorescence.

For high-absorption materials, like sandstone and limestone, we recommend C1 adhesive for indoor use, and C2 for outdoors. In case of marbles and granites, C2 adhesives can be used in both indoors and outdoors, since the main property of this product is the great adherence and elasticity. In case of natural stone materials with fiberglass or mesh backing, we recommend the use of Type R reactive resin adhesives.

Use a notched trowel to spread the product on the substrate, in order to control the thickness and assure the adhesive distribution all over the surface. For 30x30 cm or larger pieces, it is recommended to use the buttering-floating technique, which consists of applying the adhesive on both the substrate and the back of the tile, in order to ensure a 100% contact with the bonding material.

In order to ensure a total flattening of the grooves left by the notched trowel on the bonding material, lay the pieces and tap them with a rubber mallet. We recommend leaving at least a 1.5 mm. joint between interior pieces and 3 mm for exterior pieces. This is to compensate possible material expansion/contraction caused by temperature variations, of course considering perimeter and structural joints.

The grouting process consists of filling the space between pieces, better known as joints. The installation joints must be clean and free of bonding materials, traces of dirt and grime. This way, adherence of grout will be improved and more effective.

The grouting material should be applied 24-48 hours after the covering application, in order to help the evaporation of the water used to prepare the bonding mixture. This way is possible to avoid moisture stains that might end up causing efflorescence pathologies.

The grouting material should be applied with a rubber trowel and always in the joint gap. Never use the traditional grouting method, which consists of spreading the grouting material all over the coated surface, since the stone porosity can cause scale problems and interfere with the subsequent cleaning.

The removal of grouting material residues must be done not too long after the application. It is necessary to use a damped sponge to avoid leaving grouting material deposits.

In case of laying polished or honed floor coverings, it is advisable to protect the surface until the building work is over. This is mainly not to damage the material and make the cleaning easier.

To carry out cutting procedures in natural stone pieces, it is advisable to mark the pieces with a pencil. To carry out stone drilling, it is necessary to use carbide bits, always beginning with a small diameter until getting the expected result.

NATURAL STONE CARE AND MAINTENANCE

Natural Stone is considered a high quality covering, which fulfills all the physicochemical and building requirements to carry out a good project with demonstrable benefits. One of the main benefits is the low maintenance cost in comparison to other materials like stoneware and artificial stone. The hardness and lifespan of natural stone can be increased with a good election of the material finish, treatment and further maintenance.

Water is the best cleaning solution. However, when it comes to clean and disinfect, it is advisable to use pH balanced cleaners (7-10 pH). Never use aggressive detergents as bleach, ammonia, anti-scaling products, etc. Never use metal utensils that may scratch the surface. In case of stains, try to clean with soapy water first. If the stains persist, proceed with "deep clean" type cleaners available from good manufacturers.

Stain Type and Detergente:

Oils: Water diluted acid solution (vinegar)
Grease: Sodium bicarbonate and warm water
Wine: Water diluted alkaline cleaner
Coffee: Water diluted cleaner*
Blood: Water diluted cleaner*
Ink: Water diluted cleaner*
Paints: Paint remover and plenty of water
Polish: Acetone and plenty of water

* In case of using bleach as cleaning product, this must be water diluted.
* As a general rule, it is advisable to start with low concentrations or maximum dilution. Increase the amount little by little, depending on the results.
* It is important to know that hot water has a higher cleaning potential than cold water.
Remember: Despite the aging, natural stone can always be re-polished to recover its original finish.
Caution: Observe the detergent manufacturer’s precautions and recommended dilutions. Do not use products containing hydrofluoric acid or its derivatives.