Stone Floor Suggestions please

[TilingLogistics]

Hi All,

I am currently working on a 270 year old flagstone/sandstone type floor. The property is an old Georgian Farmhouse.

The restoration has gone well so far and we have managed to clean all the old tiles, adhesive, slc and red lead paint off the floor. I have cut al,l the grout out and last Wednesday I regrouted the floor using a sand and cement grout slightly modified brushed in and then drawn across the joints to bring the water to the surface. All this in an effort to try and stay as close in keeping with the age of the floor. The flags are various sizes ranging from about 600 x 600 up to 1750 x 1200 they are also about 80mm thick. They have approximately a 5mm Grout joint.

My problem is they are of course laid on a earth substrate and I have movement in two of them. Sods law dictates they are two of the largest flags on the floor and they are also right in the main traffic area to boot.
I know they should be lifted and the substrate sorted but this is not an option because of the A. weight involved B. Possible collateral damage I may do to the adjacent flags. C. I have a sample of this stone and after looking at it in cross section I believe if I attempted to lift one it would more than likely crumble/shatter!!!

I recleaned the sand /cement grout out of the two of them last Thursday and then made a neat cement mix which I modified. I then poured that into the grout joints and gently vibrated the flags with a mallet to get it as deep and as much in as possible. I left the floor over the weekend to cure and went over lunchtime today to check. One of the flags has set as solid as a rock but there is still movement in the other larger one.

So that is my dilemma!! Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I could do?

Thanks

Kev

 

[DHTiling]

I would try the slurry mix again kev.......it is probably the only way...just patience and i think you will get it.....

 

[White Room]

We done a job in the tate gallery and slate which was laid around the edges of the room had lifted, Only been laid onto floor screed and laid by Italians who were doing all the marble work, What we done to hold it down was, Drill directly underneath the slate quite deep and used a two part epoxy, The type in a tube which mixes thru a special nozzle and can set in a couple of minutes or an hour version which held it down, Hope this is some help

 

[DHTiling]

Just to add kev.....use a funnel to inject it as deep as poss......

 

[Highlander]

Hi Kev,

You could always try this machine to lift the flagstones used it a couple of times and it works and will lift more than the 150kg it says.

HSS Hire › Vacuum Slab Lifter › Large Image

or this one with an engine hoist

http://www.hss.com/g/69254/Stone-Magnet.html



Highlander

 

[TilingLogistics]

Hi Kev,

You could always try this machine to lift the flagstones used it a couple of times and it works and will lift more than the 150kg it says.

HSS Hire › Vacuum Slab Lifter › Large Image

or this one with an engine hoist

HSS Hire › Stone Magnet



Highlander

Thanks Gary but I am frightened to death it will crumble if I do that. The makeup of the stone is dozens of layers almost like a thin slate. Between every layer is mica, quartz and earth. If I break it mate I have nowhere to go.

I don't think Topps have got em in stock:lol::lol::lol:

Kev

 

[enduro]

Could you not remove any smaller slabs around the outside of the larger ones and do a sort of under pining job, or are they all this big?

 

[TilingLogistics]

Could you not remove any smaller slabs around the outside of the larger ones and do a sort of under pining job, or are they all this big?

I can see where you are coming from but lifting the surrounding slabs that are solid i think is going to be even more difficult.

Kev

 

[enduro]

Have to be a can of expandable foam then, like the window fitters use to seal around them, squirt that in trim it off then grout, might work!!!!

 

[TilingLogistics]

Have to be a can of expandable foam then, like the window fitters use to seal around them, squirt that in trim it off then grout, might work!!!!

You are the third person to tell me to try that. I am thinking about it! However it will be a last resort. Thanks anyway for your suggestions! Much appreciated

Kev

 

[enduro]

What was the outcome then Kev, how did you get over it?

 

[TilingLogistics]

What was the outcome then Kev, how did you get over it?

I took all the grout back out with the floor saw then I went with Garys (Highlanders) suggestion and rented the Vacuum Lifter. I started with the smallest stone and lifted that then went on and did the others. The floor was over a vaulted ceilinged cellar and there were huge voids under the slabs so I think anything else other then lifting was not an option. Finally finished it yesterday with Enrich & Seal. Thanks to all for their help and suggestions.

Before anyone asks I would love to upload some pics but everytime I try it says they are too big. I f***ing hate computers:mad2:

Kev

 

[TilingLogistics]

Hi Kev,

You could always try this machine to lift the flagstones used it a couple of times and it works and will lift more than the 150kg it says.

HSS Hire › Vacuum Slab Lifter › Large Image

or this one with an engine hoist

HSS Hire › Stone Magnet



Highlander

#
Gary,

That slab lifter is the Dogs mate great suggestion

The only problem now is I want one! So if your stuck with what to buy me for Xmas this year I'll have one of these:lol::lol::lol:

Kev

 

[White Room]

quote Tilinglogistics; I f***ing hate computers:mad2:

And I Thought it was just me