Space Age Honeycomb granite for bus

[Jeff Bayley]

I have a few busted tiles in the kitchen and bathroom and I'm never going to find the replacments that match so I'm thinking of just redoing the entire thing and having it retiled. Plus, the Amigos here in Florida that habla Espanol are out of work and tile is their gig. My wife can instruct while I point and grunt.

I want to go with something really nice of course like granite which is in my other bus (down with blown engine ........still) and this tile is fairly pedestrian (ceramic and not very tough, hence the cracks). When I was at American Carriage, they showed me what they use which is a very thin grantite with a honeycomb backing to give is strenght and lightweight. The granite is about 1/8 or maybe thiner not couting the honeycomb backing. The owner stressed that it was VERY expensive and also bragged about how it cuts down on weight. I'm unconvinced that the weight savings is worth it but maybe the flex component of it is legit.

Anyone know about this honeycomb backed thin granite . I don't know if it's more of a gimmick than anything. I don't know where to look for it. Is it any good and how much extra it would cost to do the kitchen and bathroom in this stuff or do I have to call the guy at American to ask him ? He looks like Frankenstein and has just about as muh personality to match.

If anyone has another particular brand that is good to use, please tell. I'm not stuck on granite but the one in my othe bus was slick and smooth and cleaned up in a snap on my knees with paper towels and windex. This junk in here now has texture do it with crevices that the dirt get's into. The inlaid brass between the tiles looks nice but I don't think the Amigos could get that right. Seems a little tricky and I think this style installation collects more dirt in the cracks.

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Well Jeff, Now that its out about the "Guest Lurkers" reading the posts, I would be carefull about going back to American and Frankenstien if I were you! So now that your on your own here's my take.
If you were to take it to the extremes to analyze the situation, anyone would agree that the nature of granite is hard and stiff. Take a thin section and try and bend it, it will break into many pieces at the least two. Attach a like sized piece to a flexible backing, bend it and what you have is at least two pieces attached to the backing showing the cracks. ( can't seem to get away fron the crack on this site) Further take a heavy (thick) piece and perform the same experiment. No breaks, no cracks. Think about it for a moment. How can you have flexible stone, that's an oxymoron!
If you want thin stone my opinion is that you require a firm and stiff base (sub floor). The proper subfloor and stone thickness is probably best derived by trial and error, (by the converters) over many instalations.
Asking here for what others have and their satisfaction would be my recommendation. Going with a catchy sales pitch, not me! :rolleyes:

[win42]

Granite: As I posted earlier. We had a (expert?) tile layer put granite in our coach. He did not resource underlayments required to prevent cracking, hence a few hairline cracks appeared. Most of the new Prevost converters have installed granite or marble in their coaches with success. Check with them for underlayment proceedure. Go to a commercial granite distributor and pick out the materials you want to use and follow the proceedure. I don't reccomend marble beacuse it cratches easy. Let us know what you find out, we will take ours up and put it back using the correct underlayment someday.

[Jeff Bayley]

Harry and Jim-

Thanks- I didn't realize the underside might need a rework. I expected to find plywood I guess and thought the "tile guys" would do it not too much different than a house. Rip up the old and lay down the new. Should this only be done by a "bus tile guy" ? My cracks are hairline and only I know they are there and I was only going to do becuase these "Amigos" that do tile for their trade are out of work and figured I could get it done cheap but I since mine ain't so bad I guess I should consider the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" especially if your saying the underside is going to need attention somehow.

[mike kerley]

Jeff,

Were about to have our marble taken up and granite installed. A local is doing the work and he seems quite confident and competent. The marble is just to soft for our use (scratches and spots and expense to finish) and were taking the front carpet and pad up and running the granite to the front of the bus. I expect to add about 300 lb.s to the front axle and at just over 13,000, we can handle that.

We have two 3/4' plywood sheets down now and will add another 3/8" to the front part to match up where the carpet was to existing marble/granite height. the new granite is 3/8" thick. It will be installed with a flexible mastic and grout. As we now have granite on the boarders and marble in the center of the galley and bath, we have some experience and only the marble has cracked (hair line fractures) and that would not be a problem if the finish would hold up better.

Plus, changing this keeps the Mrs. happy for a while and is cheaper than changing the camper!

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Jeff Bayley;Harry and Jim-

Thanks- I didn't realize the underside might need a rework. I expected to find plywood I guess and thought the "tile guys" would do it not too much different than a house. Rip up the old and lay down the new. Should this only be done by a "bus tile guy" ? My cracks are hairline and only I know they are there and I was only going to do becuase these "Amigos" that do tile for their trade are out of work and figured I could get it done cheap but I since mine ain't so bad I guess I should consider the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" especially if your saying the underside is going to need attention somehow.

Jeff, My $.02. For this job don't use someone that hasn't done it before. You will probably be disappointed. If you feel sorry for the workers give them a job around the house. Tiling, landscaping, roofing,etc., or cleanup and painting. Their unemployment should be a flag to you. The best subcontractors are busy all the time in any economy and I think you want the best work on something you will see everytime you are in the bus. If you go ahead anyway be sure and not forget about the heated floor that is really nice!!:cool: JIM

[Ben]

I believe Millennium uses some of that light-er weight granite. I thought they said it was converted into the honycomb thing somewhere in Europe and was very expensive.

Ya might want to give Nelson a call at Millennium and ask for his advice. They don't seem to use that stuff all that much lately though... I don't know why.

[rvbus01]

just surfing the net I came up with this site:

http://www.soterrastone.com/products-thin_panels.php

hope this helps, good luck.:)