Frequently Asked Questions

 

Q. What is Handcrafted Stone made of?

A. Our Flagstone, Slate, Saltillo and Old World textured tile overlay products are made of a propriety, specially formulated, high performance based 6000 pounds per square inch concrete for natural appearance, low maintenance and durability. Concrete mix is poured by hand into special molds and the finished tiles are 3/4 inch in thickness. The high light colors are applied by hand and are integrated throughout the entire tile. (Not painted or stained on the top). All the tiles are made by Eco Friendly processes and formulas and GREEN materials.

 

Q. Where can I install your Handcrafted Stone's Flagstone, Slate, Mexican / Saltillo and Old World textured Specialty Flooring and Tile Overlay Products?

A. Over most existing and new concrete surfaces, interior or exterior.

Q. Who can install your tiles or can I do it myself?

A. The inventors of Handcrafted Stone tiles were installers themselves and they designed these tiles to be very installer friendly. Any tile or masonry contractors are able to install our tile overlays, although many people install our concrete based Flagstone, Slate, Mexican / Saltillo and Old World textured tiles/pavers themselves using the same procedure as with most stone or tile products with excellent results. Any person who has worked with thinset mortar can learn to install our tiles with a very short learning curve. Training can be as simple as watching our Installation DVD. Fast, easy, economical and consistent results with little or no maintenance are the results of using Handcrafted Stone concrete flagstone and tile overlay products.

Q. Can I cover over my existing concrete driveway with your Specialty Flooring and Tile Overlay/Decking Products?

A. Yes, by design, our concrete based 3/4 inch thick tiles can be applied over most existing and new concrete surfaces, interior or exterior. In most cases it is 3 times as strong than the standard concrete base mix. (Standard concrete is 2,300 psi, Handcrafted Stone concrete tile are 6000 psi). It can also be applied over raised floor systems with some kind of under-layment to stabilize the floor system, i.e. wonder board or masonry float and moisture barrier.

Q. I have seen other concrete tile manufacturers and some do not state how long they have been manufacturing their own tile and/or claim to have a long history of satisfied customers without stating how long they have been in business. Is this important?

A. Yes, very much so. Concrete has been around since the Roman era. Concrete is readily available and anyone can purchase basic molds and bags of concrete mix and color. The issue is one of quality and durability which is very critical on walk and drive surfaces. Claims and statements made by new manufacturers may be misleading due to that fact that time is usually the best indicator of how durable a product will be once it's installed and subjected to use and the elements. We are proud of the fact that our formulas and processes have been painstakingly created and improved upon for decades and have had hundreds of thousands of square feet manufactured and installed. Before making your choice of which product to use, we recommend you ask specific questions regarding the manufacturing history and how their products have withstood the TEST OF TIME and then compare their claims with ours! The Handcrafted Stone name has been in use since 2003 but the processes and formulas have been in use and improved upon for over 23 years.

Q. How long has Handcrafted Stone been available?) How long have your concrete tiles been manufactured?

A. We began our aggressive marketing campaign in 2003.  Before 2003, we were manufacturing our concrete tiles for our own construction projects and offering it on a very limited basis to the public. It was important to us that our product was among the  BEST IN THE INDUSTRY with it’s BEAUTY, EASE OF INSTALLATION AND HIGHEST DURABILITY.  We have continuously fine-tuned our formulas and processes and know WE OFFER THE FINEST ALTERNATIVE to natural stone, pavers, coatings, staining and stamping on the market today!Our tile overlays have been manufactured with propriety formulas and processes for over 23 years by its original inventors and the owners of Handcrafted Stone LLC . Our products have been time tested and proved with hundreds of thousands of successful square feet installed.

Q. What is the importance of independent lab testing data and specifications.

A. Independent lab testing is a neutral way for the manufacturer to demonstrate and quantify, to the public, its claims of durability and quality of their products. Handcrafted Stone's Flagstone, Slate, Mexican/Saltillo and Old World textured Specialty Flooring and Tile Overlay Products have been independently tested against the best standards in the industry. The results indicate that we meet and/or exceed the standards set by the industry. Our tiles are manufactured consistently within these specifications and are tested for quality assurances on a weekly basis. Any manufacturer can create a "super mix" and attain a rather high and unnecessary Pounds Per Square Inch rating but are they willing or even able to meet this assertion from daily mix to mix. This frequent and consistent testing assures our customers and specifiers (what’s a specifier?) that they are getting the quality they expect and deserve and that Handcrafted Stone will consistently meet or exceed the testing data as posted by Handcrafted Stone . (See "Technical" for testing data.)

