S
simonjay
OK, I'm a DIYer as far as floor tiling goes, and I'll describe my first attempt at laying some well calibrated slate.
Any tips would be useful, but I should probably get a professional tiler ;-)
Put this in here as it does not just apply to stone.
So, the slates are 600x400 basically 10mm thick, very regular. I divided into smooth (no ridges), medium (lightly riven)
and rough (max 2mm ridges). So not very rough by slate standards.
I've done 2 tiles - one yesterday and one today (don't laugh).
Using dunlop large format and natural stone flexible rapid-set adhesive (3mm to 25 mm build).
The floor is flattish, but with a few high spots to be taken up in the adhesive.
13mm x 20mm round notches every 28mm large format trowel.
I'm not back buttering, since this adhesive explicitly says you don't need to, and also I'd make
even more of a mess ! The back of the tiles are perfectly flat so this is probably OK.
Started with some of the smooth slates.
Yesterday, mixed a bit thick I think, it almost poured, and ended up laying with about 6mm bed, but thats fine as it will make sure
I can take up the slight undulations in the floor. Did not check for voids under - you cannot get the things up due to suction anyway.
Took ages banging with my fist to get as level as possible with the spirit level.
I had mixed enough for two tiles, not quite though and it hard started to set (about 40mins, says workable for 20mins),
so I chucked it. This could get expensive ! Still the tile was very solid the next day and no hollow sound when tapped all over.
Today, though I'd try doing 2 tiles so mixed the same amount. Seemed a bit more pourable than yesterday.
Having watched a video off the dunlop website, poured the adhesive in the middle of the tiled area and tried to comb to the edges.
Pressed the tile down. It was too low, and unsupported at the edges.
What had happened is with the combing and re-combing, I had ended up with the notches not completely filled and also thinning
out at the edges. I had not pushed the tile down that much and you could see it was not properly bedded - no squidging at all.
Time was getting on, but I had to lift it. Very difficult due to suction, thought the slate might break, but I got it up.
In a slight panic (20 mins working time), I slapped loads more down, combed into full notches. Not that easy to get it up to the
edge of the previous tile as you'd think for some reason.
Anyway, I'd probably got slightly too much adhesive this time, and it ended up about 1mm higher than the next tile.
Slate also may bave been slightly thicker. I thought thats not perfect but fine in the context of slate and the adhesive was
setting anyway, so I've left it. A bit messy, so cleaned the slate with a sponge.
Threw some more adhesive away.
I then realised I was attempting the impossible since the slate was not totally flat (its slate after all), and you could see light
under a spirit level placed across it. So one corner was always going to be a bit high !
Anyway what I need to improve:
1. Probably mix even looser, so tile can be pressed down a bit easier
2. Get the right amount on the floor so I can a nice clean run of full notches across the tile area (I've got a new idea of
pushing the adhesive back into the comb with a plastering trowel to keep the notches full).
3. Judge how much to keep the trowel off the floor to ride over slight dips in the floor.
4. Level the thing quickly - I'm going to get a rubber mallet !
5. Get less adhesive on top of the tile.
5. Manage to do more than 1 tile a day.
I found this much much harder than I ever thought. I hope the learning curve is quick.
Simon.
Any tips would be useful, but I should probably get a professional tiler ;-)
Put this in here as it does not just apply to stone.
So, the slates are 600x400 basically 10mm thick, very regular. I divided into smooth (no ridges), medium (lightly riven)
and rough (max 2mm ridges). So not very rough by slate standards.
I've done 2 tiles - one yesterday and one today (don't laugh).
Using dunlop large format and natural stone flexible rapid-set adhesive (3mm to 25 mm build).
The floor is flattish, but with a few high spots to be taken up in the adhesive.
13mm x 20mm round notches every 28mm large format trowel.
I'm not back buttering, since this adhesive explicitly says you don't need to, and also I'd make
even more of a mess ! The back of the tiles are perfectly flat so this is probably OK.
Started with some of the smooth slates.
Yesterday, mixed a bit thick I think, it almost poured, and ended up laying with about 6mm bed, but thats fine as it will make sure
I can take up the slight undulations in the floor. Did not check for voids under - you cannot get the things up due to suction anyway.
Took ages banging with my fist to get as level as possible with the spirit level.
I had mixed enough for two tiles, not quite though and it hard started to set (about 40mins, says workable for 20mins),
so I chucked it. This could get expensive ! Still the tile was very solid the next day and no hollow sound when tapped all over.
Today, though I'd try doing 2 tiles so mixed the same amount. Seemed a bit more pourable than yesterday.
Having watched a video off the dunlop website, poured the adhesive in the middle of the tiled area and tried to comb to the edges.
Pressed the tile down. It was too low, and unsupported at the edges.
What had happened is with the combing and re-combing, I had ended up with the notches not completely filled and also thinning
out at the edges. I had not pushed the tile down that much and you could see it was not properly bedded - no squidging at all.
Time was getting on, but I had to lift it. Very difficult due to suction, thought the slate might break, but I got it up.
In a slight panic (20 mins working time), I slapped loads more down, combed into full notches. Not that easy to get it up to the
edge of the previous tile as you'd think for some reason.
Anyway, I'd probably got slightly too much adhesive this time, and it ended up about 1mm higher than the next tile.
Slate also may bave been slightly thicker. I thought thats not perfect but fine in the context of slate and the adhesive was
setting anyway, so I've left it. A bit messy, so cleaned the slate with a sponge.
Threw some more adhesive away.
I then realised I was attempting the impossible since the slate was not totally flat (its slate after all), and you could see light
under a spirit level placed across it. So one corner was always going to be a bit high !
Anyway what I need to improve:
1. Probably mix even looser, so tile can be pressed down a bit easier
2. Get the right amount on the floor so I can a nice clean run of full notches across the tile area (I've got a new idea of
pushing the adhesive back into the comb with a plastering trowel to keep the notches full).
3. Judge how much to keep the trowel off the floor to ride over slight dips in the floor.
4. Level the thing quickly - I'm going to get a rubber mallet !
5. Get less adhesive on top of the tile.
5. Manage to do more than 1 tile a day.
I found this much much harder than I ever thought. I hope the learning curve is quick.
Simon.
