Engineering of Excellence: A Complete Technical Guide to Installing Large-Format Porcelain Stoneware by M-STONE

m-STONE specialises in working with brands such as Laminam, Kerlite, Ariostea and Florim. In this article we reveal the inner “kitchen” of professional installation.

• Substrate preparation: geometry and chemistry

For XL-format slabs the substrate must be stable and perfectly flat. At M-STONE we follow this standard: a difference of no more than 1 mm per 2 linear metres.

Adhesion and priming: we use quartz primers to create a “concrete contact” layer on smooth surfaces, or deep-penetration compounds for porous substrates. This prevents the slab from peeling off under its own weight.

Moisture check: when installing on a screed with underfloor heating, the moisture must not exceed 2%. Otherwise the residual moisture will destroy the adhesive layer.

• Specialised tools are the key to preserving the material

Working by hand with a slab weighing 50-80 kg is impossible. Our arsenal includes:

Frames with vacuum suction cups (such as Raimondi or Sigma): they distribute the load, preventing critical bending and cracking of thin porcelain stoneware (3-6 mm).

Precision cutting systems: we cut on site in Kyiv using guide rails, which gives a perfect edge without chips.

Electric vibrating suction cups: ordinary tapping with a mallet does not work here. The vibration pushes out 100% of the air bubbles, ensuring the adhesive fills the space completely.

• Choosing the adhesive: classes S1 and S2

For large format in Kyiv conditions (especially in new buildings that settle) we use only highly flexible adhesives of class C2TE S1 or S2. Such adhesives work as a “damper”, compensating for micro-movements of the building and thermal expansion of the slab.

• Double-application technique

We apply adhesive both to the wall and to the back of the slab. The trowel ridges must run parallel to each other: this is the only way to avoid air pockets, in which the slab can crack under point load.

M-STONE works in all districts of Kyiv: from elite apartments in Pechersk (the Novopecherski Lypky and Taryan Towers residential complexes) to private residences in Koncha-Zaspa and Osokorky. We know the specifics of lifting slabs in modern residential complexes on Mykhaila Drahomanova, Antonovycha streets or the Obolon Embankment.

Need reliable installation without risk? Contact us right now!

📞 +38 068 100 27 96 | +38 050 914 18 99

📧 [email protected]

The current cost of work for your project can be calculated in the online calculators or confirmed by the manager: it depends on the material, the slab format and the condition of the substrate. The consultation is free.