Stone Floor with Metal Inlay

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Author Message J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 445 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2010 - 08:35 pm:    I am working on a project with dimension stone floor units that have inscriptions. Although my client initially wanted to simply inscribe the stone, I suggested that this type of surface treatment would be a "dirt catcher" and be difficult to clean. I suggested some sort of metal inlay. Be careful what you suggest... now I have to specify it. The first trick will be finding someone willing to take it on. The project is moving very fast, and I am not sure that my client has done his homework for this item. This is an interior application so thermal movement is not an issue. My guess is that some type of bronze would clean easily and age well. Brass is another possibility, but if it didn't get cleaned and polished regularly, it could begin to look scruffy pretty fast. Stainless steel may not fit the pallette of materials. Can anyone give me a hand, point me toward a fabricator or at least tell me what issues to watch out for. George A. Everding, AIA, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: geverding Post Number: 555 Registered: 11-2004 Posted on Sunday, August 22, 2010 - 09:21 pm:    Did you get a chance to stop by the Stuart Dean booth at the convention in Philadelphia? Even though they are metal restoration experts, they were very helpful with some questions I had about a project we were working on (new construction, restoration, interior, exterior - and it all had to "match"). They, or someone like them down in your area, might be a good source for what maintains the best. www.stuartdean.com (looks like they have a Houston office too) George A. Everding AIA CSI CCS CCCA Cannon Design - St. Louis, MO Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 82 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 11:19 am:    My first thought is for the type of metals used in terrazzo flooring. It's essentially the same type of use and exposure, right? Steve Gantner, CSI, CCS, CCCA Senior Member Username: sgantner Post Number: 24 Registered: 08-2007 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 11:34 am:    We have a similar application here in our office. Our Owners wanted a metal look with our stained concrete floor in some interesting radius patters. What we ended up doing was sawcutting the pattern approx. 1/8 inch deep and then filled that cut with solder. As a result, we have a very nice metal look in the floor. I would suspect this would work as well with stone, as the pattern can be inscribed and then filled with a silver type solder or other easily melted metal. Similar to terrazzo, the stone can then be ground to make clean lines. Wayne Yancey Senior Member Username: wayne_yancey Post Number: 359 Registered: 01-2008 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 12:03 pm:    Peter, Did you consider the metal accessories for tiling from Schluter? J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 446 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 02:00 pm:    These inscriptions are religious texts in an italic script. I am not sure that the types of strips used for terrazzo would work well. Am intriguied by the thought of filling them with solder, but would think solder would be too soft to be serviceable over a long period of time. Lisa Goodwin Robbins, RA, CCS, LEED ap Senior Member Username: lgoodrob Post Number: 83 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 02:04 pm:    Well now we know who's working on that new mosque near ground zero. David E Lorenzini Senior Member Username: deloren Post Number: 105 Registered: 04-2000 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 02:06 pm:    Peter, I was going to suggest routing out the text and filling it with a contrasting color mortar, then polishing it smooth. As an inlay, it should be durable enough. I thought you were locked in to the metal strip idea. David Lorenzini, FCSI, CCS Architectural Resources Co. J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 447 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 05:25 pm:    Project is a Catholic Church in surburban Houston in a part of the area originally settled by Quakers. There is a gorgeous Hindu temple between 5 and 10 miles to the west. Rich Gonser AIA CSI CCCA Senior Member Username: gonserarch Post Number: 32 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Monday, August 23, 2010 - 05:46 pm:    Suggestion, ... Get a sign company to do the words in polished stainless steel inlaid in the stone flooring. Do this by having the sign guys water jet the stone panels provided by the flooring guys. The flooring people then set their panels with the words already installed. The flooring people will never the letters right...