Flooring Tile - Slate Tiles
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mebill
03-12-03, 07:00 AM
Hello, we are preparing to lay 1,300 sq. ft of slate 16x16 tile in our kitchen/den/hallway/entryway. Our home has a concrete slab foundation. A portion of the space we are talking about has very old peel and stick lineoleum down. Question #1: We have been told there is no need to remove the linoleum. Do you agree? The other portion of the space we will tile has brick and mortar over the concrete slab. Question #2: We are assuming we can simply use thinset and lay the slate over the brick. Any problems there?
We intend to install the 16x16 on the diagonal using 1/8 grout lines. We also intend to seal the slate prior to grouting. The slate is Indian Copper. Just wanting to check and see if there is anything I am forgetting. I have installed a fair amount of ceramic tile but never slate prior to this. Thanks for your help!
We intend to install the 16x16 on the diagonal using 1/8 grout lines. We also intend to seal the slate prior to grouting. The slate is Indian Copper. Just wanting to check and see if there is anything I am forgetting. I have installed a fair amount of ceramic tile but never slate prior to this. Thanks for your help!
moechris
03-12-03, 12:12 PM
Lineoleum should be removed. Laying slate over the brick should not be a problem.
I do have a comment or two regarding the tile size and your planned grout width. Go with the smallest tile size with the widest grout that you can live with. I would caution you against 1/8 grout width as tile size, specially slate varies and with 1/8 grout you will not have a fair chance of adjusting for the size variance.
I do have a comment or two regarding the tile size and your planned grout width. Go with the smallest tile size with the widest grout that you can live with. I would caution you against 1/8 grout width as tile size, specially slate varies and with 1/8 grout you will not have a fair chance of adjusting for the size variance.
WJS_SR51
03-12-03, 03:29 PM
Remove the peel and stick-- but you still have a residual glue problem in the pores of the concrete that you can't remove.
Use a latex modified thinset mortarfor the entire job, but first wash the back side of the slate because often the manufacturing methods leave dust or grinding residue that will interfer with the adhesion of the mortar. Same is true for marble and granite-- wash first.
The area where you have bricks shouldn't be a problem unless there is a crack or joint that might cause the slate tile to crack.
You will have to dry lay [ lay lots of tiles from many boxes on the floor with no joint] a bunch of tiles to determine how different in size they might be. If they have been edge ground to very close tolerences you can use a smaller grout joint but if there is very much varience you will have to use a larger grout joint to allow for the differences in the tiles.
In all of my years of installing tiles, I think that one of the main reasons for 1/4" or 3/16" grout joints is to allow for the sizing varience in the tiles because who really wants big grout joints?
They just get dirty anyway.
Use a latex modified thinset mortarfor the entire job, but first wash the back side of the slate because often the manufacturing methods leave dust or grinding residue that will interfer with the adhesion of the mortar. Same is true for marble and granite-- wash first.
The area where you have bricks shouldn't be a problem unless there is a crack or joint that might cause the slate tile to crack.
You will have to dry lay [ lay lots of tiles from many boxes on the floor with no joint] a bunch of tiles to determine how different in size they might be. If they have been edge ground to very close tolerences you can use a smaller grout joint but if there is very much varience you will have to use a larger grout joint to allow for the differences in the tiles.
In all of my years of installing tiles, I think that one of the main reasons for 1/4" or 3/16" grout joints is to allow for the sizing varience in the tiles because who really wants big grout joints?
They just get dirty anyway.