Q. How does your product compare to stamped concrete, interlocking brick, cement polymers or pebble stone?

A. Stamped Concrete.....is a labor intensive, messy installation and requires highly skilled and artistic installers to create as natural impression as possible. It is poured new concrete (either colored or gray) that has an impression applied to the wet surface. It cannot be done over existing concrete. (See Coatings/Polymers below). Highlight surface colors are dusted on the surface then stamped with an impression to try and make it look like a particular design. The main problems with this process are: any existing concrete must be removed and is not an environmentally friendly process because the concrete debris must be disposed of in a landfill and is costly to remove. It will fade quickly because it is cured outside in the sun. (Most consumers have witnessed colored and stamped concrete surfaces at their local shopping malls or neighbors homes and noticed how faded and blotchy it had become within months. The color can be somewhat restored with a color wax, but this creates an expensive on-going maintenance problem and tends to leave a shiny, nonrealistic surface. All concrete bases can crack which unfortunately will crack through the stamped pattern and making it obvious it is stamped. The crack cannot be repaired without looking like it has been patched. (It is almost impossible to color match stamped concrete later to make repairs.)

Handcrafted Stone does not require the existing concrete base to be removed. This saves the consumer and installer time, money and satisfaction of using an environmentally friendly GREEN product. Our product covers acres of bad stamped concrete installations. Handcrafted Stone can be repaired without appearing to have been repaired. Most unique is if the concrete base causes a crack to appear in our Flagstone tile (Terra Roma), one simply widens the crack and adds a new grout joint to match the existing grout without even removing the Flagstone tile. A quick, easy, economical repair without noticing the tile had been repaired. This gives the consumer peace of mind and added value to his investment.

Interlocking Brick..... is just what it states, “Interlocking brick.” It is most commonly found in new commercial applications because of its appearance. Homeowners do not seem to use it much because of the busy patterns, same rough pitted surface finish, dull color of the product and the amount of dirt and debris that accumulates in the pock marked surface. You have to remove any of your existing concrete in order to install the interlocking brick, again not environmentally friendly and costly. The brick is installed over a sand/gravel base and you may get movement and separation of the bricks because it is not installed on top of a concrete base or not installed properly. We have heard that weeds will sometimes grow between the cracks.

Handcrafted Stone Specialty Flooring and Tile Overlay Products install on most existing surfaces and will only add 1" to the existing or new surfaces. They do not require the concrete base to be removed thus creating a cleaner environment, GREEN. Weeds and debris cannot grow or accumulate on its surfaces and it can be simple cleaned with water from a hose if a sealer is properly maintained. Also, our tiles will create a very custom beautiful walk and drive surface and not appear as a commercial street as with interlocking brick.

Coatings/Polymers..... this is a relatively new product which comes in a bucket and is applied like a textured paint try to look like the natural stone, pavers and other designs. (One of the first brand names was Cool Deck). We do not see this product much in California anymore. The main problems with this product are: the finished surface appears phony, it is only 1/8" thick, surface preparation is extensive, labor-intensive and requires skilled and extensive factory training and should be only applied by highly qualified installers. It takes a highly skilled artistic type individual to make its appearance acceptable. The finished surface has a shiny coating applied to keep it from fading. Very high maintenance because it needs to have the sealer coat applied often. It is susceptible to lifting and forming air bubbles underneath it. No one actually knows the longevity since it is fairly new material. We recommend everyone to take a look at a job that has been installed for a year and see if the appearance is acceptable or ask their neighbor if they know of someone who had this product installed. You will be surprised at the volume of negative experiences consumers and installer have had with these products. Also coatings cannot be repaired without looking patched. The color and texture cannot be duplicated exactly. Coatings have to be installed on top of existing or new concrete and there may be cracks or expansion joints in the concrete. Since coatings have to be applied in a thin layer, crack repair is minimal and will not last. Most companies will widen the crack, pour a crack filler or glue into the crack and apply a thin fiberglass tape over the crack. The crack filler or glue is only glued to the edges of the concrete crack and will not hold the slab together. The fiberglass tape is too thin and not strong enough to withstand any movement and eventually the crack will appear on the surface again.

