No Installation is Included or Quoted: Each client is responsible for finding a qualified installer. Venezia does provide a local Reference of qualified Masons for Northern California and areas where a Venezia design consultant or distributor are located.
Standard Hardware: Standard hardware consists of two galvanized, 22-gauge brick ties per piece. All moldings, facing and quoins include this hardware as standard. Brick ties are typically screwed into plywood sheathing and/or sheathing with additional blocking. Special hardware is available upon request (at an additional cost).
Attachment Methods: Venezia provides 22 gauge ties embedded in the cast stone approximately 1-1/2? below the edge of the piece to assist with installation, these ties are not meant to support the entire weight of a component. If you would like a copy of the tie layout for any given surround, please call the field office extension #6617 and request it. Angle irons are required, and in some cases walls or floors may require reinforcement. Please see your design professional for his recommendation. All installers have different methods for installation and use of attachments; for this reason, the installer or manufacturer providing the attachment should be contacted for their specifications.
Typical Setting Methods: Typical Setting Method used in the application of cast stone is to clean, dampen and back-butter the entire setting surface of the piece and level it into a bed of mortar, tapping or beating as necessary. The two methods listed below are commonly used. Cost, setting bed allowances, type of material (i.e. surrounds, hoods, hearths slips etc.) and specific site conditions are generally the determining factors in choosing the appropriate method.
- Portland Cement Mortar Bed Method: Portland Cement Mortar is suitable for most surfaces and most types of cast stone materials, with certain types of flatwork being a possible exception. (See note below.) The Tile Council of America recommends a cement mortar bed of 3/4″ to 2″ thick. This method is covered in detail under the American National Standards Institute, ANSI A108.1A.
- Thin-Set Mortar or Epoxy Method: A factory prepared filler, mixed with either water or various additives depending on strength required and type chosen. Shear Bond strengths of 250 to 1000 PSI can be obtained with this type of mortar. We recommend Laticrete International Inc. products or equivalent. Please refer to and follow the manufacturer’s exact recommendations for the particular product chosen.
Grout: should be installed wet and packed tightly with a masonry tool. Grout widths are 3/8? to 1/2? or as desired. Smearing an entire area is not recommended due to the porosity of the product; instead grout should be piped into the joint and cleaned off immediately. Grout widths are 3/8? to 1/2? or as desired, and lines are prone to cracking. Venezia recommends that patching of grout lines at 90 days past initial installation be included in all installation contracts. It is common for grout joints to crack after a years time, especially in seismically active areas or where settling may be a factor. In these cases touching up or re-grouting the joint is all that may be required. We recommend discussing this with your installer.
Commercially available grout should be used. Hand-mixed grout is not recommended because it is inconsistent and a liability to the tradesman if it varies in colour or cracks. Typical grout thickness is 3/8″ to allow for the 1/8″ tolerance of most basic components. 1/4″ is the minimum reasonable thickness. Less than 1/4″ may require grinding of the basic components to fit. The maximum recommended grout joint is 1/2? but sometimes this may create difficulty for the installer in adhering the component pieces. Grouts should also be sealed with the Cast Stone after installation.
Cleaning: Clean Venezia with appropriate ProSoCo or other high quality cleaners before applying any type of sealer. Pro So Co light duty cleaners may be used for maintenance as well.
Sealing: Check with the purchase agent to see if sealing after installation, or final grout sealing will be required as part of the installation bid. For information on products, see the ProSoCo, Inc. product literature. Pre-sealing is available upon an approved sample for an additional cost.
Protection: Protection during storage is critical to preserving the quality of the cast stone. Protect from damage caused by uneven drying by laying out all basic components after each pallet is opened. If material must be tarped, use only white plastic. Venezia is not liable for damage to basic components after they are delivered to the site.
Layout Drawings: Layout Drawings, sometimes called ?shop drawings? by the specifier, are not provided by Venezia beyond those found in the catalog. Installation sub-contractors may or may not be required to provide them by the purchase agent.