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?