Encaustic floor tiles - Tile Advice

[Nigel Jones]

Hi. Could someone confirm if I have this right please?
3m sq Encaustic tiles on a latex screed bathroom floor. I'm proposing a 2mm grout gap (subject to laying out the pattern). Using powdered adhesive - what type is best? . Do I need to seal before laying or only once laid? I'm using LTP Mattstone. Customer has not selected grout yet. What type is best? What colours should I avoid? Not used Encaustic before but have done a lot of tiling.

Many thanks for your advice
Nigel

 

[Dan]

Hi Nigel,

3mm grout lines minimum for floors. Though if the tiles are accurately sized you might get away with 2mm.

Have you got a link to the encaustic tiles? Are they actual genuine encaustic or one of the printed glazed copies?

You can test the water absorption rate by soaking a tile in water for a hour or so to see if it changes colour. If it doesn't, it probably won't be affected too much with grout and therefore can seal the lot after. If the tile darkens in the water then the grout is going to sit in the pours just like the water did so they will need sealing before grouting as long as you work clean with the adhesive.

If they're one of the newer cheaper encaustic tiles that have a print on the surface and then are glazed (even matte glaze) then you shouldn't need to seal them at all.

What have the tile shop said with regards to sealer?

 

[Nigel Jones]

Hi Nigel,

3mm grout lines minimum for floors. Though if the tiles are accurately sized you might get away with 2mm.

Have you got a link to the encaustic tiles? Are they actual genuine encaustic or one of the printed glazed copies?

You can test the water absorption rate by soaking a tile in water for a hour or so to see if it changes colour. If it doesn't, it probably won't be affected too much with grout and therefore can seal the lot after. If the tile darkens in the water then the grout is going to sit in the pours just like the water did so they will need sealing before grouting as long as you work clean with the adhesive.

If they're one of the newer cheaper encaustic tiles that have a print on the surface and then are glazed (even matte glaze) then you shouldn't need to seal them at all.

What have the tile shop said with regards to sealer?

Thanks Dan. They’re down now but not grouted. They are Little Tile Co encaustic Adam. True encaustic. So will be dealing with Ltp Matt 3 times and then grouting.
nigel

 

[Dan]

Awesome.

Any pictures?

 

[Nigel Jones]

Awesome.

Any pictures?

 

[Dan]

Awww they are lovely. Do you have any spare tiles left? Can you A) take a picture of the side of a tile, showing the colour going past the surface, and then if it does B) sell me a couple?

(always save some for yourself! - Our 'find a tile forum' is full of people who have had leaks and things and need 2 tiles. They end up doing the whole room because of it.

 

[Nigel Jones]

Awww they are lovely. Do you have any spare tiles left? Can you A) take a picture of the side of a tile, showing the colour going past the surface, and then if it does B) sell me a couple?

(always save some for yourself! - Our 'find a tile forum' is full of people who have had leaks and things and need 2 tiles. They end up doing the whole room because of it.

I'll ask. There a few over. How many do you want? £125/m!