Handcrafted Stone has taken all the guess work out of creating a beautiful walk surface. By design, our concrete based tile overlay products will provide consistent results with minimal skill level requirements. To overcome any crack or expansion joint issues in existing concrete before installing our product, installers will use normal methods to address this issue as they would installing a ceramic tile. A fracture membrane or slip sheet is recommended and a standard in the industry. This is a flexible material that is applied with a glue bridging the entire length of the crack. It will stretch and move with the concrete before allowing the crack to move through to the tile. Coating products cannot use this method and material because it is too thick and will show up in the design. Handcrafted Stone is Designed-Developed-Produced by Contractors and is very installer friendly. The installer does not have to be an artist to install our product, as we have already created the beautiful textures for them. It is not a gimmick or new product. The product is backed by 23 years of tried and proven processes and formulas. We participate in at least 10 home and garden shows each year in and around San Diego County.  There used to be at least 10 to 12 coating/polymer contractors promoting their products.  The recent Del Mar County Fair had only one contractor and where there used to be at least 5 pebble stone contractors, there were none.

Pebble Stone..... (Epoxy on the Rocks): This is a disaster. Contractors have taken up acres of this product because it was lifting from the concrete or the epoxy coating becomes yellow and turns to dust because of the ultra violet rays of the sun. It is very high maintenance. It must be re-epoxied on a regular basis and is very expensive. Consumers tell us that they do not like the rough texture of in on their feet. Pool service technicians do not like it around pools due to the pebbles coming loose and falling into the pool and damaging the pool pump. A costly repair.

Handcrafted Stone when applied correctly with good quality thinset mortars, will not come loose and lift and provide for a very long lasting and durable walk and drive surface with very little maintenance. The only maintenance we recommend is a penetrating sealer to increase their stain resistant properties. This can be maintained by the consumer with very little effort and if a high quality sealer is used, should last many years per application. Handcrafted Stone textures are soft to walk on, even with bare feet and non slippery. (See Technical section) As stated previously, we attend at least 10 home and garden shows every year in San Diego County. There used to be at least 5 Pebble Stone contractors promoting these installations at these shows, our most recent show at the Del Mar county Fair did not have any attending.

Q. How are Flagstone, Slate, Mexican/Saltillo and Old World tile overlays packaged?

A. All of our tile overlays are palletized with foam spacers and stacked on edge.

Q. How heavy are Handcrafted Stone concrete tile products?

A. All concrete tiles weigh approximately 6.5 – 7 lb. per square foot.

Q. Will your concrete decking tile/overlays/pavers fade?

A. Color is blended and integrated throughout the entire product. During the curing process, the tiles are not subjected to the harmful rays of the sun, thus insuring a more color fast concrete product with excellent fade resistant qualities. Existing applications show no undesirable change in color after many years of use. It will not fade like stamped or colored concrete which are poured and cured in the sun.

Q. How long will Handcrafted Stone Specialty Concrete Flagstone Flooring and Tile Overlay Decking products last?

A. The concrete tiles have been manufactured and installed in Southern California and some surrounding areas for over 23 years. We have found our Flagstone, Slate, Saltillo and Old World textured tiles have met and/or exceeded the durability of any comparable pre-cast concrete products on the market. Our tiles are more durable than clay based and natural sediment based products currently being sold.

Q. Can I resurface my old fireplace with Handcrafted Stone concrete tile overly products?

A. Yes, our products can be applied to most existing surfaces. (See Installation)

Q. Where can I buy Handcrafted Stone Specialty Concrete Flagstone Flooring and Concrete Tile Overlay/Decking Products?

A. Our high density concrete tiles are sold factory direct and through some authorized, licensed dealers. This assures you will receive not only the best price but personalized service and Handcrafted Stone's strict guidelines for quality control will be followed from the time of the tiles manufacture to being purchased and installed at your home. We provide excellent technical help and encourage questions. If you have a particular question or installation issue, most likely we have already experienced it.

For information about Handcrafted Stone’s tile products, visit our Contact us page or email us directly at