slate floor

[tony1h]

hi i am laying a naturall slate floor which my customer has brought b and q tiles can any body give me any tips on how to overcome different thickness of tiles,what size spacers etc or any info to helpme.regards Tony

 

[jay]

Have you laid slate before and what type are they

 

[peteablard]

Hi Tony and welcome to TF.
you need to grade the tiles and start by laying the thickest ones first and slowly increase the bed of adhesive as the tiles get thinner to keep the floor running level. Personally i don't use spacers and do it by eye as it allows for easier adjustment if there is any difference in tile size. As Jay says have you laid any natural stone before? Do you know about back buttering the tiles and sealing them?

 

[prceramics]

grade them and lay the thicker ones in the middle or on the high traffic areas these are really a pig to lay good luck

 

[tony1h]

thanks for the replies yes i have laid stone before and no about back buttering.would you suggest sealing them after laying and before you grout and then again after grouting. what would you recommend the size of gap between tiles.

 

[nybor62]

seal before grouting and again after , i would also give them a good clean before grouting , i use lithofin sealer mostly and i would clean with lithofin wexa , joint gap 3-5mm imo, work as clean *** poss

 

[Rich]

The joint width will depend on how calibrated the tiles are, if there is a lot of variation in the size then go for a wider joint. As has been said, use the thickest pieces in the high traffic areas and make sure you clean them of properly before sealing. Something like LTP Grimex is good for this. How many coats of sealer will depend on the slate but you want to seal them as much as possible IMO.

 

[swanman]

Good advise from Rich

Slate isnt easy to lay but take your time laying the thick slate first

Work clean is very important

Good Luck

 

[Gareth Raines]

i personally lay the thicker tiles were there is heavy foot traffic generally in the centre of the roon and thinner use for the cuts on the outer, dont use spacers because of the various sizing in the tiles, good luck!

 

[Tony73]

does anyone use fine wirw wool to clean slate before sealing?

 

[Tony73]

sorry, wire wool

 

[bugs183]

Blooming B@Q
Make sure Tony that the customer is aware that because the slate has not got a machined back that:
A. It make take a little longer to fix,
B. They will more than likely be a bit more twisted than normal,
C. That you will have to use more adhesive to overcome the difference in thickness.
Just in case you were thinking of buying, I wouldn't recommend you by a 'pourable thick bed stone adhesive', due to the fact that it is a pourable adhesive means you won't be able to build up the adhesive under the tiles as it will sink.
If you do feel slightly worried about the job use a standard set adhesive (24 hour) as this will give you more time to use the adhesive without it setting in the bucket.
As for grout space, lay a few out to show the customer, i'd for for minimum of 4mm grout joint, but you can show them a wider joint. It will be a bit more of a trap for dirt etc, but it will make the fixing easier in case the tiles are not uniform across their width, and it will make the tiles appear slightly flatter!
Lay, clean if any adhesive residue, seal grout, seal, maybe add a finishing wax.
Enjoy!

 

[Andy Allen]

your going to have fun, i did a small poarch about a month ago with b & q slate, and its the worst slate ive ever seen, they vary from 20mm to 2mm and every box will have one or more broken tiles...