Riven slate floor tiles

[Eddie]

Thanks for all the advice lads, sorry i've not been back on to respond to you're replies.been night shift down at mill. Anyway the customer thinks she has changed her mind, thinks she is going to go for granit instead. she is buying tiles, adhesive, sealer from the net. Are the pitfalls the same for granit as slate. what should i look for with granit?
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the floor looks level but the surface is rough. should i still put self leveling compound on it?. its a new floor.

 

[sc24]

if its polished granite then the sub-floor needs to be like a billiard table, you lay them with a tight joint 2-3mm any undulations will reflect in the surface so they have to be laid flat and level, get the customer to check with the supplier about sealing, some need it some dont

 

[Eddie]

thanks sc, does that mean self leveler is always a must with granit tiles? I've never used self leveler either.

 

[sc24]

not always, now and again you might come across a screed that is actually flat! as with any tile you want to get the floor as flat as possilbe to make your job easier, self levelers are ok to use make sure you mix the correct proportions and spread it with a steel float also you can use a straightedge as a screed to drag it across the floor and trowel the sides

 

[Eddie]

cheers sc. when you say flat do you mean smooth or just level?

 

[Fred]

Grade all the slate first. That is, go through all the boxes and put them all into 4 piles, thick to thin. Start with the thickest. You can then start off with a 8mm trowel, then to a 100mm trowel as the slate gets thinner. That way, you can save on the addy. The floor has to be dead flat for this method.

If the mid-to thin slate does go under the height of the thicker tiles with the 10mm trowel, I back=butter with a 6mm to make up the difference.

Good luck. PS, seal twice, once after grouting. Continue to change your water when removing the grout.

 

[sc24]

hi ed, basically put a 2-3metre straight edge across the floor if you can see more than a 3mm gap underneath then this will probably need smoothing, not necasarily level but flat especially for granite/limestone